Bearsted are still on the road to Wembley after a hard fought win over a Cowes Sports team who arrived late and the game was put back ten minutes but both teams gave it their all but in the end Bearsted did just a bit more to get through and with the draw on Monday they will be listening in hoping for a home draw as they are starting to make their home a fortress.
The game took a while to get going with the first half chance coming in the fifteenth minute when Nathan Light saw his twenty yard curling effort tipped round the post by Ed Hatt, from the resulting corner Ashton Mitford saw his header tipped over the bar by Hatt again.
Bearsted were now controlling possesion with Cowes relying on breakaways. In the twenty eighth minute a corner into the area saw Light’s header go just past the post then two minutes later Scott McFarlane thirty yards from goal ran forward and then saw his shot go agonisingly past the post which was Cowes Sports first chance. In the thirty seventh minute James Bessey received the ball on the edge of the area and he went into the area and his cross shot evaded everyone. Another chance came Bearsted’s way when Bessey’s through ball found Jake Embery but from twenty yards his shot went wide. Half time arrived and it was anyone’s game.
The second half saw Cowes Sports come out with more purpose and pushed Bearsted back but it was the home team who had the first real chance when in the sixty first minute Richard Jimoh’s free kick from twenty five yards was deflected for a corner and from the resulting corner Ryan Blake rose but his header went over the bar.
In the sixty sixth minute Bearsted could have gone ahead when a long throw into the area was flicked on for Embery but from fifth teen yards his shot was saved by Hatt’s legs. Chanced were now coming frequently for Bearsted as in the seventieth minute Returning Jack Palmby saw his twenty yard shot saved by Hatt then two minutes later Jarrod Trespaderne in the area saw his shot saved again by Hatt’s legs.
In the eighty third minute a ball into the area came to Palmby but from ten yards his shot was saved. In a rare attack McFarlane on edge of area saw his shot well saved by Leighton Fenshane. Time was running out for both sides as penalties looked likely but then in the eighty eighth minute Embery was put through by a magnificent ball by Sonny Jackson but his shot was half saved by Hatt but the rebound came out and a foul in the area saw Bearsted given a penalty, before the penalty could be taken there was handbags at dawn on the Bearsted bench resulting in Steve Sage being sent off for foul and abusive language, two minutes later once everyone had calmed down Embery stepped up and shot into the bottom right hand corner. Cowes sports did not have enough time to get an equaliser even though the referee played an extra seven minutes but when the whistle went the players, management and supporters of Bearsted celebrated but for Cowes Sports it would be a long journey home knowing they had put up a good performance but for one second there concentration went and lost the game.
Bearsted:
- L.FENSHANE 2. JAMES BESSEY 3. S.JACKSON 4 S.STACE 5. R.BLAKE 6. D.KEYTE 7. A.MITFORD (67)
8. A.CLARKE (67) 9. J.EMBERY 10. N.LIGHT 11. R.JIMOH (80)
SUBS USED: 14. J.PALMBY (67) 15. J.TRESPADERNE (67) 12. M.BORUK (80)
SUBS NOT USED: 15. M.HAGEN 17. C.SWIFT
BOOKINGS: 5. R.BLAKE (49) 2. J.BESSEY (82)
COWES SPORTS:
- E.HATT 2. R.HUGHES 3. O.FLOOD (45) 4. C.CHASE 5. R.OATLEY 6. G.COLSON 7. G. CARTER-KNIGHT (76)
8. F.PHILLIPS 9. J.BROWNE 10. S.McFARLANE 11. R.CRUTTENDEN
SUBS USED: 12. C.HAWARD (45) 14. C.DARSEK (76)
SUBS NOT USED: 15. S.BACKSHALL 16. M.PERRIN 17. H.BERRY
BOOKINGS: 2. R.HUGHES (51) 5. R.OATLEY (60)
REFEREE: Mr K.KIKYLWE
ASSISTANTS: Mr R.MYERS AND Mr R.ADAMAH
Att: 121