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East Cowes Vics contrived to lose at home to Millbrook despite taking a half time lead at Beatrice Avenue on Saturday (2nd April).
Vics went into the game 8 points ahead of 2nd-from-bottom Fleet Spurs with 3 games remaining, a win guaranteeing the East Cowes side’s Wessex League status for the following season. Vics were without their 2 most accomplished forwards – Sam Cant (unavailable) and leading scorer Jimmi Burton (injured) – and played 2 16-year-olds in their positions: Charlie Marsek and Toby Snow.
The Dockers began the game on the front foot with Goodwin having a shot deflected past the Vics post in the 4th minute, following which Whitlock bundled the ball into the back of the net from the resulting corner but had his ‘goal’ disallowed for offside.
Vics then came into the ascendancy with Toby Snow shooting over the crossbar in the 9th minute before hitting the post in the 14th. A minute later, Jordan Chapman put the ball into the Millbrook net but had his attempt disallowed. The game then became fractious with bookings for Vics captain Ryan Gregory and Brandon Hayward.
3 minutes before half time, Toby Snow picked up the ball midway in the Millbrook half then drove the ball into the penalty area before beating the Dockers keeper to give the Vics a 1-goal half time advantage (1-0).
Half-time: East Cowes Vics 1-0 Millbrook
Vics had appeared to be cruising to a comfortable home win at the end of the 1st half, but an abject 2nd half performance saw the East Cowes side finish the game without a point.
The 1st blow for the Island side came in the 52nd minute when Neary was upended in the Vics penalty area, and Southwell took advantage of the resulting spot kick to equalize for the Southampton side (1-1). In the 64th minute, Dockers captain Whitlock slid the ball past Vics keeper Alex Ram to put Millbrook into the lead (1-2). In the 69th minute, Dockers centre forward Randall stole the ball from Vics captain Ryan Gregory before beating Ram to give Millbrook a 2-goal advantage (1-3).
It took until the closing stages of the game for Vics to respond to Millbrook’s 3-goal scoring spree. In the 84th minute, Ryan Gregory had a header fisted just over the crossbar by Dockers goalkeeper Kitcher. In the 90th minute, substitute Jared Cousins was brought down just outside the penalty area by Whitlock, for which the Millbrook captain was red carded. Kade Woodford then had the resulting free kick cleared off the goal line by a Millbrook defender.
Full time: East Cowes Vics 1-3 Millbrook
East Cowes Vics: Ram, Woodford, Berry (Ash), White, Gregory (c), Sheerin, Chapman, Hayward (Catania), Marsek, Snow (Cousins), Yates Subs not used: Lyon, Phillipson
After the game, Vics manager Richard Woodburn said: “It was cheese and chalk. A good 1st half and a terrible 2nd. We always seem to perform badly in the winnable games.”
Vics’ defeat leaves them in 17th place in Wessex Division 1, 7 points ahead of 2nd-from-bottom Fleet Spurs, who drew away with bottom club Totton & Eling. With only 2 games of the season remaining, it is now mathematically impossible for Spurs to go above Vics in the Division 1 table, and therefore the East Cowes side have retained their Wessex League status.
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