East Cowes Vics face probably the strongest side in the Wessex League in the FA Vase at Beatrice Avenue this Saturday: AFC Portchester.
Portchester are likely to be captained by former Bournemouth, Bristol City, Ipswich Town, and Portsmouth forward Brett Pitman. Last season, Jersey-born Pitman played for National League Eastleigh. Pitman has made a total of 628 appearances over his long career, scoring 196 goals.
Pitman is reputedly being paid in excess of £800 a week to don a Portchester jersey. The 34-year-old ex-Portsmouth striker is currently the leading scorer in the Wessex Premier with 7 goals from 6 games.
Portchester lie 2nd in the top Wessex Division with a perfect 18 points from their 6 games so far; Vics are 17th in the league below with just 1 win from 6 games.
Could the unfashionable East Cowes side pull off a victory against the odds? Last season, Portchester came to Cowes expecting an easy victory but lost ignominiously.
Vics manager, Richie Woodburn, says:
“It’s a free hit for us.”
Newport play their 1st competitive ‘home’ game of the season against Wessex Division 1 Amesbury in the FA Vase at Smallbrook this Saturday, having played their previous ‘home’ games at Beatrice Avenue and Warminster in Wiltshire.
In August, it was announced that work on their new ground at the Racecourse in Whippingham would definitely begin this month. However, with only 6 days of September remaining, there is still no sign of any work being carried out.
The deadline for the completion of the new ground is supposedly 31st March 2023.
This season, there will be no minibus to transport supporters from the County Town to Smallbrook on the outskirts of Ryde.
The Port are in excellent form on the pitch, having won all 3 of their away games in the Wessex League to date. We can’t report on their ‘home’ form, however, as they have yet to play a single game at Smallbrook.
Their opponents – Amesbury Town – were relegated from the Wessex Premier last season. They currently lie in 16th place in the league table with 7 points from 8 games and have failed to win on their travels in the season so far.
The Yachtsmen – bolstered by their midweek away win at US Portsmouth – have a relatively comfortable home tie in the Vase against Division 1 Verwood Town.
The Potters currently lie in 6th place in the league below Cowes with 12 points from 8 games in their season to date.
Isuzu FA Vase Second Round Qualifying Saturday 24th September
All fixtures to kick off at 15:00
Cowes Sports v Verwood Town
East Cowes Victoria v AFC Portchester
Newport (IoW) v Amesbury Town
Isle of Wight Fixtures for Saturday 24th September 2022
All fixtures to kick off at 14:00
Hampshire FA Vase – First Round
Ventnor Reserves v Testlands Reserves
Division 1
Bembridge v Shanklin
Binstead & COB v Oakfield
Northwood St Johns v ECS
Pan Community v Brading Town
Sandown & Lake v Cowes Sports Reserves
West Wight v Vectis
Whitecroft & Barton Sports v Ryde Saints
Division 2
High Park v Ventnor
Osborne Coburg v Niton Community
Seaview v Newchurch
Yarmouth & Calbourne v Carisbrooke United
No Fixture: AFC Wootton & East Cowes Vics Reserves
Combination 1
Brading Town v Bembridge
ECS v Binstead & COB
Sandown & Lake v Northwood St Johns
Shanklin v Oakfield
No Fixture: West Wight
Combination 2
AFC Wootton v Osborne Coburg
Carisbrooke United v Pan Community
Newchurch v Bembridge ‘A’
Ryde Saints v Niton Community
Fixtures courtesy of IOW DFA
