TONIGHT will be the biggest Island League game for many years when Shanklin go toe-to-toe with Whitecroft and Barton Sports at the County Ground. 

The permutations are simple .... if W&B avoid defeat, they make club history by winning their seventh Division 1 title in a row, but if Shanklin win, they can snatch the title with a final game victory at Brading Town.

A little more than three weeks ago W&B looked practically home and dry for the title with a 14-point gap over Shanklin.

Shanklin had three games in hand — but they still had to win them, amid a series of superb cup runs this season.Isle of Wight County Press: Shanklin (in blue) in action at Niton recently.Shanklin (in blue) in action at Niton recently.

But after a couple of surprise results for W&B against Brading Town — 1-1 at Church Lane, followed by a 3-2 loss to the Romans at fortress Sandy Lane — it has suddenly opened up a surprise opportunity for the Seasiders this evening (Wednesday).

Other than a heartbreaking loss in the final of the Hampshire Intermediate Cup, Shanklin have been in imperious form in the league and in two other cups — the Isle of Wight Challenge Cup and the Isle of Wight Memorial Cup.

But W&B are W&B and you cannot possibly discount them from picking up the form which saw them go unbeaten in the Island League for 40 games, straddled over this and last season.

Last season, we saw qute similar circumstances.

Isle of Wight County Press: W&B in action at Brading Town recently.W&B in action at Brading Town recently.

When Shanklin were top of the league going into the latter stages of last season — having pulled off a great victory over W&B at Sandy Lane — W&B produced a scintillating away performance at the County Ground to win 4-2.

W&B never looked back and won the title at a canter. On almost any other season, Shanklin's points tally could well have won them the league, but they finished well adrift in the end in a two-horse race.

All in all, with a crowd of well over 200 expected, it should be a cracking, fascinating game for fans of both clubs and the neutral.

Kick-off at 6pm.