WEST WIGHT TAKE DIV 1 TITLE RACE TO WIRE BY VANQUISHING LEADERS W&B

West Wight have ensured an exciting end to the Isle of Wight football season by overcoming previously unbeaten Whitecroft & Barton Sports at Sandy Lane on Saturday. Both West Wight and W&B drafted Wessex League players into their sides for this vital fixture. Liam Newbold, Aedan Coode and Brad Young (all East Cowes Vics) appeared in a red W&B shirt; Vics centre forward Jez Conway led the line for West Wight. West Wight took a shock lead in the 2nd minute when Jez Conway won a penalty for the visitors; Ash Brett calmly converted the resulting spot kick (0-1). W&B pressed their opponents for the following half-an-hour, but West Wight keeper Ben Gearing and his defence held firm. In the 35th minute, West Wight doubled their lead when Chris Elliott sent a superb effort into the lop left corner of the goal from just inside the penalty area (0-2).

4 minutes later, Josh Daley added a 3rd for the Camp Road side by powering in a cross from the edge of the 6-yard box (0-3). The 1st half ended with  an unmarked Aedan Coode blasting the ball over the crossbar for W&B. Half time: Whitecroft & Barton Sports 0-3 West Wight

The 100+ spectators present at the game expected W&B to fight fiercely to retain their unbeaten league record and grip on the Division 1 title. However, it wasn’t to be with West Wight dominating the 2nd half. For West Wight, Josh Daley forced W&B keeper Jamie Linington into a save with his feet in the 55th minute, and Linington thwarted Max Foreman in the 66th minute. Ben Gearing stopped a couple of goal attempts from Aedan Coode in the 63rd and 67th minutes. West Wight’s Miles Taylor ended the game as a contest by blasting the ball into the back of the net from inside the 6-yard box in the 78th minute to ensure an emphatic victory for the visiting side (0-4). Final score: Whitecroft & Barton Sports 0-4 West Wight

Whitecroft & Barton Sports: Linington, Newbold, K. Sainsbury, Rayner, Jackson, A. Sainsbury, Yelland, Drew, Appell, Frost, Coode Subs: Lambert, Lyon, Young West Wight: Gearing, Phillips, Reeves, Newey, Burgess, Brett, Bricknell, Elliott, Conway, Daley, Taylor Subs: Foreman, Smeeton, Simmonds After the game, West Wight assistant manager Phil Rann said:

“We’ve been due a performance like that. We dominated the game. We want to push W&B as close as we can for the title. “Sadly, we’ve conceded silly points. However, we’ve surpassed what we did last season.”

West Wight are 1 point clear of W&B at the top of the table, but W&B have a game in hand and a superior goal difference. W&B play Cowes Sports Reserves at Westwood Park on Tuesday evening (18:00) and then Brading Town at the Peter Henry Ground on Thursday evening (19:00). West Wight’s final game is against Shanklin at Camp Road on Wednesday evening (18:00).

In other Division 1 games…

Cowes Sports Reserves 9-0 High Park The Yachtsmen saw off High Park courtesy of a hat trick from Dan Pearson, a brace from Fred Salter, and further goals from Scott McFarlane, Raff Wightwick, Flynn Jackman and Kaymen Cooch. East Cowes Sports 1-0 Northwood SJ ECS have risen 2 places to 9th after beating NSJ at the GKN Sports Ground with the only goal of the game coming courtesy of Callum Fryer. 3 teams are in danger of relegation to the 2nd Division: ECS (who have completed all their games); Northwood St Johns (who play High Park at home on Tuesday); and Brading Town (who face Bembridge on Tuesday and W&B on Friday). High Park have already been relegated. Harwoods Division 1 table below: Congratulations to High Park Reserves, who have won the Combination 2 title by beating Newchurch Reserves 0-7 at Watery Lane.

Isle of Wight football results for Saturday 4th May

Harwoods Division 1 Bembridge 1-1 Binstead & COB Cowes Sports Reserves 9-0 High Park East Cowes Sports 1-0 Northwood SJ W & B Sports 0-4 West Wight Combination 1 Brading Town Reserves 5-4 Ventnor Reserves Bembridge Reserves 0-1 Osborne Coburg Reserves Combination 2 Newchurch Reserves 0-7 High Park Reserves Niton Community Reserves 2-0 West Wight A