Isle of Wight's Cowes match turns sour after seeing red

COWES SPORTS 1,  PETERSFIELD TOWN 2

The blues were the first to strike.

Fin Phillips played the ball wide to Connor Kelly, who cut inside and fired low from distance, which flew inside the keeper's left-hand post in the eighth minute.

Petersfield almost stunned Cowes with an instant reply — Tommy Tierney catching keeper Ed Hatt off his line, but he was relieved to see his shot fly over the bar.

With 20 minutes gone, a ball whipped deep into the Cowes box was almost tucked home, but thanks to the heroics of Ollie West, a certain goal was brilliantly cleared off the line for a corner.

A few minutes later, the Yachtsmen almost made it two when a Cowes clearance found John McKie who, from distance pinged it audaciously over the keeper, but it just cleared the bar. 

Long-range attempts continued. In the 38th, it was Petersfield's turn.

From the half-way line, an attacker spotted Hatt off his line again, and, with the Cowes stopper watching helplessly, the ball sailed over his head and crashed back off the crossbar, saving his blushes. 

In the 40th minute, George Colson picked up a needless yellow for kicking the ball away — recklessness he would come to regret moments later.

Colson's 50-50 challenge was deemed to be dangerous by the referee, and duly dismissed the midfielder for an early shower for his second yellow.

Just after the hour, Petersfield's Kieran Alcock whipped in a cross from the right, which found the head of hapless Yachtsmen Ryan Oatley at the near post, who somehow diverted the ball past Hatt to level the game and hand the initiative to Petersfield.

In the 69th minute, Dec Sieden spun shellshocked Oatley on the edge of the Cowes box and buried it low to Hatt's right to give Petersfield a lead that looked highly unlikely earlier in the half.

Then a one-two between Alcock and Sieden, sent the Petersfield defender through on goal, but Hatt managed to prevent a third.

Cowes throw all 11 men up for one last throw of the dice. (Image: County Press)

The Yachtsmen were struggling to get out their half at this stage — their frustrations showing as the temperature of the game began to rise, with several yellows dished out, including for some on the Cowes bench.

In the dying embers, the Yachtsmen threw all 11 men in the box, but a last-gasp chance was scrambled off the line.

The defeat leaves Cowes Sports in tenth spot.