14th-placed Cowes Sports take on 3rd-placed AFC Stoneham at the Zilch Waste Stadium (Westwood Park) in the Wessex Premier this afternoon (Saturday).
Stoneham are a very strong side, who have lost only 1 league game in the season to date – against Cowes Sports.
Can the Yachtsmen do the double over their formidable Hampshire rivals?
Co-manager Ian Potts says:
“Stoneham are a club we have huge respect for. They are on an incredible run.
“They were unlucky in the vase last week, a competition that I feel they could have gone on and won.
“We are really excited about the challenge. These are the games that we look forward to as a Wessex Premier League team.
“We have worked hard this week and will look to give our all to get a result and give our loyal fans the attitude and work rate their support deserves.”
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On the opposite bank of the Medina, 7th-place Newport face 14th-place Amesbury Town at Beatrice Avenue in Wessex Division 1.
Co-manager Joe Butcher says of the game:
“Amesbury are not a side we’ve faced so far this season, so they are a bit of an unknown quantity.
“We need to be making the most of our home games now, and we’ll be wanting to get 3 pts from Saturday.”
“Squadwise, we’ve got a few injuries and knocks. Joe Craig and Josh Younie are definitely not available. Brad went off with a hamstring injury at Aldermaston, so he’s probably 50/50 as well.
“We want 3 pts but as with all the teams in our league, if you’re not at it and they are, anyone can cause you problems.”
Also in Division 1, 4th-placed East Cowes Victoria have a vital game away to 2nd-placed Alresford Town.
Vics are in a very strong position to take a playoff place as they are 12 points clear of the 6th-placed club: Ringwood Town.
However, the East Cowes side still have an outside chance of taking the top spot in the division and the automatic promotion place that goes with it.
They are currently 11 points behind leaders New Milton Town – who they play next Saturday – but have 3 games in hand.
A win today and next Saturday would open up the possibility of Vics catching the table-toppers.
On Tuesday, the Victorians were beaten by the strongest side in the Wessex League in a cup quarter final.
Manager Alex Smith said of the defeat:
“I’m an ambitious person and we’re an ambitious group. I’m never going to be the kind of person who says: ‘Portchester are really good and we lost just 1-0’. It’s just not for me.”
Alex says of his side’s chances of escaping Division 1 and their prospects at a higher level:
“We’re miles off getting the [promotion] job done. We’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m sick of hearing how big the gap is between the divisions.
“I’m definitely bored of being told that next year you won’t have what it takes to cope. Clearly, we’ll compete.
“We have got the guts, the goal and the ability. But without putting the proof in the pudding and getting out of this division, it doesn’t really matter.
“People make out that we’ll definitely get promoted, but we’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do even to make sure we guarantee ourselves a playoff place let alone anything else.”
Wessex League fixtures for Saturday 8th February
Wessex Premier
Cowes Sports v AFC Stoneham
Division 1
Alresford Town v East Cowes Victoria
Newport IW v Amesbury Town
Isle of Wight fixtures for Saturday 8th February
HFA Trophy
Ringwood Town Development v Vectis
Memorial Cup
High Park v East Cowes Sports
Junior B
Ventnor A v Oakfield Reserves
Harwoods Division 1
Bembridge v West Wight
Brading Town v Shanklin
Northwood SJ v Ventnor
W&B Sports v Osborne Coburg
Division 2
Newport Reserves v Pan Community
Oakfield v Newchurch
Ryde Saints v Niton Community
Combination 1
Binstead & COB Reserves v Brading Town Reserves
Osborne Coburg Reserves v W & B Sports Reserves
Sandown & Lake Reserves v Northwood SJ Reserves
Shanklin Reserves v High Park Reserves
Combination 2
Bembridge A v West Wight A
High Park A v Sandown & Lake A
Newchurch Reserves v Niton Community Reserves
Osborne Coburg A v Vectis Reserves
