A Pitching In Isthmian North Non League Day

Our leaders, Hashtag United, take a nine point lead and a twenty one match winning run on the road this weekend. The Tags, looking to take a step closer to the title, will have to work hard to extend that run as their hosts are fourth place Stowmarket Town, Stow only one point ahead of sixth place Grays Athletic and four ahead of seventh place Heybridge Swifts. It’s fair to say that the outcome is more critical for the hosts than their visitors, and they shouldn’ty be short of confidence after winning their last four.

Second place AFC Sudbury are also on the road, and face the task of overturning a resurgent Gorleston, the Greens seven games unbeaten and closing in on guaranteed safety. With a ten point cushion between themselves and the bottom four that safety can’t be far away, whilst the Yellows surely must win if they are to give themselves any chance of overhauling Hashtag at the top. With only two wins from their last six, Sudbury have picked the worst time of the season to become inconsistent, and may find it difficult to repeat their five-two win from August.

Lowestoft Town are on the road too, travelling to Maldon & Tiptree. The Jammers aren’t yet safe, although they do have an eight point gap between themselves and the bottom four. Peter Taylor’s side have won only one of their last ten; whilst the travelling Trawler Boys will be looking to recover from defeat at Grays last time out. Lowestoft defeated the Jammers two-one back in August.

Felixstowe and Walton United are on their way to Basildon. The Bees had been really difficult to defeat during the last few weeks, but came badly unstuck at AFC Sudbury last weekend, losing five-nil; whilst the Seasiders have hit something of a sticky patch with only one win from five, and know that another failure to win could see them lose their top five slot.

With nine matches to go, Brentwood Town are on fine run with only one defeat in ten matches. The Blues look to have left their upsurge far too late to trouble the promotion race, but visitors Grays Athletic are in the thick of it, outside the top five only on goal difference and desperate for three points. Athletic were badly depleted by injury and illness as they defeated Lowestoft Town last weekend, and defeated the Blues three-nil the last time they met. We suspect that completing that double may prove to be far more difficult than that meeting in August.

For Non League Day the Blues are reducing the price of drinks in the club house to half price between 1.30 and 2.30 PM, giving a free gift to every child under 16, boosting the prize in the 50/50 draw to two hundred and fifty pounds and offering a family ticket as second prize, and you can stay behind after the game and eat with the players- with complementary food.

A much changed East Thurrock United side welcome Heybridge Swifts to Rookery Hill. The Rocks have slipped to twelve points away from the top five and look to have to settle for a mid table end to the campaign, whilst Swifts still have their sights set much higher, and three points would do them the world of good. The Rocks have lost their last three, whilst Swifts have hit an inconsistent spell which they will hope came to an end with victory at Tilbury last time out.

If you have a season ticket for any Premier League or Football League club and fancy a trip to beautiful Bury St Edmunds, then Bury Town have an offer for you on Saturday. Bring along that season ticket, wave it at the turnstiles, and the fine folks behind the counter will let you in for half price.

Once you’re in, the match should be entertaining too. Short of a series of unexpected results (no, that’s not the title of the new Isthmian League handbook by Lemony Snicket) neither Bury Town or New Salamis are likely to play a part in the play off chase- or indeed at the other end- but both sides are capable of fabulous football on their day. Town ended a seven match winless run with victory over Tilbury last time out, whilst Salamis will hope to get back to winning ways after seven matches which have seen them only once add to the numbers in the W column.

Great Wakering Rovers are seven points from safety and need to enact something of a great escape. Rovers welcome Wroxham to the Essex Riviera hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat against promotion-chasing Stowmarket, whilst the Yachtsmen delivered a fine win at East Thurrock last time out and, after a sticky start, have had a fine first season since promotion- nearly as close to the top five as they are to the bottom four.

Witham Town, five points clear of the bottom four, have the chance to make that margin larger still as bottom side Hullbridge Sports arrive. Town have lost their way a little, having lost three of their last four after a revival in mid February, but their visitors have lost nine of their last ten and look absolutely doomed. Nine points from safety, Sports really can’t afford to lose again.
Finally, second bottom Coggeshall Town welcome the side two places and four points above them, Tilbury. The Seed Growers find themselves nine points from safety, and the gap is five points for the Dockers, so the match is critical for both sides. Tilbury have won one and lost nine of their last ten, but have looked improved of late; whilst their hosts have only two defeats from their last nine but conversely are without a win in five.

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