All 3 Island Wessex League sides play away today (Saturday) after suffering disappointing defeats on the road on Thursday evening. In the Wessex Premier, 9th-placed Cowes Sports – who are no longer in contention for a playoff place – travel to 2nd-placed Stoneham. The Yachtsmen are currently on a 6-game winless run, having lost 5 and drawn 1 of their last 6 games since beating Laverstock & Ford 0-4 on 19th March. On Thursday, Cowes travelled to Lymington, where they disappointingly lost 2-1 to Hythe & Dibden. Hythe opened the scoring in the 35th minute (1-0) to reach the interval a goal to the good. In the 2nd half, the Yachtsmen equalised in the 61st minute through an own goal (1-1). Cowes played the final 10 minutes of the game with 10 men after Brandon Hayward was red-carded before conceding in the 96th minute (2-1) to return home across the Solent pointless. Full time: Hythe & Dibden 2-1 Cowes Sports
In Wessex Division 1, 5th-placed East Cowes Vics face their most formidable challenge of the season to date away to top club Hamworthy Recreation. Unbeaten Hamworthy have won 31 and drawn just 3 of their 34 fixtures in the season to date. On Thursday evening, Vics lost a vital game to playoff place challengers Cove, who won with the last kick of the game. Vics took the lead through Jake Wright to lead 0-1 at half time. Wright then bagged his brace in the 2nd half (0-2) to give Vics a 2-goal cushion. However, 3 late 2nd half goals from the home side saw Cove take all 3 points. Full time: Cove 3-2 East Cowes Vics Vics’ defeat to Cove leaves them 3 points above the 5th-placed side in Wessex Division 1, with 5 games of the season remaining. However, Cove have a game in hand over the East Cowes side.
In the other Wessex Division 1 fixture to be played on Saturday, 12th-placed Newport travel to bottom-of-the-table AFC Aldermaston. Port beat Aldermaston 1-0 in the corresponding fixture at Beatrice Avenue a 3 weeks ago. On Thursday, the County Town club went down to Romsey Town by a 3-goal margin despite twice taking the lead. Joe Butcher opened the scoring for Port in the 23rd minute by lobbing the Romsey keeper (0-1). Romsey then equalised to leave the scores level at the half time interval (1-1). In the 46th minute, Henry West restored Port’s lead with a header that just crept over the goal line (1-2). However, 4 2nd half goals from the home side – including an injury time penalty – resulted in Port returning home from North Island empty handed. Full time: Romsey Town 5-2 Newport IW
Wessex League fixtures for Saturday, 13th April
Wessex Premier AFC Stoneham v Cowes Sports Division 1 AFC Aldermaston v Newport IW Hamworthy Recreation v East Cowes Victoria
Isle of Wight fixtures for Saturday, 13th April
Harwoods Division 1 Cowes Sports Reserves v East Cowes Sports Northwood SJ v West Wight Vectis v High Park Ventnor v Bembridge W&B Sports v Brading Town Division 2 Niton Community v Newport Reserves Seaview v Ryde Saints Combination 1 Binstead & COB Reserves v W & B Sports Reserves Brading Town Reserves v Vectis Reserves East Cowes Sports Reserves v Shanklin Reserves Osborne Coburg Reserves v Bembridge Reserves Sandown & Lake Reserves v Northwood SJ Reserves Ventnor Reserves v West Wight Reserves Combination 2 AFC Wootton Reserves v Niton Community Reserves Ventnor A v High Park Reserves West Wight A v Newchurch Reserves
