By Isle of Wight ObserverThere was a mixed bag of results for the Island Wessex League sides this Saturday: an emphatic home win for Newport against Whitchurch United, a home draw for Vics against 2nd place Hythe and Dibden and defeat in Dorset for Cowes Sports against high-flying Portland United.
Port had a highly impressive win in a ten-goal thriller at St George’s Park, ending the afternoon with an 8–2 victory. Jordan BROWNE opened the scoring after just seven minutes, slotting in from five yards after a pass from Conor Kelly. BROWNE then added a second after a fumble from the Whitchurch ‘keeper in the 26th minute. The third came from the ever-dependable Jared WETHERICK, from a 30th minute penalty, after he had been bundled over inside the area. Conor KELLY added a fourth in the 43rd minute, to give Port a 4–0 half-time lead.
Whitchurch came back strongly at the start of the second half, scoring twice to reduce the deficit to 4–2. However, Port then piled on the pressure to turn defeat into a rout, scoring a further four second-half goals in the process.
Conor KELLY got Port’s fifth in the 70th minute, coolly rounding the keeper after beating the offside trap. A powerful Jared WETHERICK header put Port 6–2 in the lead in the 76th minute. Jordan BROWNE then hit his hat-trick four minutes from time, shooting over the keeper after being played on by substitute Joe Craig. Finally, Joe CRAIG completed the Jam Boy’s humiliation, with a screamer in the third minute of injury time, to make the final score Newport 8–2 Whitchurch United.
After the match, manager Andy Sampson declared himself, “pleased for the lads”, although he was “disappointed” to have let in a couple. He thought his team had “deserved the win, despite switching off at the start of the second half.”
East Cowes Vics’ afternoon was marred by their star striker, Charlie Urry, breaking his collar bone after colliding with the Hythe And Dibden ‘keeper in the penalty area early on in the game. The resulting penalty was converted by Alex PRZEPOLOWSKI in the sixth minute to give Vics a 1–0 advantage. Hythe and Dibden then equalized, before captain, Joe BUTCHER, scored shortly before half-time, for Vics to reach half-time with a 2–1 advantage.
Hythe and Dibden then scored two second-half goals before Vics’s leading scorer, Jimmi Burton, equalised, to end the game, honours even, as a 3–3 draw.
Vics remain in 13th place in Wessex 1, and Newport move up to seventh.
In the Wessex Premier, Cowes Sports, in eighteenth position, played well at second place Portland United, creating plenty of chances they were unable to convert. Portland, however, punished the Yachtsmen for every defensive lapse.
Cowes went into half-time 0–2 down, although Callum Chase hit the crossbar from almost forty yards. Portland scored one further second-half goal, before Callum WATKINS scored a tap in consolation goal for the Yachtsmen just before the end of the game, to make the final score Portland United 3–1 Cowes Sports.
The Yachtsmen remain just above the two relegation places, in eighteenth place.
For further details of Saturday’s Wessex League games, read this Friday’s IW Observer.
