Taking on the league leaders away is never an easy day out, and Saturday lived up to the billing. We went down 6-0 in the end, but the scoreline doesn’t quite do justice to the fight the boys showed against a clinical Isle of Wight side.
We knew they’d come out flying with a high press, and they dominated possession from the pushback. But for the first 20 minutes, we were a wall. We dug in, fought for each other, and kept them off the scoresheet despite the relentless pressure. Monty was absolute class in goal, pulling off some massive saves to keep us in the hunt early on.
The first half was a tactical headache, playing straight into a low sun. The Island took full advantage, pinging aerials into the glare to bypass our lines. It’s a tough ask for any defense, and while they eventually found the breakthrough, the work rate to track those overheads was top-notch.
It was great to have Will Potter back in the mix after a couple of months out. He slotted straight back in, and the trio of Will, Charlie, and Declan in the middle was a real bright spot. The youngsters moved the ball well together and didn't stop running, even when the Island’s defense made it impossible for us to get a look at their goal.
The second half stayed physical but fair. Mike Tomlinson picked up a green for an "enthusiastic" tackle—well-spirited, but enough for the umpire to take notice—and a bit of gamesmanship standing on the ball to slow them down.
Despite the clinical finishing from the opposition, the game never got sour. Both teams spent a fair bit of time bonding over some "interesting" umpiring calls that went against both sides, keeping the atmosphere solid until the final whistle.
A tough result to take, but we proved we can go toe-to-toe with the best in the league when it comes to heart and work rate.
While we didn't get a shot at their goal, there’s no shame in losing to a side of that caliber. To be honest, the Isle of Wight looked every bit the champions-elect. They thoroughly deserve their promotion to Division One next season, and based on the clinical standard they set on Saturday, they’ve got the quality to potentially go up again the following year.
They were solid in defense and punished our mistakes with efficiency. We return from the island with no points, but plenty of pride in a performance where we fought for every inch against the league's best.
