A North-and Trophy- Saturday

Pitching In Isthmian North side Redbridge have rather a long trip and some illustrious opponents in the FA Trophy, Hereford their hosts. Hereford sit in mid table but have been very good on their own patch, winning seven of their last eight at Edgar Street- the only side to defeat them being Gillingham in the FA Cup First Round. The travelling Motormen have actually gone off the boil a little since defeating Haringey Borough in the last round, but would point out that their three subsequent defeats have come against the North Division’s top three, so perhaps any conclusions would be premature. They’ve delivered some fine performances this season, so you wouldn’t bet against them delivering another one.

Pitching In Isthmian North

Leaders Lowestoft Town have the chance to go seven points clear of second place Felixstowe & Walton United- who don’t play until Tuesday- as they welcome Witham Town to the seaside. The Trawler Boys have been in fine form, six consecutive League wins seeing them score twenty two goals, whilst Witham have gone six without a win. The two meetings between the sides last season saw Lowestoft score seven goals without reply.

Basildon United have been magnificent of late, and welcome Gorleston from the lofty heights of third place. The Bees are on a seven match unbeaten run in League and Cup, only Grays Athletic taking as much as a point, and scored six at Bury Town in midweek. Gorleston start the weekend in tenth place, but seem to have overcome their sticky spell, winning their last two matches without conceding a goal.

Maldon & Tiptree, in fourth place, have won six of their last seven, a run which has seen them average more than three goals a game. The Jammers welcome a Bury Town side who will be hoping to quickly bounce back from that thrashing at the hands of Basildon in midweek, but who have only one win- and five defeats- from their last seven games.

Fifth place Walthamstow host a battle of the Stows, Stowmarket Town making the trip to East London. The home Stow saw a five match unbeaten run come narrowly to an end in Lowestoft in midweek, whilst the visiting Stow would love an unbeaten run of any kind, having taken only two points from their first ten matches. They’ve taken one point from the last twenty one available.

Brightlingsea Regent will hope to climb back into the top five as they welcome Ipswich Wanderers. Regent have won two and lost two of their last four, and if that pattern continues will take three points, but we suspect the visitors will have other ideas. Until last weekends defeat at Gorleston, Wanderers were in fine form, having taken thirteen points from the previous fifteen.

Brentwood Town also have their eyes on a top five spot, and if results go their way could get one with victory at Grays Athletic. The visiting Blues have lost only one of their last eight, whilst Athletic still haven’t got going and find themselves second bottom and still searching for a first win.

Wroxham, in thirteenth, welcome New Salamis, in sixteenth. The Yachtsmen saw an unbeaten home record in the league depart last Saturday, when the leaders became the first side to win on the Broads, and have now lost two in a row; whilst the visitors have been rather inconsistent and travel with only one win from their last four. The last time they met at Trafford Park, in March, goals from Chris Skipper and Jack Robinson gave the hosts a two-nil win.

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