Unbeaten Shanklin travel to fortress Sandy Lane to take on champions W&B in the game that will probably decide the destination of the Division 1 title.
Whitecroft & Barton have a 100% record in Division 1 this season: played 14 won 14. Their last league defeat came back in October 2020, when they lost 2-1 to Brading Town at Vicarage Lane. They have won every single league game they have played since then.
Shanklin are unbeaten in the season to date. They are the last team to beat W&B at Sandy Lane, 1-2 in 2020. Whitecroft & Barton then took their revenge on Shanklin in April 2021 by winning 2-4 at the County Ground and going on to win the Division 1 title.
There has been a big change at Sandy Lane this season with the retirement of legendary manager Steve Rayner and the appointment of a new gaffer: former goalkeeper Gareth True, assisted by Steve’s son Joe. How does Gareth assess his team’s prospects against Shanklin on Saturday? He said:
“I’m really looking forward to Saturday’s game, probably the biggest match me and Joe have had since we’ve taken over. I see it as a bit of a free hit with the points on the board, which puts the pressure on Shanklin to get a result. I anticipate a hard-fought match, and I’m expecting a performance to be proud of from my side.”
When asked whether W&B’s dominance was bad for Island football, Gareth said:
“We are improving the quality and raising the standard. The Isle of Wight now has 4 teams in the quarter finals of the Hampshire cups.”
Opposing manager Paul Haward said on behalf of Shanklin:
“Honestly, it’s a game we will prepare for in the exact same way we do for other games: we are aware it’s the top 2 teams in the league right now. Unfortunately, we have dropped some silly points earlier in the season, so to have any chance of winning the league we know we have to be perfect for the remaining games. It’s a tough ask. It’s a big couple of weeks for the club with W&B this Saturday followed by a quarter final game in the Hampshire cup the following week.”
There are no Wessex League games on the Isle of Wight scheduled for this Saturday. Therefore, let’s hope for a large and enthusiastic crowd at Sandy Lane.
In the Hampshire Vase …
AFC Wootton travel to Chandlers Ford to play Southampton Junior League side St Francis in the quarter final. Their opponents are very tough opposition, having beaten W&B Reserves and Shanklin Reserves in previous Vase games.
The player-manager of St Francis is the former Southampton and West Bromwich Albion player Pedro ‘Pele’ Monteiro.
Wootton manager Dan Partridge said:
“It’s a tough draw, especially away from home but we don’t expect an easy tie at this stage, so we will go there full of belief. I trust in my lads to go out there, give everything they have, and hopefully we can get the job done. It’s exciting times at the club, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
In the Wessex League …
16th-placed Cowes Sports travel to Dorset to face 7th-placed Shaftesbury. The Yachtsmen are currently on a winless run of 5 games. Earlier this month, the Rockies won the corresponding fixture 0-1 at Westwood Park.
Last Saturday, Cowes lost 6-1 at Bournemouth, a performance manager Max Draper described as “dismal, weak, lax and embarrassing.”
In Wessex Division 1, 2nd-placed Newport cross the Solent to play 6th-placed Romsey Town. The Port – the only Island side to have won in 2022 – are in superb form, having won their last three games 7-1, 6-1 and 6-1. The corresponding fixture, played at Smallbrook stadium in August, resulted in a 4-1 win for the Island side.
Vics are without a game this Saturday. Their opponents Infinity are currently groundless after falling out with Hythe & Dibden with whom they had a groundshare arrangement. There is therefore no venue for the fixture to take place.
Wessex League fixtures for Saturday 29th January 2022:
Wessex Premier: Shaftesbury v Cowes Sports (14.30)
Wessex Division 1: Romsey Town v Newport IoW (15.00)
Isle of Wight fixtures for Saturday 29th January 2022
All Fixtures to kick-off at 14:00
Hampshire FA Saturday Vase Quarter- Final
St Francis Men v AFC Wootton
Isle of Wight Senior Cup 2nd Round
Ryde Saints v Oakfield
The Ken Morris Junior ‘A’ Cup 2nd Round
Brading Town Reserves v Adgestone
The Unison IOW Junior B Cup 1st Round
Pan Community Reserves v Vectis Reserves
Yarmouth & Calbourne Reserves v AFC Wootton Reserves
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 1:
Cowes Sports Reserves v Binstead & COB
Sandown & Lake v Brading Town
Vectis v Niton Community
West Wight v Northwood St Johns
Whitecroft & Barton Sports v Shanklin
Division 2:
Carisbrooke United v Ventnor
East Cowes Sports v Pan Community
East Cowes Vics Reserves v Yarmouth & Calbourne
High Park v Newport Reserves
Newchurch v Wroxall
Seaview v Osborne Coburg
Combination Division 1:
Bembridge v Sandown & Lake
Northwood St Johns v West Wight
Oakfield v Whitecroft & Barton Sports
Osborne Coburg v Binstead & COB
Shanklin v Ryde Saints
