CHRISTCHURCH v COWES SPORTS

SYDENHAMS WESSEX PREMIER LEAGUE

MATCH RESULT: 5 - 2

GOAL SCORERS: PAUL RIDEOUT (2), TOM JEFFES, MARK SMITH, BEN OSBORNE

1. STEWART KEARN
2. ADAM COSTELLO
3. DAN TAYLOR
4. COLIN DAND
5. STEVE LINPOW
6. JACQUES BERNARD
7. MARK SMITH
8. MARC FAIRBROTHER
9. BEN OSBORNE
10. TOM JEFFES
11. PAUL RIDEOUT

SUBS USED:

BEN LUCAS
STEVE GREEN

Hurn Bridge is certainly the place to be at these days if you want to see entertaining football together with excellent goals. This was a very open game with goals of the highest quality and the visitors played their part with a performance that belied their league position.

After a quiet first 10 minutes the game came to life on 11 minutes when Paul Rideout took advantage of a headed flick on and beat his marker to net emphatically with a right foot shot from 20 yards. It was nearly 2 in the next minute but Mark Smith was denied by a fine save by Chris Norris in the visitors goal. The second goal was not long forthcoming as on 22 minutes Tom Jeffes netted with a fierce left drive from 22 yards. Cowes however were not long in reducing the arrears when after 26 minutes the home defence failed to close down the visitors left back Lee Davies who from some 30 yards netted with a fierce left foot shot. This gave Cowes some confidence and for the remainder of the half they passed the ball well but did not really trouble Kearn in the home goal.

For once Church did not concede in the 46th minute and on 53 minutes Jeffes was denied by the keeper after being put through by Smith and the third goal came in the next minute when Cowes failed to clear an Adam Costello cross and Rideout scored his second of the night and his fourth in two games with a fine shot from 15 yards. With Mark Smith now in control of midfield the chances continued to come and it was Smith himself who scored the fourth on 67 minutes when after a superb passing movement that covered 60 yards he finished with some aplomb from 10 yards. The visitors did not give up though and on 69 minutes hit the bar with a header the ball then being handled by Steve Linpow for a penalty that was easily converted by Sam Yelland.

After 75 minutes Ben Osborne should have scored being denied by the keeper legs but at the other end Cowes thought they had scored after 80 minutes when a corner was held on the line by Kearn. The game continued to flow from end to end and Smith nearly scored again on 85 minutes when after a fine passing movement he showed great skill to chip the keeper but this went well wide. It was left to leading scorer Ben Osborne to finish the scoring for the evening with his 25th goal of the season after 86 minutes with a right foot effort from 15 yards.

Another win for Church extending their unbeaten league run against a game Cowes side who it will be a shame if they are relegated as always a pleasure to visit their ground unlike a certain unnamed side who will remain in the league for another season. One final point after his brief appearance on the right wing I don’t think Marc Fairbrother’ place will be threatened by Steve Linpow.


MAN OF THE MATCH: PAUL RIDEOUT

Donners