Newport IW defeated Whitchurch United by the best of 5 goals this afternoon (Saturday).
Man-of-the-match Kai Grace opened the scoring for Port with a sublime 10th minute strike after latching on to a through ball from Joe Butcher (1-0) – the first time Port had scored the opening goal in 14 games.
There were few further scoring opportunities of note until 4 minutes from half time when Ji Nash dragged the ball just wide of the goal.
Half time: Newport IW 1-0 Whitchurch United
Joe Butcher added a 2nd goal for the home side with a superb shot from the edge of the penalty area (2-0).
The Jam Boys pulled a goal back in the 70th minute when Zach Rugman took advantage of a mix up in the Newport defence to dispatch the ball into the roof of the net (2-1).
Whitchurch then equalised with 10 minutes of the game remaining through James Batchelor, who shot the ball through a crowded penalty area (2-2).
Port regained the lead in the 82nd minute when captain Maca Watterson headed home a Joe Butcher corner (3-2)
The home side retained their goal advantage for the remainder of the 90 minutes plus an agonising 8 minutes of time added on to collect the full 3 points for the first time since beating Amesbury Town on 8th February.
Full time: Newport IW 3-2 Whitchurch United
Newport IW: Pitman, Holbrook, Thompsett, Walsh, Watterson (c), McDonough, Nash, Catania, Butcher, Conway, Grace Subs: Young, Kirby, Weeks, Linington, Goldberg
Newport’s win leaves the County Town club 8th in Wessex Division 1 with 46 points from 31 games, 2 points behind Fleetlands in the 4th playoff position.
VIDEO:
VICS TAKE POINT AT PLAYOFF PLACE RIVALS RINGWOOD
East Cowes Victoria were held to a draw at Ringwood Town despite taking an early 9th-minute lead.
Manager Alex Smith had to juggle his already stretched squad for the trip to the New Forest, with Triggs, Chapman, Jones and top scorer Jacob Reynolds all unavailable and Sam Kirby transferring to Newport midweek.
Charlie Hart and Adam Voller stepped up into the starting line up.
The Victorians started well and were in front on 9 minutes when Zak Sullivan’s long through ball picked out Gareth Bricknell, and his effort beat Liam Smith in the Ringwood goal (0-1).
Vics tcame close to adding a 2nd goal when a Sullivan free kick in the 18th minute was headed just wide by captain Liam Newbold.
Alex Ram denied Ringwood’s top Scorer Lee Vint in the 20th minute with a terrific save. Vics cleared the ball straight down to the Ringwood keeper, and his clearance was blocked by the onrushing Adam Voller, with the ball heading goalwards only to stop frustratingly short of the goal line before Smith gathered.
Lee Vint equalised for the home side on 24 minutes (1-1). Following a long throw, a miscued headed clearance fell at the number 9’s feet, and his powerful drive through a crowd of players gave Ram no chance.
Vics came close to regaining the lead in the 27th minute when a 25-yard strike from Rafferty Boyd-Kerr sailed inches wide. 5 minutes before half-time, Vics had a further opportunity to retake the lead after a precision pass from Aedan Coode put Adam Voller clean through for a one-on-one with Smith, but the Ringwood keeper pulled off a fine save to deny the Vics striker.
Right on half time, Alex Ram made a further fine save to deny Jamie Wintle, who had had the time and space to put Ringwood into the lead.
Half time: Ringwood Town 1-1 East Cowes Victoria
The Victorians started the 2nd half kicking into a brisk wind, and a wind assisted punt down field fell to Vint, who rounded Ram in the Vics goal only to put his final touch into the side netting.
Vics then had 3 good scoring opportunities denied in the final 30 minutes.
In the 63rd minute, Josh Neale – who had come on for Adam Voller – had a powerful strike well-saved by Smith. Neale was again denied on 74 minutes when he saw his goalbound effort blocked.
Vics’ last chance of gaining the 3 points came 2 minutes from full time, with a speculative effort from Morgan Perrin that sailed over the crossbar.
Full time: Ringwood Town 1-1 East Cowes Victoria
East Cowes Victoria: Ram, Snow, Yates, Newbold (c), Wheeler, Sullivan, Coode, Boyd-Kerr, Bricknell, Hart, Voller Subs: J. Neale, C. Neale, Perrin, Richardson, Turner
East Cowes Vics remain 4th in Wessex Division 1 with 58 points from 29 games, 11 points ahead of Ringwood (their closest playoff place challengers) but 16 points behind league leaders New Milton Town.
