City visited Cowes Sports on 19th July for their second pre-season friendly.  After an early stalemate, City were the quicker to settle with Adam Grey and Dave Allen controlling midfield, whilst Matt Bowler, making his return to Cowes, and James Wilson were marshalling a solid defence.

 

It was Grey who produced the first moment of magic, on 14 minutes, after Bowler had won the ball down the left. The ball was played into Grey who struck an unstoppable shot, past Gary Streeter in the Cowes goal, from fully 30 yards out.

 

With Sam Lockyear looking lively down the left, City were playing some nice football with good passing moves.  The lead was almost doubled after 21 minutes when from a corner on the right Bowler rose highest but found his header stopped by the man on the post before Streeter dropped on the ball.  Despite claims the ball had crossed the line, the well-placed assistant signaled in the negative.

 

 

The first real threat to the City goal came after 51 minutes when a cross from the right was met by an acrobatic volley by Michael Pointer but Andy Bayliss, a half time substitute in goal, threw himself across goal to palm the ball away.

 

Adam George, a 65th minute substitute, made an immediate impact when two minutes later his pass found Dave Allen who beat his marker before lifting the ball above Fulljames to make it 2-0 to City.

 

In the 80th minute City gifted Cowes a way back into the game when Bowler's short back pass left Bayliss and Cantelo to challenge with the ball dropping to the Cowes centre forward for an open goal.

 

Kyle Juryeff tried to out-do Greys' earlier net buster when his 35 yarder screamed over the bar with four minutes to go.

 

 

 

Streeter, Bryan, Compton, Sampson, Insley, Rayner, Butt, Newnham, Pointer, Appell, Sainsbury.  Subs:  Cantelo, Davies, Adams, Willey, Fulljames.

 

 

Clint Davies (Andy Bayliss 45), Jamie Eyles, Adam Lang (Ben Morgan 65), James Wilson (Steve Llewelyn 69), Matt Bowler, Adam Grey (Liam Richardson 69), Kyle Joryeff (Carl Foster 45), Richard Gregory (Adam George 65), Brett Williams (Moussa Mamadou 45), Dave Allen, Sam Lockyear (Kyle Joryeff 76)