A top two shootout!

There are seven points between leaders Northwood and second place Marlow, but that could be cut to four with a home win- and Marlow have a game in hand. The Woods, who had a remarkable away record last season but struggled at home, have turned that on its head this season- unbeaten at home, with each of their three defeats coming on the road. Marlow, in contrast, have a marginally better record on their travels. So what does all that tell us? Probably nothing at all! There’s probably very little point us looking too hard at the results between the two last season, either (a one-nil win for each club), as our leaders, particularly, hardly resemble their 21-22 selves. Both sides have taken the same number of points- thirteen- from their last six matches, too. It should be a cracker.

Walton & Hersham, in third place, have hit an inconsistent spell which terminated in them dropping to third after defeat at Bedfont Sports in midweek. The Swans are at home today, against Thatcham Town, and they’ve won every match but one at the Sports Hub, whilst the Kingfishers, outside the bottom four only on goal difference, have taken only one single point on the road. This one has home win written all over it, and yet the visitors will undoubtedly have other ideas.

Basingstoke Town seem to have hit their best form of the campaign, rattling home eleven goals in three successive wins over Sutton Common, Merstham and Tooting. They are taking on another Surrey side, as they travel to South Park, the Sparks reeling from losing their manager to Bedfont Sports in midweek. If they can get over that disappointment, however, they are particularly good at home, with only one side leaving Whitehall Lane with three points. A home win will see them go above their visitors and into the top five, whilst an away win could see Stoke climb to as high as second place.

Westfield will look to get back into the top five as they welcome Merstham to Woking Park. Field have suddenly dropped off the pace a little, with only two points from their last three matches; whilst their visitors haven’t even found any pace to drop off, propping up the rest, without a win all season and with only five draws to show for their efforts. They have drawn their last two on the road, however, and surely have to break that duck soon.

Binfield welcome Leatherhead. The Moles are beginning to look more like their early season selves, and are particularly good at home, with only one defeat this season. The Tanners, conversely, have been better on the road than at Fetcham Grove, and defeated Premier Division side Kingstonian in the Velocity Cup in midweek. That said, their last seven matches have followed a W-L pattern, and having won on Tuesday they are due to lose this one. Scientific, eh?! We expect they’ll be determined to shake that off this afternoon.

Hanworth Villa are our form side over the last six matches. The Villains have taken fourteen points- with no defeats- from that period, and they’ve taken on and defeated some highly fancied opponents during that run, so they will be in confident mood as Chipstead come to call today. The Chips won’t be short on confidence either- four unbeaten, including four points taken from leaders Northwood and fifth place Chertsey Town.

Uxbridge moved on from their defeat of National League South side Dover Athletic last weekend to defeat Sutton Common Rovers in midweek, and will hope that has put their inconsistent form to an end. They’ve been excellent on occasions, and are only five points away from the top five with games in hand over almost all of the sides above them. They are on the road today to face a side who can’t seem to find victory anywhere of late Tooting & Mitcham United- the Terrors having lost their last four in all competitions and with only two league wins all season, a statistic which finds the second bottom. Last season, four of the six points headed to Honeycroft.

Sutton Common Rovers and Ashford Town are separated only by goal difference, in thirteenth and fourteenth, so both sides will hope to put some actual points between them as they meet at the Robert Parker Stadium. The hosting Tangerines have gone five matches without as much as a draw to show from them, four in the League and one in the Velocity Cup, and during that run have conceded a worrying twenty goals. Rovers have seen a good run come to an end with three defeats from their last four- although the win amongst that bunch did come against promotion chasing Walton.

Bedfont Sports, with a fine midweek victory under their belts and a new manager installed, travel to the Channel Islands. Guernsey, level on points with their visitors, have had a torrid time at home, taking only one point from the eighteen on offer. Sports, however, have won only one of their seven away matches.

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