Big Weekend For Isle Of Wight Wessex League Teams

Cowes Sports face a trip to the mainland tomorrow (Saturday) for their Wessex League game, while Newport are back at their temporary home at Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde - and East Cowes Vics are also in action on their own patch. 

Big Week For Yachtsmen

Fresh from their midweek victory over Baffins Milton Rovers, Cowes Sports make the long trip to Dorset tomorrow to face Portland United in the Premier League (2.30 pm). It heralds the start of an important week for the Yachtsmen who then play hosts to top-three team Brockenhurst on Tuesday night before entertaining United Services Portsmouth a week tomorrow. 

Manager Max Draper will be looking for at least six points from the three games, as both Portland and USP are in the bottom eight, but he must also be eyeing Brockenhurst as another potential scalp if his players can replicate their display against Baffins. 

However, Max pointed out:

“As we are always dealing with no budget, I have no doubt that the squad we will take to Portland will be different to the one that played the other night. Players working, injured and absent will mean we will have to adapt again, but fingers crossed we will be able to show the same fighting spirit we had on Tuesday.

“Portland are in a good patch. Although they lost on Tuesday, the coaching team are doing a good job there with a young, hungry team and it is never an easy place to go. We will once again have to be at our best collectively if we are to come away with anything. We just hope, that after a morale boosting win, but more importantly a dogged team performance, we can go there and get something.”

Newport Aim For Double Boost

Newport will be hoping to strengthen their Division One promotion claims when they take on Ringwood Town at Smallbrook Stadium (1.45pm). The Island team are still handily placed in third spot in the table, five points adrift of leaders Bemerton Heath Harlequins, but with two games in hand. Following the hard-earned point from their trip to Romsey Town, Port manager Steve Brougham will be looking for a double promotion boost, as Newport also have a match on Tuesday evening, when they travel to the mainland to take on promotion rivals Folland Sports (7.45pm).

But Steve insisted:

“We shall be treating Ringwood with respect, because we never go into games thinking it is going to be easy. You can’t afford to take anything for granted, and we will be without Joe Hancott who is not available, as well as skipper Martin McDonough is suspended.

“I don’t like looking too far ahead, but I know Tuesday night’s game is going to be a big test for us. So what we need to do is try to beat Ringwood to set us up nicely for Folland.”

He added:

“We are playing our home games at Smallbrook again, which is much better for us than having to play ‘home’ games on the opposition’s ground, like we had to against Verwood Town recently. Hopefully we can now concentrate on playing at Smallbrook again until the end of the season.”

Tough Test For Vics 

East Cowes Vics face another stern test tomorrow in Division One when they entertain Romsey Town (3pm). Vics have slipped to fourth from bottom in the table, so their young squad will be desperate to turn the tide against a team currently just outside the play-off places.

The task is even more difficult because manager Richie Woodburn will have several of his key players missing through injuries, including Jimmi Burton, Harry Catania and Liam Newbold, while three others will have late fitness tests. 

Richie said:

“Romsey are in good form, and were only minutes away from beating Newport last weekend. But to be honest they tend to be a bit cavalier at times, so I just hope they will come over to the Island thinking victory is a formality, and we can catch them cold. We have got to match them man-for-man, and try to keep in the game to make them a bit nervous. If we can take some of the chances we have been creating in recent games, then who knows? I’m certainly not going into the game thinking ‘damage limitations’; I want everyone on the front foot. With some of the established senior players missing, it is an opportunity to have a look at a few of the youngsters who are pressing for a first team place.

“A decent performance would put us in good stead for a very important game next weekend against Ash United, who are currently just above us in the table.”