MATCH REPORT - vs Hythe & Dibden FC
Hythe & Dibden 0-2 Cowes Sports
Date: Saturday 28th December 2024
Location: The Hythe Garage Stadium, Southampton
With Christmas out of the way it allowed the Yachtsmen to return to football full of festive food, fueled up and ready to take on Hythe & Dibden with ambition to seek revenge seeing as the previous game resulted in a 3-0 loss at home. Thankfully the travel was short and it didn’t take long for everyone to arrive safely and in good time, ready to prepare for the day.
It was the start of the boggy and wet season of football and with the game surprisingly going ahead Cowes knew they needed to be wary of the pitch conditions and the opposition’s desire to use it to their advantage. The first 10 minutes of the game showed that both teams were finding their feet on the soft ground, and passages of play weren’t linking up for Cowes compared to when the ground allows the players to travel smoothly.
Feeling reserved, Cowes stuck to their guns and kept trying to get the ball in between the lines as usual, but the Hythe defence were proving solid so far. In the 19th minute the first proper chance of the match came in Hythe’s favour where the ball is played up the left to the wide player, he takes it towards the goal line and crosses low to the striker who receives it on the left side of the 6 yard box, turns and shoots, but Hatt is ready and reacts well saving it for a corner, which eventually came to nothing.
the 22nd minute saw Cowes’ first chance of the day, with Hughes throw-in is headed right back to him, he puts in a measured cross towards the penalty spot where Browne is there, free to head it goalward, but it’s saved comfortably by the keeper.
The rest of the half plays out very much the same, with Hythe having another couple of attacks on goal but both Hatt and the Cowes defence doing their jobs well, where chances the other end weren’t converted with attempts going over the bar or blocked well by the Hythe defence. Hopefully the 2nd half would bring a bit more fortune, and action (it was a very steady half).
It didn’t take long for Cowes to get their deserved goal in the second half, as on the 47th minute a short corner was taken by McKie on the left into Marsek’s feet, who laid it off back to McKie now reaching the edge of the 18 yard box, his first time shot is deflected up and over the keepers head into the net, 1-0 to Cowes and a sigh of relief could be heard on the Cowes bench for sure.
Knowing Hythe would want to get one back, it was a busy 8 minutes for the Cowes defence as Hythe pressed hard, played the ball early into the channels and had many throw-ins which favoured their playing style. After a few more clearances and blocked shots, Cowes managed to get the ball in their possession up the other end…
…and it paid off! on the 55th minute a pass on the right wing by Carter-Knight into McKie’s feet who while tussling with the defender on the right side of the 6 yard box, is pulled down aggressively and with the referee well placed to watch, awards the penalty to the Yachtsmen.
After a couple of minutes for Hythe to treat an injured player and McKie to collect himself, the penalty was ready to be taken, and with a slow walk towards the ball, McKie passes the ball to the right fooling the keeper to the left, 2-0 to the Yachtsmen!
From here on it was very much about Cowes controlling the game and allowing Hythe to try and run after it, seeing as they desperately needed to try and gain something from this game. A moment where Hythe break and the striker is 1-on-1 with Chase 10 yards outside the Cowes box forces Chase to bring him down and get himself into the referee’s book. Fortunately the free kick was hit straight into the wall and cleared.
It was becoming frustrating for the Hythe bench and both the manager and the coach managed to talk themselves into the referee’s book, but the game wasn’t turning in Hythe’s favour at all after Cowes second goal. The Yachtsmen were proving the superior team and were calmly controlling possession and making good decisions across the park. This felt like watching a team that have grown in confidence on how they play, and in trust with each other.
Potts and Woodhouse were happy to empty the bench today to give players a chance to get minutes, as well as putting on fresh legs to keep up the energy of ball possession that was keeping Hythe running like a dog chasing a bone. The only real action that happened in the last 30 minutes of the match was Hythe with arguably their best chance of the game, on the 80th minute a long throw on the right side flicked on, with a Hythe midfielder there on the edge of the 6 yard box to head it goalward but manages to direct it wide.
The game ended, and the Yachtsmen were very happy with their performance showing calmness and control throughout, gaining 3 points and pushing them up into 11th in the Velocity Wessex Premier League.
GOALS:
Hythe: N/A
Cowes Sports: McKie (47’, Pen 57’)
Next Up: The Yachtsmen take a trip to high-flying Andover New Street who find themselves comfortably in the playoff spots AND still competing in the FA Vase having made the 4th round. What a test for the boys to begin 2025!