COWES SPORTS 2, DEVIZES TOWN 2 (Cowes win 5-4 on penalties)
COWES Sports bounced back from the disappointment of being knocked out of the Wessex League Cup on penalties mid-week by beating Devizes Town in the same fashion on Saturday.
The Yachtsmen have certainly improved defensively at the start of this season, thanks to the signing of Aaron Burford, but they did not heed the early warning when the Toolstation Western Division 1 side headed over from an early corner.
On seven minutes, Cowes conceded a real howler.
Cowes keeper Ed Hatt had rolled the ball out to Lewis Wright, but Devizes striker Sam Dodds picked his pocket and calmly slotted home.
The Islanders responded well to their nightmare start, with Wright trying to atone for his error with a strike, which flew wide.
Aidan Radford was looking impressive up front for Cowes, and his shot was well blocked by the feet of the Wiltshire side's keeper.
Cowes were starting to look a threat as half-time approached, the lively Jimmy Wykes flighted a cross to the far post, where skipper, Callum Chase headed over.
But the Yachtsmen were given a huge boost two minutes into first-half injury time when Lewis Wright’s shot from outside the box was parried into the path of Radford, who blasted the ball into the empty net, to the delight of the 184-strong crowd.
The feelgood factor was carried through almost immediately into the second period, when Wykes, down the right, pulled the ball back to Alex Wright on the edge of the six-yard box, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net.
In the 55th minute, an excellent Aarun Ince cross gave Fin Phillips a chance to increase the Cowes lead, but his scuffed effort was deflected wide.
Then Radford set up Jared Wetherick, but his volley flew over the bar, and a powerful Alex Wright shot was well saved by the Devizes keeper.
At the other end, Hatt kept Cowes in the game with three great saves of his own.
But the Islanders paid the penalty for not killing the game off, when out of nothing, Dodds was again on the spot to fire past Hatt from close in on 79 minutes.
Neither side could engineer an opening at the end, so the game went to penalties.
Hatt saved the second Devizes penalty and man of the match, Alex Wright, put Cowes through with a penalty driven high into the top corner.
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Wykes, Cranwell, L.Wright, Chase (capt), Burford, Radford, Phillips, Wetherick, A,Wright, Ince. Subs: Holmes, Snow, Mumford, McFarlane, White, Furmidge, Winchcombe.
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