A Premier- and Cup- weekend

If all goes well with the M25 (never guaranteed), we’ll have a match report from Ascot United v Lewes around fifteen minutes after full time. The Pitching In isthmian South Central Yellas seem to have brought last season’s form into their first Isthmian campaign, and had a five match winning run come to an end against Leatherhead in midweek, a narrow defeat seeing the Tanners go top. The travelling Premier Rooks saw their unbeaten start to the campaign come to an end against Folkestone Invicta on Saturday, and will hope to quickly bounce back.

Brightlingsea Regent vs Billericay Town looks, on current form, to promise a thriller. Regent have bounced back from their relegation to start the season at top speed, and have so far played seven matches in all competitions and won them all, as well as keeping five clean sheets along the way. The travelling Blues have also had a very positive start, winning five of their six matches in all competitions- and in their last match, two weeks ago, put seven past North Division Stowmarket Town in the last round. Regent may prove a tougher nut to crack.

Canvey Island welcome National League South side Braintree Town to the MovieStarr Stadium. The Gulls have had a hit and miss start to the season, and are still looking for consistency, whilst you could say very much the same about their visitors, who have become the draw specialists of their Division but are undefeated in three.

Carshalton Athletic welcome Kingstonian in an all-Premier tie. The K’s were unlucky not to win at Hashtag United last weekend, a late goal robbing them of two of the three points, but have Andy Somo in fine form, with five goals from his last two matches. The Robins have had a fine start to the campaign, unbeaten and scoring fifteen league goals so far. They defeated the K’s in the league at Imperial Fields as recently as August Bank Holiday Monday in a five goal thriller, and have won each one of their four home matches this season.

Dover Athletic of National League South play host to an in-form Hastings United. The visitors are unbeaten in eight matches so far this season, have developed a habit of scoring late goals, and have seem striker Femi Akinwande deliver a series of fabulous goals- it seems he never scores a tap in. He’s got six for the campaign so far. The hosts have gone seven matches without a win, and have lost four of their last five. They’ll have to be careful to avoid a giant killing.

Enfield Town remain undefeated, and have won every home match but one- last weekend’s draw with Bognor the exception to that rule. The Pitching In Isthmian Premier side welcome another unbeaten side, North Division promotion chasers Felixstowe and Walton United having played six matches in al competitions without a loss. The Seasiders already have eight FA Cup goals from their first two rounds. The two sides met in a cup match- the Velocity Cup- last November, the Towners winning a tight match two-one.

Haringey Borough have become experts in conceding late goals so far this season, and will hope to put that right as National League South Tonbridge Angels travel to White Hart Lane. Borough’s only victory so far this season came in the last round against Dulwich Hamlet, but every defeat has been narrow and they can’t be far away from putting that right. Angels aren’t in the best form, either, with one win in five.

Hashtag United will want to stop drawing matches and start winning them as Needham Market come to call. Six league matches so far have brought four draws for the Tags, whilst the Pitching In Southern Premier Marketmen have been in fine form, nine matches unbeaten in all competitions.

Horsham have had a positive start to the campaign, and the Hornets sit in sixth place in Pitching In Isthmian Premier. With only one defeat in their last seven they’ll be confident as Pitching In Isthmian South Central promotion hopefuls Marlow travel to Sussex, but the visitors have a fine defensive record and a striker in form, Dawid Rogalski having scored eight goals in his six matches so far this season.

Margate and Folkestone Invicta meet at Hartsdown Park in another all-Premier clash. Gate have seen their form improve over the last fortnight, winnign both of their matches against Hewndon in the Cup and Potters Bar Town in the League; whilst Invicta had won three in a row before a much-changed side fell to defeat in the Kent Cup in midweek. The two sides met as recently as August Bank Holiday Monday, Invicta triumphing two-nil, and the Stripes have won the last three times the sides have faced each other.

Whitehawk and Redhill are separated by two Divisions, but the travelling Lobsters may enjoy being beside the sea! The Hawks are seven games unbeaten, whilst the visitors may relish a match against Isthmian opposition, as they’ve already knocked out three of our sides. The Hawks will have to be focused to ensure they aren’t added to a list that already includes Ashford Town, Herne Bay and Corinthian-Casuals.

Wingate & Finchley will want to bounce back from defeat to Hornchurch last weekend, as Farnborough head to North London. The Blues were five unbeaten before the Urchins came to call, so shouldn’t be short of confidence despite that defeat- whilst their National League South visitors have been very good at home this season, but haven’t yet managed a win on the road.

Witham Town have the rather unenviable task of taking on Hornchurch, the Urchins unbeaten and having scored twelve goals in their last three matches. That said, Town have had a very steady start to the season, have kept four clean sheets across all competitions, and have Jeffrey Cobblah in fine form at the other end, so will have some confidence nonetheless.

Sunday will bring a big match, as two form sides meet at Hayes Lane. Cray Wanderers have suddenly hit top gear, hitting five goals in their last two matches- the last five goal haul coming at leaders Chatham Town. The travelling South East Rams prepared for this match by playing a large number of youth players in the Velocity Cup in midweek, but in one of those strange quirks of fate also hit Chatham Town for five at the Chats Bauvill Stadium in the last round. The Rams have former Cray Golden Boot Winner (and more recently Lewes Golden Boot Winner) Joe Taylor in their ranks, and he already has eight goals this season.

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

With most of our Premier sides in Cup action, we have only two Pitching In Isthmian Premier matches this weekend- but Chatham Town have the chance to reattach the wheels to their promotion challenge as they head to Potters Bar Town. After two five-one defeats in Cup and League the Chats pulled themselves together by scoring five of their own in the County Cup in midweek, whilst the Scholars were at the same time winning a County Cup match against Cheshunt on penalties. That was the Scholars first win of any kind this season, and they’ll be hoping to build on that and get their season started after losing their first six league matches.

Cheshunt have become our narrow defeat specialists, with only one win from their six league matches so far this season. Visitors Bognor Regis Town also only have one win, but the Rocks have only one defeat, too, drawing their other four matches. The visitors last two league matches have seen draws with Lewes and, last Saturday, just down the road from the Ambers at Enfield Town.

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