UPDATE: Andover New Street v East Cowes Vics is OFF
East Cowes Vics travel to Wessex Division 1 league leaders Andover New Street this evening (Tuesday) hoping to surprise a top club for the 2nd time in 5 days.
On Friday (8th April), the East Cowes outfit all but ended Newport’s hopes of automatic promotion in their 1-1 draw at Smallbrook.
Vics manager Alex Smith says of his draw against the County Town club:
“I thought we gave a steady account of ourselves in the Newport game. A tightly contested, scrappy affair, which is exactly what we tried to create, where both goals came from defensive errors.
“I was really pleased for Adam (Voller) getting the goal, as well as Josh (Neale) getting the assist and young Charlie Hart’s contribution.
“Perhaps, in some ways, we were unlucky, I thought Aidan (Radford) was fouled in the box with arms all over him as well as the shot clearly blocked with a hand inside the area.”
Island Echo asked the Vics manager how he thought his side would perform against the top side in the division.
Alex replied:
“We’re at the point in the season where we’ve built up lots of knocks and niggles, and the side to face Andover New Street will be somewhat different to that from the Newport game.
“With that being said, our record against the league’s top sides remains steady: W2 D3 L1, and we’ve often turned up strong this year when it seems our backs were against the wall.”
A win for Andover New Street will see the North Hampshire side top the division and gain promotion to the Wessex Premier.
Kick off at Foxcotte Park is at 19:45.
UPDATE: Kick off for Andover New Street v East Cowes Vics at Foxcotte Park has been put back to 20:00.
UPDATE: Fleetlands v Newport IoW is OFF
Also in Wessex Division 1, Newport travel to Fleetlands while hoping victory for Vics will keep their slim hopes of automatic promotion alive.
The Port now have to win all their 4 remaining fixtures against Fleetlands, Andover Town, Andover New Street and Whitchurch United to achieve top spot in the division, as well as hope that Andover New Street slip up.
The County Town club are already assured of a play off place. However, if they finish 2nd, their most likely opponents are Petersfield Town – a team they have lost to 4 times in the season to date.
Kick off at Powder Monkey Park is also at 19:45.
It is still not known where Newport will play next season. The deadline for nominating a ground for entry to the FA Cup and Vase competitions passed at the end of March.
It is believed that the club have been given a 2-week extension to state where they will be playing next season.
The latest estimate for work to finish on the new ground at the Racecourse in Whippingham is Autumn 2024 …
Wessex Division 1 table below:
There is also 1 Tuesday evening fixture at Westwood Park where Cowes Sports Reserves face Sandown & Lake in Isle of Wight Division 1.
