A crucial Saturday in the play off race- and the relegation fight

We start, as you might expect, at the top- where Hornchurch sit proudly, possessing a nine point lead with three games in hand over their closest rivals. Despite the best efforts of the chasing pack the title race is becoming something of a procession, but perhaps the Urchins- who have won seven in a row- will be made to fight for the points this weekend, given their visitors are fourth place Billericay Town.

The travelling Blues desperately need the points as they try to prevent their season from unravelling, having taken only one point from their six matches- and only seven points from their last ten. That run has seen the gap between them and the chasing pack narrow, to the extent that another defeat could see them drop down to seventh.

The two sides drew one-one in January, the Urchins winning both encounters last season.

Second place Chatham Town have a trip to the seaside, where they take on eighth place Hastings United. The Chats have opened up an impressive eleven point gap between themselves and third place, but have only eight matches left in their attempts to overhaul the current nine point lead of Hornchurch, so three points this weekend look to be a must should their title chase continue. They’ve won four of their last five, whilst their hosts are without a win from their last three, so will also be rather focused on victory as they attempt to reinvigorate their play off hopes. United are six points away from the top five at kick off, and- at the very least- they won’t want that gap to widen. They know what it takes to defeat the Chats, two Davide Rodari goals giving them a two-one victory at the Bauvill in December.

Wingate and Finchley finally get to take on Bognor Regis Town, only on their own patch, after their trip to Nyewood Lane was postponed for the third time (and rescheduled for March 26th). The Blues, in third place, are currently top of what appears to be a mini-league to take a play off place, and with only four points between third and seventh- and indeed only six between third and ninth- won’t be taking anything for granted at this point. They are six unbeaten, and got back to winning ways last time out, winning in Canvey Island after drawing their previous three. The visiting Rocks have lost their momentum a little and are without a win in four, but will still be wondering how they lost to Hornchurch last weekend after being ahead four minutes into added time.

The last time the sides met at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, in February last year, the Blues won four-two.

Fifth place Horsham travel to face the side attempting to relieve them of that fifth place, Enfield Town, the Towners a point and a place behind. The Hornets will want to quickly bounce back from their defeat against Carshalton Athletic last weekend, their second defeat in four after a previous unbeaten run, whilst the Towners are five unbeaten- although three of those ended level. The last seven meetings between the sides have seen three wins each and a draw, that draw coming in Sussex in January.

Carshalton Athletic know that victory over struggling Margate could see them leap into the top five, the Robins with Horsham and Billericay Town in their sights. The Robins have lost only one of their last ten and look well placed for a run at the top five, and impressed in victory over Horsham last weekend. Their visitors haven’t impressed for quite a while, have lost eight of their last nine, and find themselves fourth from bottom, two points from safety.

Dulwich Hamlet, in ninth, haven’t yet given up on their top five hopes, and you could say the same for visitors Lewes, who are one point and two places further back. With a six/seven point gap to make up victory looks rather important for both sides, and the Rooks have won at Champion Hill already this season, a two-nil win in the FA Trophy- although they lost by the same scoreline in a league match at the Dripping Pan. Hamlet have lost only one of their last nine, whilst Lewes have three wins from ten.

Hashtag United have looked rather impressive in recent weeks, and are five unbeaten in the league- and have also won Velocity Cup Quarter and Semi-Finals over the last fortnight. The Tags are only seven points away from the top five so won’t have given up on their hopes of a double promotion, and they will be looking for three points as Potters Bar Town head to the Len Salmon- although the Scholars will obviously have something to say about that! Town are in fine form, six unbeaten, and having surely banished the threat of relegation will have their eyes on a top ten finish, something which shouldn’t be beyond them if they continue in a similar fashion. They’ll also be looking for a double, after hammering the Tags five-nil on January 9th in perhaps their best performance of the season.

Cray Wanderers saw their long unbeaten home record ended by Potters Bar Town in midweek, but will hope to get back to wining ways as they travel to Haringey Borough for what could be a tense encounter. Borough find themselves third from bottom, but have suddenly found some form and will be looking for a third successive home win, and given they are only three points from safety victory may well put the cat firmly amongst the pigeons! Wands have now lost their last two, and won’t want defeat to become a habit, so will undoubtedly put up strong resistance to Borough’s plans. The first meeting between the sides this season, in December, was a three-three thriller- and a draw is a regular outcome to this fixture, with five of the last ten meetings ending level.

Whitehawk travel to take on bottom side Kingstonian. The Hawks take a six match unbeaten run to Imperial Fields, and are comfortable in fourteenth place and looking higher, whilst the K’s are nine points from safety so surely this match must come under the heading of ‘must win.’ With one win from ten, victory celebrations have become rather rare for the K’s support, and their side has already lost twice to the Hawks this season, in the FA Trophy and Velocity Cup. The sides are scheduled to meet again on April 16th.

Folkestone Invicta welcome Canvey Island, seventeenth v fifteenth. With one defeat from five Invicta are slowly putting daylight between themselves and the bottom four, whilst the Gulls, four points better off, have won only one of their last eight- a worrying trend they’ll be rather desperate to end, although with fifteen points between themselves and the bottom four its unlikely to be a terminal decline. The Gulls have won the last three meetings between the sides, their last meeting a two-one win in January.

We’ve a big relegation battle as Cheshunt welcome Concord Rangers. The Ambers have a two point cushion between themselves and the bottom four, and a six point lead over the visiting Beachboys, but Rangers do have four games in hand and victory would be a real boost to their survival ambitions. Cheshunt have only one win from nine, but of course that win came at Rangers earlier this month, and it was rather comprehensive, three second half goals earning them a three-nil win and three valuable points.

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