Ventnor 1XV had a challenging encounter away against New Milton RFC in the Counties 2 season.

Before both matches, both teams observed a minute's silence in respect for Trojans player Jacob Smith, who died earlier in the week.

The number 3 jersey was retired for the game as a tribute.

Ventnor 1XV faced a tough start, with New Milton scoring a try after just six minutes.

However, Ventnor quickly responded with Ed Blake breaking through New Milton's defence to score.

For the next 10 minutes, Ventnor battled hard in the centre of the field, with Alec Bulpitt and Jason Coltham making their presence felt at the ruck, disrupting New Milton's play.

Despite Ventnor's efforts, the first-half score stood at 34-5.

The second half saw Ventnor start strongly, with Will Broomfield and Pat Banks pushing for another try.

Dan Lythgoe and Jack Rushton held the scrum well, causing trouble for New Milton.

Riley Lloyd made good ground with the ball, passing it to Rhys Cole, who floated it to Lewy Morton for Ventnor's second try.

Despite some great defensive tackling from Ben Souter and Harvey Wheeler, New Milton managed to score again, ending the game with a final score of 59-10.

Speaking after the match, Ventnor's coach, Damien Marriott, praised New Milton and acknowledged the step up Ventnor faced after their promotion.

He said: "There are plenty of positives in our performances over recent weeks, but we know we weren't at the standards we've set ourselves, particularly defensively.

"We're not going to dwell on one result. We're learning, we're improving, and these are exactly the challenges we wanted when we earned promotion."

Ventnor is set to face Southampton RFC next in Counties 2.

The A J Wells Man of the Match was awarded to Hayden Lythgoe, and the Red Funnel Moment of the Match went to Lewy Morton.

In contrast, Ventnor 2XV had a more successful outing against Trojans 2XV.

Ventnor started the match strongly, with Max Wheeler scoring the first try within the first two minutes.

This set the tone for the rest of the match, with Ventnor continuing to pressure Trojans' defence.

By half-time, the score was 27-10 in favour of Ventnor.

The second half saw Ventnor maintain their momentum, with Ben Westbrook and Gavin Davis adding to the tries tally.

The match ended with a final score of 55-19, placing Ventnor 2XV mid-table in Counties 6.

They are set to face Christchurch in an away fixture next week.

Both teams gathered for a photo with the retired number 3 jersey in support of Trojans' Jacob Smith at the end of the match.

The A J Wells Man of the Match was awarded to Ben Westbrook, and the Red Funnel Moment of the Match went to Brad Francis.