A Pitching In Isthmian Premier Non League Day

Our leaders, Hornchurch, are three points clear at the top and have a game in hand over the chasing pack- but the Urchins certainly won’t be feeling secure just yet, and will want to add another three points as Margate come to call. Eleven matches unbeaten, the hosts are on a fine run, whilst their visitors have lost their last three and probably need a few more points to guarantee safety- although they do have a nine point cushion over the bottom four. Gate don’t have a good record against their hosts- in their last twenty three meetings they’ve won only four, the last victory coming four years ago this month.

Second place Bishop’s Stortford are at home once more, Bognor Regis Town making the long journey from West Sussex. The Blues ended a three match winless run with three points at Wingate & Finchley last weekend; whilst Bognor moved to fifteen points clear of the bottom four with victory at Potters Bar Town in midweek, but are ending the season in the same vein of inconsistency that has characterised their entire campaign. It was only last month when the two sides last met, the Rocks triumphing by two goals to one.

Only three points off the top, Aveley are in fine form and looking for a tenth win from eleven matches as bottom side Brightlingsea Regent come to call (by the way, the other one was a draw!). Another defeat for Regent would be calamitous, as they are currently thirteen points from safety with only eighteen points available to them. If Regent lose and Kingstonian win- the K’s welcome Haringey Borough- then the side from the Taydal would be heading back to the North Division- and having only taken one point from the last thirty available to them the Millers have to be strong favourites.

To celebrate Non League Day, the Millers have reduced admission for holders of Premier League and EFL season tickets. Bring it along and get in for a fiver.

Canvey Island, in fourth, welcome Hastings United, in ninth, in a match which may turn out to be critical to the promotion race. Actually, with the Gulls five points away from the summit and in fine form, perhaps it might even turn out to be critical in the title race! Canvey have only lost one of their last ten and saw Evans Kouassi score one of the goals of the season in victory over Lewes on Tuesday night, but visitors Hastings will be no pushovers. Another side with one defeat in ten, the visitors find themselves four points shy of fifth place and are anything but out of the play off race. The sides drew one-one in December.

If you are a Premier League or EFL season ticket holder, you’ll get in for a fiver so long as you remember that ticket!

It’s a big, big match at both ends of the table as Herne Bay welcome Enfield Town. Bay are pushing hard to complete a great escape, three wins from four leaving them only two points from safety and aware that another win could even see them leap out of the bottom four; whilst the Towners, in fifth place, have only a three point gap between themselves and Cray Wanderers/Lewes, with two more clubs only a point further back. The visitors did Bay a favour by defeating Corinthian-Casuals on the road last weekend, and will be looking to do the double after defeating their Kentish opponents four-two at the end of October.

To celebrate Non League Day, Bay have announced that those who have season tickets for another football club can get in for half price- just bring that ticket with you to show at the gate.

Cray Wanderers v Horsham is a crucial match even without the added attraction of Non League Day. Wands, in sixth place and three points away from a place in the top five, welcome a Hornets side who are just a point further behind, and three points may be crucial if play off aspirations are to be maintained. Wands seem to be over their rocky patch having won their last three, whilst the Hornets have lost only one of their last nine and will hope their upward trajectory continues. When the two sides last met, they played out a two-two draw.

Wanderers will be offering half price admission for Season Ticket holders of Premier League or Championship clubs. The club will also be collecting for the St. Christopher’s Hospice charity which helps provide palliative and end of life care for patients and their families and loved ones.

Lewes fell to defeat courtesy of an Evans Kouassi second half masterclass as Canvey Island visited in midweek, but that was only the Rooks second defeat in ten, and they have every reason to be confident as Potters Bar Town arrive at the Dripping Pan. The Scholars have only one win from ten and our former leaders find themselves in thirteenth place, but they do have a Velocity Cup Final to look forward to next month. With only three points between the hosts and the top five, victory would look to be crucial if the Lewes promotion bandwagon is to keep rolling.

Billericay Town have probably seen the promotion ship sail, having fallen twelve points away from the top five with seven matches to go, but the Blues will undoubtedly want to end the season on a high, and bounce back from last weekend’s defeat against Wingate & Finchley. Their visitors, however, have desperate need of the points if they are not to see their promotion dream end, Carshalton Athletic having fallen five points behind the top five following last weekend’s defeat at the hands of relegation fighters Herne Bay. The Robins defeated their opponents two-nil the last time they met.

The Blues are offering reduced price admission to all for Non League Day- just six pounds for an adult, four pounds for a concession, three pounds for twelve to seventeen year olds and one pound for those eleven and under.

Bowers and Pitsea play host to a Folkestone Invicta side who are falling away from the top five at just the wrong time. Invicta are eight points away from the play off places, and another defeat would hammer a very large nail in their remaining promotion hopes. Bowers are desperate for the points, six points from safety with six games to go, but brought in almost half a team on transfer deadline day so may have a number of new faces on show. With eight defeats from ten, the Len Salmon faithful will be hoping for something miraculous.

Kingstonian’s match with Haringey Borough is critical for the hosts, who find themselves only two points above the drop zone. The K’s seem to have lost their way once more after improving last month, and have lost three in a row- a run which has coincided with a dramatic improvement from the side directly below them, Herne Bay. Another defeat as Borough come to call could even see them drop into the bottom four- and Borough, with only one defeat from five, are unlikely to do them any favours- particularly as they hammered the K’s by five goals to two the last time they met.

The K’s have announced reduced price entry for Premier League and Football League season ticket holders. Just bring your ticket along to Imperial Fields to qualify.

Finally, Corinthian-Casuals have brought in a collection of new players this week, but thirteen points from safety with six games remaining means it would take a miracle for them to stay up. They welcome Wingate & Finchley, and will be painfully aware that if the visitors escape with three points relegation could be confirmed, depending on results elsewhere. Casuals have taken two points from the last thirty available, whilst the visiting Blues have opened up an eight point gap between themselves and the drop zone and might think that three more points would be enough. Wingate have lost their last two, but the victors were the top two and they were in fine form prior to those matches.

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