COWES SPORTS v CHRISTCHURCH

SYDENHAMS WESSEX PREMIER LEAGUE

MATCH RESULT: 3 - 4

GOAL SCORERS: STEVE LINPOW, TOM PRICE, MARK SMITH, BEN OSBORNE

1. JO PRODOMO
2. ADAM COSTELLO
3. DAN TAYLOR
4. DAN CRUTCHLEY
5. STEVE LINPOW
6. MARTIN HARRIS
7. MARK SMITH
8. JACQUE BERNARD
9. BEN OSBORNE
10. TOM PRICE
11. JAMES BURDEN

SUBS USED:

TOM JEFFES
BEN LUCAS
MARC FAIRBROTHER


A late goal by leading scorer Ben Osborne was enough to give Christchurch all 3 points in an entertaining game on the Isle of Wight.

The visitors started brightly and took the lead on 2 minutes when Steve Linpow scored his first goal of the season with a neat header from a superb Mark Smith free kick. They nearly scored again on 5 minutes when Ben Osborne was denied by a good save from the home keeper when he was put through after a neat passing movement. The second goal was soon forthcoming though when the pacey Tom Price took advantage of an error in the home defence and raced clear rounded the keeper to score on 16 minutes. This looked then as if it was just a matter of how many goals Church would score BUT this is Christchurch we are talking about!!

The home side reduced the arrears on 31 minutes with virtually their first effort on goal when after young keeper Jo Prodomo had turned a shot against the post the defence failed to clear and from close range a Cowes attacker netted. Matters got worse just before the interval when the home side equalised when from their first corner Jo Prodomo punched clear and was unfortunate to see his clearance hit the head of a Cowes player and fly into the net.

The home side obviously buoyed by the score started the second half in the ascendancy but were fortunate to be awarded a penalty on 50 minutes (when the linesman not the referee awarded the penalty) when Jo Prodomo made a save and then when diving on the loose ball a Cowes player fell down ( I think the home crowd played their part !!). Justice was done for a brief moment when Jo saved the penalty but again the ball was not cleared and a goal resulted from the ensuing scramble.

This seemed to bring Church to life and Steve Linpow should have equalised on 55 minutes when he headed narrowly over the bar but the equaliser was not long coming and when it came 5 minutes later it was worth the wait!! Mark Smith took a free kick Beckham like (some of the youngsters reading this, may not believe it but some years ago when he could run Beckham actually took some good free kicks) from the edge of the penalty area that flew into the top corner of the net. Substitute Tom Jeffes then set up Ben Osborne on 70 minutes with a clear run on goal but his left footed effort went wide and then on 86 minutes Jeffes turned in the penalty area and his shot was well saved resulting in a corner. From this corner Ben Lucas won the ball in the air and goal poacher Osborne was on hand to score from close range. Church safely saw out the remaining few minutes to earn all 3 points.

A move up the table to 7th with this win against hard working opponents but against stronger opposition Church will need to play for a full 90 minutes rather than in 20 minute spells. Another point is that all our goals are good goals whereas ones we concede tend to be scrappy so it was good that the winner was just for a change one of the latter. Legs 11.

Donners