MATCH REPORT - vs Ventnor FC

Cowes Sports 1 - 0 Ventnor FC

Date: Wednesday 19th February

Location: Beatrice Avenue, East Cowes

The IOW Gold Cup Semi-Final is always an edgy one to think about due to the meeting of (1) the top-tiered team, and (2) whichever island league team has fought their way to reach this point of the cup. It certainly produces dream-like scenarios in the mind of the neutrals as an IOW League team beating The Yachtsmen would motivate anyone to want to turn up and watch the game for sure!

The first 10 minutes the game was very much all Cowes where they dominated possession and found themselves in spaces between the lines a few times. Wright had a chance that he turned wide of the right post after good work from Marsek on the left to pick his pass, with the rest of this small period being what seemed like an attack vs defence session, with Ventnor doing well to thwart any other chance Cowes threw at them.

The 11th minute Ventnor found themselves in a good position with a free kick around 30 yards out to the left of the 18-yard box, where instead of putting the ball into the box they decided to play it short and go for a long-range shot which sailed high and wide of the goal.

The 13th minute was where Cowes got their rewards from their dynamic start, where Cook and Wright combine in the middle of the park to which a pass is put forward into Browne on the edge of the 18-yeard box, and with his back to goal manages to play a pass through past the defenders to a well timed run from McFarlane who after beating the offside trap managed to take the ball around the keeper and in to an empty net. The 1-0 scoreline that allowed Cowes to have a small sigh of relief, but by no means allowed them to take their foot off the gas.

The rest of the half was very much as expected, but without any more goals. Cowes kept finding their defenders comfortably dealing with any long ball Ventnor launched at them from a clearance, where they could then start again and try to create their next opportunity. The first yellow card of the game was on the 32nd minute where a Ventnor midfielder managed to trip Carter-Knight after he went past him, with the referee deeming it a bookable offence.

We reach the half-time point and the score made it feel like Ventnor could come out into the 2nd half with a much more direct approach if they were to get anything from the game, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Cowes, knowing that Ventnor might try to come out of the changing rooms firing, managed to control the game in a mature and mindful way with smart defensive play and good spreading of the ball to keep Ventnor chasing them instead of controlling the play.

On the 52nd minute Cowes had their next best chance to score where the ball is played through to Marsek on the left-side where he manages to beat the RB with pace edging towards the goal-line, and with his left foot cross into the penalty-spot area where an incoming Jackman had to jump to try and get any contact with the ball using his foot, but sadly the contact too the ball over the bar and onto the roof of the net. Some people said he should have headed it but it was certainly too low and too fast a ball to deal with in that manner.

Ventnor finally found their first clear chance of the game when a corner resulted in Cowes clearing the ball forwards, it being knocked back into the box on the floor where the striker managed to turn away from Oatley and shoot at goal, but fortunately he didn’t get a good contact and Hatt made his first diving save of the night to comfortably collect the ball.

On the 60th minute we saw the return of John McKie back after supporting his family with the birth of his 6th child (congratulations John and Jo!) where he replaced Carter-Knight and looked forward to stretching his legs on the right wing once more. His first major contribution of the match turned out NOT to be one he wanted where a few minutes after coming on went in for a slide tackle on a Ventnor midfielder and tripped him, stopping him from advancing, leading his name to be taken in the referees notebook.

I’d like to tell you that there was more action to come in the next 25 minutes, but I’d be lying. Cowes dominated possession, Ventnor couldn’t get passed out defensive line, where also Cowes couldn’t produce anymore clear cut chances.

The final whistle goes and to the quietness of the crowd coming along with hope to see an upset, they slip away into the night and The Yachtsmen breathe a sigh of relief that they did exactly what they needed to do to get themselves a place into the 2024/25 IOW Gold Cup Final.

GOALS:

Cowes Sports: McFarlane (13’)

Ventnor FC: N/A

Next Up: The Yachtsmen take a trip to Downton for the first time this season where they look to dent their chances of escaping the relegation zone.