On a frozen Saturday which saw most games postponed, unbeaten champions Shanklin saw off 3rd-placed West Wight at the County Ground to go top-of-the-table on goal difference.
This was very much a game of 2 halves with the Seasiders racing to a 5-goal lead in the 1st half but failing to score in the 2nd.
George Carter-Knight opened the scoring for Shanklin after just 5 minutes, knocking in a scrappy close-range goal after the ball had been knocked out of goalkeeper Shane East’s hands by a West Wight defender (1-0).
Ryan Gregory then headed in Shanklin’s 2nd in the 11th minute (2-0).
Shortly before the half hour mark, Gareth Bricknell had a chance to pull a goal back for West Wight but struck the ball at Shanklin goalkeeper Jamie Linington.
A minute later, George Carter-Knight bagged his brace with a clinical finish after a mistake from Ash Brett (3-0).
West Wight again had an opportunity to pull a goal back, but Casey Tyrrell shot over the crossbar.
Shanklin were 4 goals up in the 37th minute when Ji Nash scored from a tight angle (4-0).
Finally, on the stroke of half time, Nicky Vyse added a 5th to the home sides tally when he managed to knock the ball over a prostrate Shane East (5-0).
Half time Shanklin 5-0 West Wight
In the 2nd half, West Wight had far more of the possession but could only get past the Shanklin defence on a single occasion.
Shortly after the restart, Nicky Vyse managed to get the ball in the back of the net for Shanklin, but his effort was ruled offside.
In the 72nd minute, George Saunders was fouled in the Shanklin penalty area. Charlie Smeeton converted the resulting spot kick by sending Linington the wrong way (5-1).
In the 90th minute, Ash Brett shot over the Shanklin crossbar and the game ended as a comprehensive victory for Island League Division 1 champions, Shanklin.
Full time: Shanklin 5-1 West Wight
Shanklin: Linington, Wilson, Smythers, Watterson, Newnham, Gregory, Cook, Oatley, Vyse, Nash, Carter-Knight Subs: Sanderson, Burford, Turner
West Wight: East, Simmons, Elliot, Herbert, Brett, Burgess, Harris, Tyrrell, Bricknell. Smeeton, Saunders Subs: Dye, Daley, Merrett
After the game, Shanklin manager Paul Haward said:
“We had been expecting a tough game and played really well in the 1st half. We didn’t play so well in the 2nd, but we had already got the job done by then.”
West Wight assistant manager Chris Griffiths said:
“We failed to come out of the blocks and were outclassed by a very good side. We played better in the 2nd half, but by then it was already game over.”
Shanklin’s victory leaves them top of Division 1 with 43 points from 15 games, ahead of Whitecroft & Barton on goal difference but with a game in hand over the 2nd placed club.
West Wight are 3rd with 29 points from 16 games.
In other games featuring Isle of Wight clubs …
Whitecroft and Barton are through to the 4th round of the Hampshire Trophy after beating Hedge End Rangers on penalties. The full-time score was 2-2 with Harry Ovnik and Matt Evans on target for W&B.
In the only other game in Division 1 to survive sub-zero temperatures, East Cowes Sports beat Brading Town 3-0 at the GKN Sports Ground.
In the only game in Division 2, AFC Wootton trounced Seaview 7-2 at Wootton Rec, thanks to a Keaton Clinton hat-trick and further goals from Macca Barnes, Harry Green, James Cheek and Dave Renouf.
