Cowes Sports face 1 of their toughest challenges in the season to date when they face 3rd-placed Horndean at Westwood Park in the Wessex Premier on Saturday.
The Yachtsmen have won 3 and lost 3 of their last 6 games. On Tuesday, they beat bottom club Alresford Town 0-2.
The Deans are something of a “bogey” team for the Yachtsmen, having lost the corresponding fixture 8-0 at Five Heads Park in October. The last time Horndean came to Westwood Park, they trounced the home side 0-9.
The Yachtsmen are currently 16th, 5 points ahead of 2nd-from-bottom Bournemouth Poppies in the relegation zone. A win could see the Island’s only Wessex Premier representatives rise as high as 14th.
Cowes Sports assistant manager Andy Brown says:
“Horndean beat Bournemouth 8-0 on Tuesday evening and are still pushing Portchester for top spot, so no one will be expecting us to get a result. However, we are playing at home, so who knows what the result will be.
“The game is an opportunity to possibly rest a few players with knocks and give others an opportunity to express themselves and gain experience.”
In Wessex Division 1, promotion-chasing Port take on Southampton-based Millbrook at Smallbrook.
If other results go their way, County Town club could hit top spot come 17:00.
The Dockers – who currently lie in 12th place – have been in poor form of late, having lost all 3 of their previous 3 games, including a home defeat to bottom club Fleet Spurs.
Newport have won twice and drawn once in their last 3 since losing 0-1 to league leaders New Milton Town on 4th February. The Port are currently on the same number of points as New Milton, who have a superior goal difference.
In other games affecting the top of the table: New Milton travel to 3rd-placed Petersfield Town; 4th-placed Andover New Street are away to 5th-placed Hamworthy Recreation.
Also in Wessex Division 1, 17th-placed East Cowes Vics travel to North Hampshire to face the team immediately above them in the table: 16th-placed Whitchurch United.
Vics have been in excellent form of late, having won 3 and drawn 3 of their last 6 games; the Jam Boys ended a run of poor form on Tuesday by beating 2nd-from-bottom Amesbury Town 0-4.
Victory for Vics could see the East Cowes side rise as high as 15th place in the league table if other results are favourable.
Manager Alex Smith says:
“Today brings another huge game for us, in which we’ll endeavour to keep our momentum going. We welcome back Callum Chase, Aidan Radford and Sam Cant to the squad,but will unfortunately be without Coner Lyon and Harrison Yates who are away, and James Flux who is working.
“As it stands, Whitchurch sit one place and one point above us in the table, with 2 games in hand. Tomorrow brings the opportunity to leapfrog them, but we’ll have to be at our very best, especially after their emphatic result at Amesbury last time out.”
In other games affecting the bottom of Division 1: bottom club Fleet Spurs are at home to Fawley; 2nd-from-bottom Amesbury Town welcome Fleetlands; 16th-placed Ash United have a home tie against Andover Town; 15th-placed Ringwood Town play Folland Sports.
Wessex League tables below (Premier left, Division 1 right):
Wessex League fixtures for Saturday 18th February
Premier Division
Cowes Sports v Horndean
Division One
Newport (IoW) v Millbrook
Whitchurch United v East Cowes Victoria
Isle of Wight Fixtures for Saturday 18th February
All Fixtures to Kick-Off at 14:00 unless otherwise shown.
The Harwoods DACIA Senior (Gold) Cup -Quarter-Final
Shanklin v Brading Town
The Isle of Wight Memorial Cup sponsored by Andy Butler Sports Ground Specialist 3rd Round.
Bembridge v Whitecroft & Barton Sports
Binstead & COB v Northwood St Johns
High Park v Sandown & Lake
Oakfield v Ryde Saints
Pan Community v ECS
West Wight v Osborne Coburg
Harwoods Renault IOW Saturday League Division 2
AFC Wootton v Yarmouth & Calbourne
East Cowes Vics Reserves v Newchurch
Niton Community v Carisbrooke United
Seaview v Ventnor
Combination Division 1
Brading Town v Whitecroft & Barton Sports
ECS v West Wight
Northwood St Johns v Shanklin
Sandown & Lake v Bembridge
Vectis v Binstead & COB
Combination Division 2
Newchurch v Ryde Saints
Osborne Coburg v AFC Wootton
Ventnor v Bembridge ‘A’
No Fixture: Niton Community & Pan Community
Fixtures courtesy of IOW DFA
