Newport IW FC travelled to a mutual ground at Westwood Park to face W&B Sports in the Semi Final of the IW Senior Gold Cup.
Newport were finding it difficult to get into the game early on with the majority of possession dominated by W&B sports.
The breakthrough for the WAB came on 17 minutes when The Ports keeper Gary Streeter brought down Josh Appell in the 18 yard box conceding a penalty. Up stepped Wayne Newnham wrong footing Streeter to make it 0:1.
The Port again struggled to keep hold of the ball with W&B pressing hard and moving the ball around comfortably between themselves. Connor Kelly tested the WAB keeper on 30 minutes but could not see the back of the net.
As the WAB pressed deep in Newports half the ball was played out to the right hand side of The Ports 18 yrd box and drilled low and hard into the far left hand corner of the goal beating Streeter. 45 minutes and W&B sports were now 0:2 up with the first half drawing to a close.
Half time score: Newport IW FC 0:2 W&B Sports
Newport came out in the second half a different team with an early goal from Tom Mcinness who headed home a cross from the left by Mark Taylor. Newport 1 WAB 2.
The WAB looked stunned and it was noticeable with The Port now dominating possession and pressing high in their opponents half.
The Port levelled the scores at 2:2 with a cross coming in from the left. It appeared a bit of a mele on the edge of WAB’s 6 yrd box but Joe Butcher managed to get his head on the cross as W&B’s keeper came out to punch it away.
On 65 minutes W&B’s Wayne Newnham kicked out at Spike Pierce right in front of the referee which saw him get a straight red card and down to 10 men.
W&B were all to familiar going down to 10 men in their previous Hants Intermediate Cup Final earlier in the month so this was still going to be a tough final 25 mins for The Port.
But it was The Port who took full advantage of the WAB’s 10 men playing some nice football and looking comfortable as they moved the ball around the pitch with ease.
Connor Kelly looked lively out on the left and was threatening to the WAB’s substitute left back Paul O’Connor.
On 84 minutes Connor Kelly picked up the ball from an error by the WAB keeper who failed to clear his box having come out to retrieve it. Two other WAB defenders could be seen laying on the ground with their defence now all out of shape. Connor remained calm looking up and slotting the ball with ease around the bundle of players on the ground to put The Port in the lead 3:2. Huge celebrations followed from The Ports players on the pitch.
Newport then saw the remaining time out of the game keeping possession deep in WAB’s half where they were unable to create anything further.
The final whistle blew with Newport winning 3:2 and securing a place in the IW Senior Gold Cup Final on Saturday 12th May 2017 at Westwood Park.
Newport will face either Binstead COB or Cowes Sports FC in the final.