All three of our Isle of Wight Wessex League clubs were in league action yesterday (Saturday, August 17), as Cowes, Newport and Vics all faced tough opposition. Cowes Sports had managed to collect two points from their opening two matches in the Premier Division. The Yachtsmen were looking to secure their first win of the season at home to Hythe and Dibden.
It was not the start Cowes would have wished for, as the ball found a Hythe midfielder, 30 yards out, who curled it into the top right corner within seven minutes. The Yachtsmen fought hard to try and find a quick equaliser, with two massive chances, in an eventful first 15 minutes. The first saw a long throw and a scrap in the box, finding Liam Triggs, who headed it straight at the keeper, with the second, a low cross into Scott McFarlane, resulted in a shot flying across the goal and wide.
Cowes had a flurry of chances at the end of the first half. A ball played through on the left to George Carter-Knight resulted in a shot across the goal cleared off the line. After this chance, the ball found Carter-Knight again, whose volley was deflected for a corner, from which Ryan Oatley headed just wide of the post.
The Yachtsmen started the stronger in the second half, but, out of nowhere, another excellent shot from 30 yards by a Hythe attacker hit the near post and into the back of the net. Two 30-yard screamers, and the Yachtsmen two-nil down. Just after the hour mark, the visitors made it three after a low ball into the back.