HAMPSHIRE SENIOR CUP — SECOND ROUND

                                   COWES SPORTS 2, PETERSFIELD TOWN 4

COWES Sports have missed out on a trip Eastleigh in the Hampshire Senior Cup as they were beaten by Petersfield Town — a mid-table side a league below them — at Westwood Park last night (Tuesday).

The much delayed second round tie had lost skipper, Gareth Bricknell, to a fractured cheekbone, in the run-up to the game.

Cowes created the first chance, but Ben Snow's shot flew well over the Sydenhams Wessex Division 1 side's bar.

Conor White then sent in a cross from the right , which saw Michael McEnery’s header easily saved.

Disaster then struck for the home side as Morgan Perrin lost possession of the ball on the edge of his own box, to gift the visitors with the lead — a strike from close range.

This woke the Yachtsmen up, who responded in the 19th minute with an equaliser — Darren Williams clipping the ball over a defender to McEnery wide on the right, who in turn sent in a cross towards the near post for Jimmy Wykes to diverted home.

On the half hour, Petersfield’s Ryan Kennedy scythed down Snow and was lucky to get away with just a yellow card, to the fury of the home fans.

Five minutes before the break, McEnery had an effort blocked.

In the fifth minute of injury time, the visitors were awarded a free just outside the left edge of the Cowes penalty area and the free kick from Harry Bedford bent round the wall and into the top left corner, to restore their lead.

Worse was to follow for the home side two minutes later, seven minutes into injury time, as Petersfield added their third, to give the Yachtsmen a mountain to clib in the second half.

But Cowes pulled it back to 3-2 three minutes into the second half when an inswinging Wykes corner from the left caught the visitor's keeper napping as the ball somehow found its way into the net.

Despite the Islanders' best efforts, little was created in the final third, but in the 72nd minute, Snow gave the ball to Darren Williams, who put Wykes through on goal, but the keeper prevented him from completing his hat-trick.

Two minutes later, Wykes turned supplier to give substitute, Ji Nash, the chance to level, but again the Petersfielc keeper was quick off his line to save and keep his side ahead.

The home side's misses proved costly when, in the 77th minute, Jordan Neal struck a great shot from the edge of the Cowes box past the despairing dive of Ed Hatt into the bottom left corner to seal it for the visitors.

The prize for winning was a daunting trip to National League side, Eastleigh, in the third round, leaving the Yachtsmen to fight another relegation battle in the Sydenhamsd Wessex Premier.

Cowes Sports: Hatt (capt), C.White, Sexton, Perrin, Brett, Bryan, McFarlane, Snow, McEnery, Williams, Wykes. Subs: Nash, Conway, A.White, Jarvis, J.White.