All 3 Isle of Wight Wessex League teams are at home on the final Saturday of their Wessex League campaigns (16th April).
Newport face 12th-placed Whitchurch United. Only 3 points separate the top 4 clubs in Wessex Division 1.
Newport only have a theoretical chance of coming 1st in the league and achieving automatic promotion as top club Bemerton have a far superior goal difference. The Port would have to win by 20 goals (or Bemerton lose by 20) for the County Town club to take the Division 1 Championship.
Newport could take 2nd spot from Andover New Street, but only were the North Hampshire side to lose at Beatrice Avenue against East Cowes Vics.
Victory on Saturday would see Newport take 3rd place in the table from Folland Sports, who have completed all their fixtures. The 3rd and 4th-placed teams face off in the 2nd play off semi-final on Wednesday evening (20th April) with the higher placed club having home advantage. However, Folland Sports’ floodlights do not meet Wessex League requirements; therefore, the fixture would be played at Smallbrook whichever team finished higher.
Remaining fixtures (top of Division 1):
Bemerton Heath Harlequins v Andover Town
East Cowes Vics v Andover New Street
Newport IW v Whitchurch Town
Laverstock & Ford v Ash United
In the Wessex Premier, 16th-placed Cowes Sports face 2nd-from-bottom Hythe & Dibden. Hythe & Dibden have hit good form of late, winning their last 2 Wessex League fixtures against top-half-of-the-table opposition. The Yachtsmen – who led the Premier Division back in July – are currently on a 9-game winless streak.
Cowes manager Max Draper sees the game against Hythe & Dibden as an opportunity to build for the following season and blood some of the 16 and 17-year olds who are currently pushing for a 1st team place.
Wessex League Fixtures for Saturday 16th April
Fixtures to kick off at 15:00
Premier Division
Cowes Sports v Hythe & Dibden
Division One
East Cowes Vics v Andover New Street
Newport IoW v Whitchurch United
Isle of Wight fixtures for Saturday, 16th April, 2022
All fixtures to kick off at 14:00 unless otherwise shown
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 1
Niton Community v Shanklin
Northwood St Johns v Brading Town
Oakfield v Vectis
West Wight v Bembridge
No Fixture: Binstead & COB; Cowes Sports Reserves; Ryde Saints: Sandown & Lake; Whitecroft & Barton Sports
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 2
AFC Wootton v East Cowes Sports
Adgestone v Carisbrooke United
Ventnor v Pan Community
No Fixture: East Cowes Vics Reserves; High Park; Newport Reserves; Osborne Coburg; Seaview; Wroxall: Yarmouth & Calbourne
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Combination Division 1
Brading Town v Sandown & Lake
Shanklin v Whitecroft & Barton Sports
No Fixture: Bembridge: Binstead & COB; Northwood St Johns: Oakfield: Osborne Coburg; Ryde Saints; West Wight
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Combination Division 2
Bembridge A v AFC Wootton
Fixtures for Tuesday 19th April & Wednesday 20th April
Evening fixtures to Kick-Off at 18:00 unless otherwise shown
Tuesday 19th April 2022
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 1
Brading Town v Oakfield
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 2
High Park v Wroxall
Wednesday 20th April 2022
The All Things Printed Ltd Challenge Cup 2nd Round
Ryde Saints v Whitecroft & Barton Sports (19:00)
