A South East and Trophy Saturday

Ramsgate kick off with a four point lead at the top of the table, and will hope to extend it as they welcome Sheppey United. The Rams are unbeaten in the league this season- one of only three South East sides to keep that zero in the defeats column- whilst the Ites start the day in sixteenth but look to have turned a corner, unbeaten in three in all competitions- one of those a four-nil Kent cup thrashing of Cray Wanderers.

Another of those unbeaten clubs, Beckenham Town, must avoid being dazzled by potential cup glory as they welcome VCD Athletic. We’ll be at Eden Park to watch them welcome Dagenham and Redbridge next Saturday, but with their only defeat this season coming in a penalty shootout Becks will want to ensure that statistic remains true by picking up another three points. Vickers start the day in fifth place and know that a win will take them second, so will be no pushovers- they’ve taken seven points from their last nine and drew with Ramsgate last time out.

Chatham Town also have their eye on a top three spot as they welcome bottom side Corinthian. Cup and Trophy commitments have seen the Chats play only one league match since August Bank Holiday Monday, but Trophy and Cup defeats mean they can now concentrate on their bread and butter- and they’ve been very good in the league so far. Their visitors haven’t managed to win a league game, and come into this fixture on the back of four consecutive defeats.

Haywards Heath Town seem to have put a poor start behind them and have climbed to eighth- and could even climb into the top five if they can defeat Sittingbourne. The Brickies, however, have the same aspirations and after two league matches without a win will expect to bounce back. Hill have seven points from their last nine.

Hythe Town and Littlehampton Town meet in a mid-table battle. The Golds are a point better off, but have gone four matches without a win, whilst the Cannons have only one win from their last six. Perhaps one of the two will get back to winning ways this afternoon.

Chichester City are having a food bank collection prior to their match with Three Bridges, but won’t bank on three points as they are our draw specialists, with four draws from six so far. Bridges have been distracted by their cup exploits of late- a hammering of Lewes followed by defeat against Hereford- but have looked in fine form and will want to get back to winning ways. This will be their first league match since August Bank Holiday Monday.

We have a Sussex derby as East Grinstead Town welcome Lancing. Only one point separates the two, but neither have been in the best of form- the Wasps have four consecutive defeats to recover from, whilst the Lancers have also gone four games without a win, although they did draw their last two, against Whitehawk and Cray Valley PM.

Into the FA Trophy, Ashford United play host to Kings Langley, who are mid table in Pitching In Southern Premier Central. The visitors have gone five matches without a win, lost the last four, and conceded sixteen goals in the process, so the Nuts and Bolts will fancy their chances of a giantkilling and are still unbeaten at home.

Burgess Hill Town picked up their first League win of the season last time out, but the Hillians have been much better in cup competitions. They welcome Pitching In Isthmian South Central Hanworth Villa, the Villains having won their last four matches and scored three goals in each of them. They defeated another Pitching In Isthmian South East side- and indeed another Sussex side- Littlehampton Town in the last round.

Carshalton Athletic haven’t yet found any consistency this season, and they welcome a side who have a positive recent cup pedigree, Cray Valley PM. The Millers have already defeated one Pitching In Isthmian Premier side this season, hammering Hastings United in the FA Cup, and know what it feels like to be giantkillers. That said, the last time the Robins took on South East opposition they scored five- last month against VCD Athletic in the FA Cup.

Folkestone Invicta will hope to take the form they showed when knocking Dulwich Hamlet out of the FA Cup last weekend into the Trophy, as Whitehawk come to call. The Hawks are nine games unbeaten and will be no pushovers.

Grays Athletic welcome Faversham Town to Parkside. Athletic saw a four game winning run come to an end when a much-changed side lost to Tilbury in the Velocity Cup in midweek, whilst the Lilywhites have had a hit and miss sort of season so far in Pitching In Isthmian South East.

Lewes will hope a new month might change their fortunes after September saw them depart the FA Cup against Pitching In South East opposition and fail to take a League point. The Rooks may have to work extremely hard for victory, however, as their visitors are Sevenoaks Town, who are still in Cup and trophy and of course defeated National League South side Bath City last weekend.

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