UPDATE (11:00) Ash United v Newport IW is OFF There is Wessex League action on both sides of the Medina this Saturday as Cowes Sports host Hamble Club at Westwood Park and East Cowes Vics play Alresford Town on the other side of the Medina – weather permitting. 
In the big match in Wessex Division 1, 5th-placed East Cowes Vics – who are unbeaten in 5 games – face off with the team immediately above: Alresford Town. Vics drew away with Clanfield midweek to go 1 point above 6th-placed Cove. Beatrice Avenue has not been a happy hunting ground for Alresford Town this season, having already lost 3-1 to Newport at the end of January. Vics manager Alex Smith says of his side’s prospects:
“The point away at Clanfield was good enough to keep our momentum going into the Arlesford game. These types of games are the reason we’re all involved in football. We’re 6 points behind them and still have to play them twice so hopefully we can claw 3 of those points back on Saturday. “They’re a great side with a top centre-forward, and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against one of the very best sides in the league. Our young squad is as ambitious and brave as ever and we’re looking forward to a big occasion. “We currently have 20 players in the first team squad, so competition for places is exceptionally high, giving us great quality right the way through the match day 16. Hopefully, the strength in depth will see us through this very busy fixture period and leave us where we want to be come the end of the season.”
Also in Wessex Division 1, 16th-placed Newport travel to North Hampshire to face the team 1 place below: Ash United. The Port have been in excellent form over recent games, having lost only 1 of their 9 games since Christmas. Wessex Division 1 table below: 
In the Wessex Premier, 7th-placed Cowes Sports will be hoping to reignite their charge towards the playoff positions at Westwood Park, where they face 13th-placed Hamble Club. The Yachtsmen are just 1 point below 5th-placed Brockenhurst but have a game in hand over the Badgers. Manager Max Draper says of the game:
“Hamble are a tough side to predict. They have the potential to match any team in the league when they’re on it, and we will have to prepare ourselves for a tough match which is no different to what we encountered when we visited them early this year. “We will aim to find some consistency again and hope to learn from last weeks mistakes at Christchurch to lead ourselves into the latter stages of the season.”
Wessex Premier table (top) below: 
Wessex League fixtures for Saturday 24th February
Wessex Premier Cowes Sports v Hamble Club Wessex Division 1 Ash United v Newport IW OFF East Cowes Vics v Alresford Town
Isle of Wight fixtures for Saturday 24th February
Harwoods Division 1 Northwood SJ v Ventnor Division 2 Newchurch v AFC Wootton OFF Seaview v Ryde Saints OFF Combination 1 Bembridge Reserves v Binstead & COB Reserves OFF Sandown & Lake Reserves v Ventnor Reserves OFF Shanklin Reserves v Northwood SJ Reserves OFF Vectis Reserves v West Wight Reserves OFF Combination 2 Ventnor A v Ryde Saints Reserves OFF West Wight A v Newchurch Reserves OFF Isle of Wight Senior (Gold) Cup Bembridge v Brading Town OFF Memorial Cup Binstead & COB v Shanklin OFF East Cowes Sports v High Park West Wight v Vectis OFF W & B Sports v Osborne Coburg Junior A Cup Osborne Coburg Reserves v Brading Town Reserves Junior B Cup AFC Wootton Reserves v Bembridge A OFF Niton Community Reserves v High Park Reserves OFF
