DEFENDING champions Whitecroft and Barton Sports closed the gap at the top of Division 1 of the Isle of Wight Saturday League in the first match played in almost four months.
The Island League started up again yesterday (Saturday) after lockdown in glorious spring weather across the Isle of Wight, with no matches postponed.
W&B — after an indifferent start to their season — have quietly gone about their business, notching up their fourth win on the bounce to go second, beating one of the teams up their with them, Northwood St John, 1-0, with Joe Craig the scorer.
It could not be much tighter at the top of the table, with league leaders Shanklin held 2-2 at West Wight, who climed to fourth, five points adrift of top spot with a game in hand.
In an eventful game, West Wight went down to ten men after 35 minutes when keeper Ryan Young handled outside the box as ji Nash attempted to lob him.
Five minutes later, Shanklin took a deserved lead through Jason Smythers, but just before the interval, West Wight equalised through defender Conor White, who normally plays in the Cowes Sports first team.
Chances came thick and fast for Shanklin in the second half — including an Iain Seabrook spot kick saved by stand in keeper, Charlie Smeeton — and they eventually regained the lead through George Carter-Knight on the hour.
But when Shanklin failed to clear their lines, West Wight drew level again with a superb strike by George Saunders on 70 minutes.
Shanklin had a player sin-binned for final ten minutes, with no further goals added.
Brading Town suffered a crippling blow in their championship aspirations after going down 2-1 at Cowes Sports Reserves.
There was plenty of goals and entertainment at the GKN ground in East Cowes as ECS beat Ventnor 6-4.
Carisbrooke United remain rooted to the bottom rfollowing a 3-0 reverse at home to Binstead & COB, who are starting to climb towards mid-table after a wretched start to the season.
In Division 2, Oakfield kept up their impressive 100 per cent win record by beating Adgestone 5-1.
Niton Community kept on their coat tails — six points behind in second with a game in hand — after hammering Wootton 7-2 away.
ALL THE RESULTS
Division 1: Carisbrooke United 0, Binstead & COB 3; Cowes Sports Reserves 2, Brading Town 1; ECS 6, Ventnor 4; Sandown 0, Ryde Saints 2; Vectis 1, Bembridge 2; West Wight 2, Shanklin 2; Whitecroft & Barton Sports 1, Northwood St John 0.
Division 2: Wootton 2, Niton Community 7; Adgestone 1, Oakfield 5; Newchurch 3, Seaview 4; Pan Sports 10, Wroxall 1; Yarmouth & Calbourne 2, Newport A 2.
Combination 1: Binstead & COB Res 4, Ryde Saints Res 1; Brading Town Res 7, Carisbrooke United Res 1; Northwood St John Res 1, West Wight Res 1; Oakfield Res 2, Sandown Res 2; Seaview Res 0, Whitecroft & Barton Sports Res 3; Shanklin Res 3, ECS Res 4.
Combination 2: Bembridge Res 4, Yarmouth & Calbourne Res 1; Newchurch Res 2, Wootton Res 0; Niton Community Res 1, Sandown A 1; Osborne Coburg Res 3, Vectis Res 2.
FIXTURES
TUESDAY
Division 1: Bembridge v Sandown; Brading Town v Ventnor; Carisbrooke United v Vectis; ECS v Binstead & COB; Northwood St John v West Wight; Whitecroft & Barton Sports v Cowes Sports Reserves.
Division 2: Adgestone v Pan Sports; Newport A v Wroxall; Niton Community v Wootton; Oakfield v Seaview; Osborne Coburg v Yarmouth & Calbourne.
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel