An out of sort Fleet Spurs team but in a poor display in their opening league game against a side they managed to beat twice last season.
With players still away it was a weakened suqad available to manager Neil Baker, but the players that started the game should have been more than good enough to pick up 3 points.
Fleet started the better of teh 2 teams for the first 5 minutes, but then allowed East Cowes into the game, and they punished slack tracking by taking the lead after 10 minutes.
This was quickly followed up by a second when Pete Hibbert was adjudged to have brought down the Cowes striker, when in fact he did take a large part of the ball, but the East Cowes player converted the resulting penalty.
2 became 3 not long after, as the East Cowes team took control of the game, by winning their battles all over the pitch, just from working harder than their Fleet Spurs counterparts.
Having been booked for the earlier penalty, Hibbert gave away his second penalty when he handled in the box, with the referee consulting the linesman, he brought out his book, but player manager Neil Baker somehow managed to take the booking, and save Hibbert from an early bath.
Again the striker sent Mark Appleby the wrong way, and Fleet Spurs were going in at half time 4-0 down!!!
With the managers words ringing in the players ears, Fleet came out much more determined in the second half, and could have got back in the game straight away when Adam Crittenden went through on goal, only to hit the ball straight at the keeper.
They did manage to reduce the arrears with about 25 minutes remaining when George Short finished off substitute Adam Kennedy’s cross for his first goal in senior football.
The score was 4-2 with 18 minutes remaining when good work from Luke Walsh on the right saw him put in a great cross, and Adam Kennedy finished off coming in at the back post.
There was to be no great comeback today, and East Cowes held off for a vital 3 points for them, and left manager Neil Baker to reflect on another opening day defeat.