By Isle of Wight Observer
Island Ladies 1st XI were disappointed to lose 1–0 away to fourth-placed Basingstoke. The Islanders had a solid match behind a well-marshalled defence of Emily Lord, player-of-the-match Saffron Hart, Claire Caddick, Hannah Pocock, and Dani Devenish, who balanced youth and experience.
In midfield, Jaimie Payne, Polly Rider, Mia Lawrence and Lizzie Dodds worked tirelessly throughout the match. Up front, Kate Ednay, Evie Fairhurst, Layla Holbrooke and Annabelle Stanley consistently tested the home defence.
The Island team delivered a standout moment, with a superb glove save to deny a powerful Basingstoke strike. Basingstoke responded first to the rebound, to score the only goal of the game, despite pressure from the Island to get a much-deserved equaliser.