The clash between Shanklin and Bembridge, the top 2 teams in Division 1, ended in dramatic fashion this afternoon with Bembridge scoring their equalizing goal with the last kick of the game.
Island League Division 1: Shanklin 1-1 Bembridge
The opening 15 minutes were uneventful with both teams struggling to settle. Then, Shanklin missed the chance to open the scoring when Jordan Cook headed straight at Charlie Waterson in the Bembridge goal. On 21 minutes, Bembridge had the chance to go ahead but the Shanklin defence combined to smother the efforts of the Bembridge number 8.
2 minutes later, Shanklin squandered another chance when Jason Smythers put a header wide. On 40 minutes, another chance went begging when a Wayne Newnham header failed to find the target. The away side immediately responded, and their centre forward squandered the chance to give his side a half-time lead when he fired over the bar from 15 yards.
On 44 minutes, the Bembridge keeper, Charlie Waterson, was lucky to stay on the pitch after throwing a punch at Shanklin’s Ryan Hill. The referee, however, appeared to be unsighted and let a stern warning to both players suffice.
HT: Shanklin 0-0 Bembridge
The deadlock was broken in the 56th minute when the Bembridge defence struggled to deal with a George Carter-Knight free kick into the box. The ball fell to the Shanklin centre forward, Nicky Vyse, who drilled a shot into the bottom right corner of the net (1-0).
Bembridge immediately responded and the Shanklin debutant keeper, Sam Jones, was forced into an excellent one-handed top corner save following a long-range speculative effort from the Bembridge left wing.
Eight minutes later, Nicky Vyse had the chance to put the game to bed but his shot on the turn went agonisingly wide.
The game began to suffer from the usual raft of substitutions, but both Finley Lloyd for Shanklin and Bembridge’s Ant Kettell continued to work hard to create openings.
Just as it looked as though Shanklin would be taking all three points, a cross came into the Shanklin box. As the defenders sought to clear the ball, it fell kindly to the Bembridge substitute, Shem Michall, who fiercely volleyed in from 20 yards over the head of the despairing Sam Jones in the Shanklin goal. The referee then immediately blew the whistle for full-time (1-1).
FT: Shanklin 1-1 Bembridge
Shanklin remain top of Island Division 1 with 13 points from 5 games, 3 points ahead of 2nd placed Bembridge, who have played an equal number of games.
1st Division champions, Whitecroft & Barton Sports, are the only team remaining in the top division with a 100% record after winning all 3 games they have played in their season so far. W&B have now moved into 3rd place after narrowly beating West Wight 0-1 at Camp Road with a strike from Aidan Sainsbury.
Newcomers Niton have moved off the bottom of Division 1, earning their first point of the season with a 2-2 draw against Ryde Saints at Seaclose. Pointless Sandown & Lake now occupy bottom place but have only played 2 games due to Covid related problems.
The top of Island League Division 2 looks very tight with only 3 points separating the top 7 teams. The latest Division 2 leaders are East Cowes Sports with 12 points from 5 games. ECS have now leapfrogged previous front runners Pan after beating them 2-3 at Downside.
Wootton have dropped from 2nd to 3rd in Division 2 after losing 1-3 at home to East Cowes Vics Reserves. Wootton led 1-0 at half-time. However, 2nd-half goals from Harrison Berry, Kade Woodford (a 35-yard free kick) and James Rimmer earned victory for Vics.
High Park have moved to 4th place in the Division 2 table, winning 0-5 at Seaview.
The performance of the day in Division 2 came from Osborne-Coburg, who beat bottom club Wroxall 14-0 at Northwood Rec.
Island League results for Wednesday, 25th August
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 1: Brading Town 2-4 Northwood St Johns; Niton Community 2-2 Ryde Saints; Oakfield P-P Cowes Sports Reserves; Shanklin 1-1 Bembridge; Vectis 1-1 Binstead & COB; West Wight 0-1 Whitecroft & Barton Sports. No Fixture: Sandown & Lake
Division 2: AFC Wootton 1-3 East Cowes Vics Reserves; Carisbrooke United 3-2 Adgestone; Newchurch 0-3 Yarmouth & Calbourne; Osborne Coburg 14-0 Wroxall; Pan Community 2-3 East Cowes Sports; Seaview 0-5 High Park; Ventnor 7-1 Newport Reserves
Fixture for Tuesday, 31st August:
Division 1: ECS v Newport (18.00)
Island League fixtures and results courtesy of the Isle of Wight DFA
Report written with kind assistance of Bob Snow.
