EAST COWES VICS 1, NEWPORT 6
THE controversial decision to send off defender Zack Harris with barely three minutes on the clock killed today's bank holiday derby as a contest as ten-man Vics ship six twice in the space of two days.
Vics, as they did Saturday, took an early lead through skipper, Joe Butcher — a sublime free kick curled over the wall past flat-footed Gary Streeter after two minutes.
But what appeared to be a fairly innocuous off-the-ball incident, led to the referee giving Harris a straight red — a decision which stunned the bumper 304-strong crowd at Beatrice Avenue.
Vics seemed shell-shocked and Newport levelled on six minutes — a well-directed looping header by Scott Sampson over keeper, Karl Steinborne-Busse.
Port were quickly on top and took the lead though unmarked Joe Craig, who drilled a left-footed shot into the corner.
Vics, who were toothless in attack and failed to trouble Streeter all game, almost equalised from an Elias Ahmed shot, deflected just wide.
Then it was Conor Kelly, who terrorised the Vics defence with his pace all afternoon, who saw a decent shot across the keeper well saved.
Soon after, Sampson was on the spot again to tap in following a mix-up between the keeper and defender Ryan Gregory from a whipped in free kick by Kelly.
Newport’s former Vics striker, Jordan Browne, almost added a fourth on half-time when he swivelled superbly and shot just wide.
Port boss, Andy Sampson could not have made a better substitution on 56 minutes when he brought on Mark Taylor because, within 30 seconds of coming on, he coolly lifted the ball home over the advancing keeper after he latched on to a long ball down the right.
At 4-1, with the result no longer in doubt, both teams wilted in the sun and it became scrappy for about 20 minutes.
But with ten minutes left, Newport came back to life and almost scored a beauty from Neo Lamb, whose left-footed near-post volley from the edge of the penalty box was well parried by Steinborne-Busse.
With a minute left, livewire Conor Kelly ran on to a clever back-heel and smashed it home at the near post, amid poor defending.
Three minutes later, deep into injury time, Kelly latched on to a long ball and outpaced two defenders — steadying himself brilliantly on the bumpy, bone-dry pitch to slot it under the keeper to complete the rout.
Vics now have the leakiest defence in Sydenhams Wessex Division 1, with 19 conceded in their five games to go second bottom on goal difference, while Newport rise to second, despite being hammered 5-2 at Romsey Town on Saturday.
Newport: Streeter, Pearce, Lamb, Barron, McDonough (capt), Sampson, Kelly, Wright, Craig, Browne, Triggs. Subs: Taylor, Reynolds, Holmes, Hughes.
East Cowes Vics: Steinborne-Busse, Harmer, Harris, Newbold, Gregory, H.West, Butcher (capt), Hayward, Ahmed, Burton, Chapman. Subs: Catonia, Walsh. O.West, Young, Greenslade.
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.