A crucial night for the Premier promotion chasers

With the gap between Hornchurch and second place Chatham Town sitting at nine points, with the Urchins having played a match fewer, tonight’s match for Town looks rather critical to their chances of narrowing that gap- but it won’t be easy, as sixth place Wingate & Finchley are the hosts. The Chats have won three of their last four, whilst their hosts the Blues got back to winning ways in style by thumping Lewes on Saturday, and find themselves a point away from the top five. A home win will send Wingate back into the play off places, perhaps as high as fourth place, whilst victory for the visitors will give renewed hope to their chances of putting up a fight for top spot.

When the two sides met in November, a last minute Ashley Nzala goal gave the Chats the points in a two-one win.

Third place Billericay Town travel to Sussex, tenth place Lewes the hosts. Both sides are looking to get back to winning ways after defeats at the weekend, and the Rooks are particularly desperate for a win, having lost three of their last four and fallen to seven points behind the top five, albeit with one or perhaps two games in hand over those above them. Billericay have slipped to thirteen points behind Hornchurch after narrowly losing two of their last three, so perhaps their chances of the title have almost sailed away, but with only four points between themselves and sixth place they’ll have plenty of incentive to get back to winning ways. The sides met at New Lodge just over a fortnight ago, and Billericay hit five without reply- and indeed it’s ten years, two months and nine meetings since the Rooks last took three points from this fixture.

Fourth place Hastings United host a Sussex derby, Horsham the visitors- a match between two sides with promotion aspirations. There may be nine points between the sides at kick off, but Horsham have played five games fewer, and after building a four match unbeaten run seem to be creating momentum. United, however, must be favourites after winning their last three and losing only one of their last ten.

Carshalton Athletic, in eighth at kick off, make the trip to Potters Bar Town. The Robins saw a six match unbeaten run end with defeat against bogey team Cray Wanderers on Saturday, whilst the Scholars saw a two goal lead slip against Concord Rangers on Saturday, falling three-two behind before somehow finding two goals in the dying moments to take a four-three win. Athletic have only two defeats from their last ten, Town have only three, and this looks to be too close to call. The last ten meetings between the sides have seen seven Robins wins and three wins for the Scholars- and the last meeting between the sides saw Athletic win five-nil.

Folkestone Invicta welcome Cray Wanderers to the seaside, fifteenth v sixteenth. Neither side have shown the best of form this season. They both have three wins from ten, and both picked up one of those wins at the weekend. Wands took four points from the fixtures between the sides last season, Invicta did the same during 21-22, and they meet again next month.

Finally we’ve seventeenth v eighteenth, as Whitehawk welcome Cheshunt to the east side of Brighton. They may be separated by only one place, but the points gap is seven, although both sides are in fairly dreadful form. The Hawks have won two and lost six of their last eight, including their last three; the Ambers have lost seven and won one of their last eight- but that solitary win did come against the Hawks, a two-nil victory on January 27th. Perhaps this will be a speedy opportunity for the hosts to take revenge- or perhaps Cheshunt just have them sussed. An away win would open up a three point gap between themselves and fourth bottom Margate- and they'd still have two games in hand.

All matches kick off at 7.45 PM.

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