A five team battle for top spot

Leaders Chatham Town have a two point advantage at the top, but anything less than victory over Lewes could see them overtaken by Hornchurch, Carshalton Athletic, Enfield Town or Hastings United- which perhaps illustrates quite how tight things are in the top five. The Chats could only manage a goalless draw at Potters Bar Town last weekend, and lost their one hundred percent record in defeat against Cray Wanderers in their previous home match, so will hope to get back on track against a Rooks side who spent last weekend delivering a narrow Cup win at Ascot United. The Rooks last league match saw them lose for the first time this season, so they’ll look to put that quickly behind them.

Second place Hornchurch travel to White Hart Lane to take on Haringey Borough. The hosts are still looking for a first league win, but if they display the form they showed in knocking National League South side Tonbridge Angels out of the cup last weekend, they will fancy their chances. The Urchins are still unbeaten in all competitions, and have been scoring goals for fun of late- seventeen in their last four matches across League and Cup. Borough have gone nine games without a win over the Urchins, although the last three meetings between the sides have ended level.

Our match of the day comes from Donkey Lane, where Enfield Town welcome Carshalton Athletic to the QEII Stadium- fourth v third. Both sides are still unbeaten, both sides have won four of their six matches so far, both sides have delivered victories against a Premier Division side and a Step Four side in the FA Cup- this one looks to be a cracker. The Towners have to be slight favourites- not only because of their home advantage but because they have defeated the Robins the last four times the teams have met.

Hastings United will look to put their first defeat of the season- against National League South side Dover Athletic in the Cup- behind them as they welcome Potters Bar Town to Pilot Field. United have won four matches on their own patch this season, Cheshunt on the opening day the only side to leave Pilot Field with anything at all so far. The visiting Scholars have only one point to their name so far, but did win on their last visit here, in October last year. That said, United got their revenge with a four-one hammering in the return fixture.

Horsham finally overcame Marlow in a tricky cup replay in midweek, and face a tough task once more as Billericay Town head to Sussex in a battle between sixth and seventh- a win for either side would possibly see them into the top five. The Hornets are five matches unbeaten- although two of those were Cup draws that necessitated replays- whilst the Blues have won their last three and scored thirteen goals in the process, although two of those victories were over lower league opposition. The two matches between the sides last season delivered goals galore, twelve in all, the Hornets winning the last one, in January, three-one. That was the first Horsham win over the Blues in seven attempts.

We’ve a seaside special as Folkestone Invicta welcome Whitehawk. Invicta’s good form has deserted them a little lately, a five-nil County Cup defeat against Chatham Town followed by a home FA Cup defeat by local rivals Margate in midweek, so they’ll be desperate to find their feet once more. The Hawks, in contrast, haven’t lost since the opening day and have won five of their last six, so will travel with confidence.

Hashtag United and Wingate & Finchley will hope to bounce back from disappointing Cup defeats. The Tags- alongside Bognor- have become draw specialists, which has left them without a league victory since August 15th, a statistic they’d very much like to change. The travelling Blues were in fine form until Hornchurch defeated them four-one two weeks ago, but after a goalless draw against Farnborough in the Cup last Sunday they were thumped in the replay, so this is a match both sides would like to use as a return to form.

Margate and Canvey Island were both in Cup replay action in midweek. The Gulls, who host the Blues this weekend, were moments from knocking out National League South Braintree Town before a late, late leveller saw them lose in extra time- whilst Margate were knocking out local rivals Folkestone Invicta on the road. They’ve a trip to a rather more distant seaside this weekend, the Gulls without a home league win since opening day whilst the visitors are now four unbeaten. The last time the two sides met, in March, an Evans Kouassi hat trick helped Canvey to a five-two win.

Bognor Regis Town welcome Kingstonian to the Sussex coast. The Rocks are four matches without a win- although that run has included two draws, which is kind of the story of their season so far. Even a midweek friendly against Littlehampton Town ended level! The Nyewood Lane faithful haven’t yet been treated to a home win- although by the same token they haven’t yet had to face a home defeat- and they’d very much like three points this weekend! The travelling K’s lost heavily at Carshalton Athletic in the Cup last weekend, but have a fairly positive record against the Rocks. Five unbeaten, they won four-two when they last made this journey, in February.

Cray Wanderers and Cheshunt meet on Hayes Lane. The Wands played one hundred and twenty minutes on Wednesday night- and to no avail, eventually losing at Ramsgate in the Cup- and will hope that doesn’t sit heavy on their legs as they look for a first home league win of the campaign- a result which might lift them out of the bottom four. The travelling Ambers saw striker Nnamdi Nwachuku score a hat trick in victory over Bognor last weekend, and, from experience, once Nnamdi starts scoring he’s rather difficult to stop! The last time the two sides met, on March 5th 2022, Anthony Cook gave the hosts the lead from the spot only for the ten man Ambers to take a point, Rowan Liburd with the equaliser eighteen minutes from time.

Two of the sides relegated from National League South, Dulwich Hamlet and Concord Rangers, meet at Champion Hill. If it hasn’t been the best of starts for Hamlet- one win from five and out of the FA Cup- it’s been downright disastrous for the Beachboys, who have lost every match, conceded seventeen goals, and were knocked out of the cup by North Division Wroxham. The last three matches between the sides have ended level- we suspect that’s a result which would please the visitors far more than the hosts this weekend.

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