In the only Wessex League fixture to be played on the Isle of Wight this Saturday (8th October), 3rd-from-bottom East Cowes Vics take on 17th-placed Ash United in Division 1 at Beatrice Avenue.
Draw specialists Vics have yet to win at home in Division 1 this season; North Hampshire outfit Ash have yet to win away.
Vics will be bolstered by an encouraging draw away to Verwood Town last Saturday and a good performance against Wessex Premier Fareham Town in the Wessex League Cup midweek. Victory could see the East Cowes side leapfrog Ash and rise to as high as 15th in Division 1.
Also in Division 1, 10th-placed Newport travel to 14th-placed Fawley following their 5-1 win over Fleet Spurs last Saturday.
Fawley hadn’t registered a win in 4 games prior to their midweek clash against 3rd place Andover, a 2-1 victory midweek at the Eight Wealth Arena seeing them snatch all 3 points from 1 of the teams fighting for promotion.
Newport – with games in hand on all teams above them in the table – have a 100% record on the road this season and have scored 12 goals at an average of 4-a-game. A win could see the County Town club rise to as high as 5th in the Division 1 table.
In the corresponding fixture last season, the result was 2-3 to the Port.
In the Wessex Premier, the Yachtsmen have the most difficult task of any of the Isle of Wight Wessex League sides when they travel to Five Heads Park to face Horndean.
The Deans currently lie in 4th place in the table and have a 100% record in their home games in the season to date. Remarkably, the Hampshire side have only conceded once in the league so far.
Cowes Sports’ last gasp victory over Laverstock & Ford midweek has seen them rise to a respectable 11th place in the league table but snatching any points from the miserly Horndean defence would be a remarkable achievement.
Wessex League fixtures for Saturday 8th October
Premier Division
Horndean v Cowes Sports
Division One
East Cowes Victoria v Ash United
Fawley AFC v Newport (IoW)
Isle of Wight fixtures for Saturday 8th October
Hampshire FA Saturday Trophy Competition – Round 1
Denmead v Bembridge –
Hampshire FA Saturday Vase Competition – Round 1
Ventnor Reserves v Testlands
Division 1
Cowes Sports Reserves v Binstead & COB
Oakfield v Northwood St Johns
Ryde Saints v Pan Community
Vectis v ECS
West Wight v Shanklin
Whitecroft & Barton Sports v Sandown & Lake
No Fixture: Brading Town
Division 2
AFC Wootton v High Park
Carisbrooke United v Osborne Coburg
Newchurch v Ventnor
Niton Community v East Cowes Vics Reserves
Seaview v Yarmouth & Calbourne
Combination 1
Bembridge v Vectis
Binstead & COB v Shanklin
Brading Town v West Wight
Northwood St Johns v Whitecroft & Barton Sports
Sandown & Lake v ECS
No Fixture: Oakfield
Combination 2
Bembridge ‘A’ v AFC Wootton
Osborne Coburg v Newchurch
Pan Community v Ryde Saints
No Fixture: Niton Community
Isle of Wight fixtures courtesy of the IOW DFA
