A Premier Preview

With two wins and eight goals scored, Horsham have had a fine start to their league campaign. The Hornets welcome Carshalton Athletic, who travel back to Sussex for the second time this week hoping for a different outcome.

With striker Jack Mazzone already having scored four goals this season, and with Daniel Ajakaiye alongside him on two, the Hornets are looking formidable up front. Athletic have a fine team, on paper, but with a large turnover from last season they may need time to gel- as was apparent in their defeat at Lewes in midweek. The Hornets took four points from the two fixtures between the sides last season, but prior to that the Hornets had lost seven of their previous nine against the Robins.

Aveley welcome Bognor Regis Town to Parkside. The Millers defeated a Sussex side- Hastings United- last weekend, and followed that with a one-nil win over Billericay Town, wo have needed no time to acclimatise to a higher level. The Rocks have a win over Hornchurch and a draw with Cray Wanderers to look back on, and start the day in sixth place.

Promotion favourites Bishop’s Stortford, in third, travel to the Dripping Pan to face a fourth place Lewes side who were magnificent on Tuesday night, when they defeated Carshalton Athletic two-nil. Had it not been for the form of Robins goalkeeper Liam Beach the margin of victory would have been much greater, with Rooks new arrivals Marcel Elva-Fountaine, Ronan Silva and Jack Skinner putting up a particularly good showing. The travelling Blues have defeated Haringey Borough and Potters Bar Town so far, but this one may well be even trickier, and should attract a large crowd.

The Rooks have won only three of their last eleven matches against these opponents.

Stortford fans at Lewes courtesy of Nathan Cracknell.

Margate, in fifth, are on the road to Brightlingsea Regent. The Blues won in Essex, against Bowers & Pitsea, in midweek; whilst Regent were being hammered five-one by newly promoted Canvey Island and don’t yet have a point on the board. The nine meetings between the clubs haven’t yet seen a single Regent victory, and only two draws- something the Essex side will need to put right this afternoon.

Canvey Island will be buoyant after that five goal haul at Regent, and the Gulls are on the road again, this time to face a Cray Wanderers side who picked up their first point of the season against Bognor on Wednesday. The sides haven’t been at the same level for quite a while, but there have been two knockout matches between the two during the last four years, Canvey winning both of them.

Herne Bay picked up an impressive first Premier win at Haringey Borough last time out, and will be confident as they travel to face a Bowers & Pitsea side who have lost both of their opening matches. Bowers are much changed this season and perhaps that shows, but they’ll want to get some points on the board as quickly as possible.

Hornchurch looked almost back to their usual selves when defeating Enfield Town in midweek, coming from behind to take victory after an opening day defeat at Bognor. The Urchins welcome Hastings United, the visitors having taken heart from a goalless draw at highly-rated Folkestone Invicta in midweek. They’ll take even more confidence if they can get something from this match.

Billericay Town travel to Potters Bar Town as eleventh hosts tenth. Both sides have a win and a defeat so far, both defeats coming in midweek, as the Scholars fell to Bishop’s Stortford and the Blues went down against the Millers. Sammy Moore has put together a side which should inspire the Bar Army, and the Blues are expected to be in contention for a return to National League South, so this should be a cracker.

Haringey Borough and Corinthian-Casuals meet at Coles Park, both sides looking to get back on their feet after heavy defeats. Casuals started the season in fine form, defeating Bowers four-one, then saw it all fall apart at Horsham on Tuesday night; whilst Borough have lost both their opening matches. The two scored only one goal between them in their two meetings last season, that goal going to Casuals, so here’s hoping for something a little more exciting.

Finally, Folkestone Invicta will hope to follow two draws with a win as they welcome Wingate & Finchley. The visiting Blues have also drawn their first two matches, losing a two goal lead to take a point against Kingstonian in midweek. Invicta have won the last four encounters between the sides, three of them by four goals to one, the last by a single goal.

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