Newport IW and East Cowes Vics will face off in an eagerly anticipated Isle of Wight derby at Beatrice Avenue tomorrow evening (Wednesday) in the Velocity Wessex League Cup, with kick-off at 19:45. Both last season’s games between the 2 sides attracted crowds of over 500, so spectators are advised to get to the ground early to avoid queueing and missing the kick off. The 2 teams have had good starts to the season, with Vics currently 2nd in Wessex Division 1 and Port 4 places behind in 6th. However, on Saturday, Newport’s unbeaten run ended with a 2-0 defeat to Cove in North Hampshire. Meanwhile, the Victorians extended their 100% record to 5 games with a 1-0 win over Amesbury Town at Beatrice Avenue. The 2 sides played each other twice last season, with the County Town club coming out on top with a thumping 4-1 victory on Boxing Day, following which the East Cowes outfit secured a narrow 1-0 win over Port towards the end of the season (their first league win against their local rivals in 40 years). 
“Perhaps a little like previous games, there were elements of the Amesbury performance I was very pleased with, but we’re still a way off of our best.”
Alex says of his side’s chances chances against Port:
“Regardless of cup games or league games, the most important thing for us is to continue to play well and maintain momentum. Newport have assembled a very competitive squad, and they’ll be an interesting challenge for us. “We won’t make any huge changes, we’ll focus on continuing to embed and execute our game model at every opportunity.”
“Another tough game against Vics, who have had a great start in the league, but these are the types of games everyone looks forward to, and we welcome back Jordan Browne and Macca Watterson, so have a full squad to choose from. “We weren’t at the races Saturday, so we’ll be looking to put a good performance in Wednesday ahead of another big game on Saturday against league leaders Alresford.”
YACHTSMEN TO SEEK FIRST WESSEX PREMIER WIN AT WESTWOOD
Cowes Sports will attempt to transfer their excellent cup form to the league when they take on Brockenhurst in the Wessex Premier at Westwood Park (Zilch Waste Stadium) this evening (Tuesday) with kick off at 19:45. The Yachtsmen currently lie a lowly 17th in the Wessex Premier table and have yet to pick up a full 3 points in 4 attempts. However, their form has seen a dramatic improvement this week after beating Romsey Town 0-3 in the Hampshire Cup last Tuesday before knocking Bournemouth (Poppies) out of the FA Vase with an emphatic 0-5 win on Saturday. When asked why the team had turned their form round, Cowes manager Max Draper said:
“Confidence, sharpness and a bit of luck, which we have missed for a couple of weeks. “Fingers crossed, we can take a bit of confidence into the game against Brockenhurst and bring the tenacity we have had for the last week.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Somebody tell Island echo that East Cowes Vics have a new badge this season