A Premier- and Trophy- Saturday

FA Trophy

Billericay Town look to bounce back from two away defeats as they return to New Lodge, but they have tough opponents, as National League North leaders Tamworth come to town. The visitors put a run of three defeats behind them at a familiar location in midweek, a last minute goal defeating Bishop’s Stortford.

Bognor Regis Town welcome Pitching In Isthmian South Central side South Park (Reigate) to Nyewood Lane. The Rocks have played nine matches on their own patch in all competitions this season, and are unbeaten, so the Sparks may have to work rather hard to get a result. The visitors have gone four matches without a win, but did draw the last two.

A familiar name play hosts to Horsham, former South Central champs Bracknell Town welcoming the Hornets- who will hope to bounce straight back after their heroic cup adventures finally came to an end in midweek. The visitors have lost twice during the last seven days, Hashtag United and Barnsley the victors, but you can forgive the latter and suspect that the match with the Tykes was on their minds as the Tags came to call. Prior to that they were in fine form, although they may need to be as the Robins have only lost one of their last six, and that defeat came at Cambridge United in the Cup. This might be a cracker!

It’s a long trip for Cray Wanderers, as Weston Super Mare prepare to play the role of hosts. Weston find themselves in nineteenth place in National League South, and are three without a win- defeated at Aveley last time out, although that was a fortnight ago. Wands look to be heading back towards their best, winning their last three.

Whitehawk and Lewes meet in a Sussex derby at the Enclosed Ground. Poor weather has stopped the Hawks from hosting a home match since October 24th, but they’ll be delighted to be back on their own patch as their form there has been superb- eleven home matches this season see them remain unbeaten, although a seven match unbeaten run home and away came to an end in narrow defeat at Chatham Town last time out. The travelling Rooks have hit a little bit of a sticky patch, losing both matches this month, but there would be few better places to get back to winning ways than against one of your local rivals.

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Leaders Hornchurch start the day with an eleven point gap between themselves and second place Enfield Town, and the Urchins will hope to extend that as they entertain Potters Bar Town. Hornchurch come into the match on the back of a winning league run which stretches back ten matches- indeed they haven’t yet lost a league match this season. The travelling Scholars saw a ten match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end in Trophy defeat to Leiston last time out, but haven’t lost in the league since Saturday 9th September. They have developed something of a Hornchurch hoodoo, however, losing the last four times the sides have met and conceding sixteen goals in the process.

Enfield Town will hope to capitalise on any Urchins slip ups as they entertain Hastings United, second versus fifth. This will be the Towners ninth home match of the season in all competitions and only once have they been defeated; whilst United have really had a fine new manager bounce, the return of Chris Agutter to the top job seeing them win their last three matches. When Hastings travelled to Donkey Lane last November they left with no points, a very late Lewis Knight goal making the difference- the return match at Pilot Field ending in a draw.

Wingate & Finchley have the chance to climb back into the top five as Margate make the journey to North London. The hosting Blues are in seventh place after ending a three match losing streak with victory at Lewes last weekend, whilst the visiting Blues also defeated the Rooks recently, and are four points and six places behind their hosts but have lost only one of their last six. Margate have also won five of the last six meetings between the clubs.

Folkestone Invicta, with Andy Drury in temporary charge after a managerial departure in midweek, travel to take on Dulwich Hamlet at Champion Hill. Invicta are in eleventh place, four points short of the top five, whilst Hamlet start the weekend five places and three points further back so could go ahead of their visitors with a substantial victory. It’s a long time since they’ve had a substantial victory, however, but they are five unbeaten in the league and do seem to be turning a corner, whilst Invicta have only one win from their last five.

Canvey Island and Cheshunt will both be looking to get back to winning ways as the sides meet at the seaside. The Gulls form is rather hit and miss, indeed their last four have followed a W-L pattern so they will expect to be due a W; whilst the Ambers have taken only one point from the last twelve available and fell into the bottom four after shipping six goals against Hornchurch last time out.

Haringey Borough welcome Kingstonian with both sides in desperate need of points, second from bottom hosting the side one place and three points above them. Even a home win would be unlikely to change those places, the K’s having a superior goal difference, but with only one win all season the Coles Park faithful would celebrate three points as if Tom Robinson were leading them in a chorus of “sing if you’re Haringey.” Borough have looked to be turning a corner, drawing three of their last four league matches, whilst the K’s are still looking for a first away win after taking only one point from their six matches on the road. Borough won both matches between the sides last season, and scored eight goals in the process, five on their own patch last November.

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