A Good Premier Friday

Six of our Pitching In Isthmian Premier sides have decided to forgo Easter Saturday and play on Good Friday instead, giving themselves a longer break before our full programme on Easter Monday.

The most crucial of the three clashes is undoubtedly the meeting of Lewes and Herne Bay at the Dripping Pan. The Rooks find themselves four points away from the top five with four matches remaining, so three points is an absolute must; whilst at the other end Bay also have a four point gap to contend with, but their concern is greater still, as they find themselves four points from safety with four games to go. The Rooks have only one defeat from their last eight, and would undoubtedly be higher up the table had they been able to turn just a couple of their thirteen draws into victories; whilst Bay have also been in decent form but have taken only four points from the last twelve available to them. The visitors will be boosted by the memory of their four-one win over the Rooks at their MBS Stadium, a match which saw them go four up before the break.

On the Kent coast we have a match between two sides who looked like play off candidates until the last few weeks, but have fallen away at just the wrong time. In fairness, Carshalton Athletic, visitors to Folkestone Invicta, aren’t mathematically out of the running- but with a nine point gap to make up and only four games to go it would take something rather miraculous for them to be involved in the end of season party. Invicta, sadly for their always passionate support, have lost their last four games- a lengthy unbeaten run coming to an end at just the wrong time. The Robins are something of a bogey team for the Stripes, who are without win from their last seven meetings- and indeed have only triumphed three times in their last seventeen attempts.

Finally, we head to White Hart Lane, in the hope that Haringey Borough boss Tom Loizou hasn‘t become the latest manager to be linked with the job just along the road (particularly because he’s a Gooner!). Borough and visitors Margate sit in fifteenth and sixteenth place, and have nothing left to play for apart from pride, but we suspect their will be no shortage of that on show at Coles Park, and both sides will want to entertain their vociferous bands of supporters. Borough gave title contenders Aveley a run for their money last time out and were three unbeaten before that; whilst Gate took our Performance of the Month Award for their win over Hornchurch and followed that by drawing two-two with Lewes.

All matches kick off at 3PM

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