East Cowes Vics grabbed a last minute winner against Verwood Town to keep their promotion hopes alive in Wessex Division One.
East Cowes Vics 2-1 Verwood Town
The hosts thought they had taken an early lead in the fifth minute when Aedan Coode met a cross from the right with a free header, but celebrations were cut short as the linesman flagged for offside.
However, Vics didn’t have to wait much longer for a breakthrough.
On 13 minutes, a Zak Sullivan corner was whipped into the back post, where Scott Jones rose highest to nod the ball goalwards.
The Verwood goalkeeper attempted to clear, but the linesman spotted that the ball had crossed the line, giving Vics a deserved lead.
Verwood, despite their struggles this season, hit back immediately from the restart.
A quick attacking move caught the Vics defence off guard, and their forward took advantage of Alex Ram being off his line, chipping the goalkeeper to level the scores.
Josh Neale after being taken out by the Verwood keeper, well outside his box (score 1-1). Keeper was lucky to only receive a yellow (Image: IWCP)
Vics attacking early in the second half (Image: IWCP) Despite their dominance in possession, Vics struggled to create clear-cut chances for the remainder of the half, while Ram remained largely unchallenged in the home goal.
The hosts continued to dominate possession in the second half, fashioning a few half-chances early on but struggling to find the finishing touch.
Despite their control, Vics’ wastefulness in the final third kept Verwood in the game, with the visitors relying on counter-attacks that were well handled by the home defence.
As the match wore on, Verwood began to grow into the contest, carving out a rare opportunity in the 75th minute when a cutback forced Alex Ram into action, stopping the effort with his feet.
Moments later, Vics had a chance of their own when a ball over the top found Jones, but his half-volley was comfortably held by the Verwood keeper.
Just as it seemed Vics would have to settle for a disappointing draw, they finally found their breakthrough in stoppage time.
A quick attack down the left saw Harrison Yates break free and whip in a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Jones made no mistake, heading home his second of the game to snatch a dramatic late winner.
Verwood made one final push forward in search of an equaliser, but the Vics’ defence held firm, securing a vital victory that keeps their promotion hopes on track.
Cowes Sports secured a vital away victory, overcoming Andover New Street 2-0 in the Wessex Premier Division.
Andover New Street 0-2 Cowes Sports
Goals from Jordan Browne and Jared Tout-Walters ensured the Yachtsmen left Foxcotte Park with all three points.
The match began positively for Cowes, who controlled possession early on.
Jordan Browne opened the scoring with a well-placed volley into the bottom corner after an excellent ball from Hughes.
Soon after, Scott McFarlane came close to doubling the lead, but his effort went wide.
Tout-Walters made it 2-0 with a courageous header from a corner, despite colliding with the post.
Cowes went into halftime with a comfortable lead, though they missed opportunities to extend it further.
After the break, Cowes maintained their dominance, thwarting Andover's attempts to rally.
Although the hosts applied some pressure, Cowes's defence held firm.
Late in the game, Hughes nearly capitalised on a defensive error but could not find the target.
The Yachtsmen’s solid performance ensured they left with a clean sheet.
Newport secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against New Milton Town in an action-packed encounter.
New Milton Town 2-3 Newport
Goals from Jai Nash and Luca Weeks propelled Port to success at Fawcetts Field in Wessex Division One.
Nash opened the scoring early, displaying composure in front of goal after receiving a precise pass from Keelan Walsh.
Following a well-delivered corner from Joe Butcher, Nash added his and Newport's second just before halftime.
Weeks added a third shortly after, capitalising on a great assist from Kai Grace, leaving Newport with a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.
However, the second half saw New Milton fight back, pulling one back shortly after the restart and then adding another just minutes later to close the gap to 3-2.
Despite the pressure, Newport showed resilience, with every player putting in a solid performance to secure the win.
The 25 travelling fans were treated to a commendable display, with Walsh earning the man of the match award.
Newport's next challenge comes against Frimley Green on Saturday, March 22.
