A Tuesday Premier Preview

Aveley and Potters Bar Town got us underway last night, and set the tone with a minute of respectful silence as we remembered Her Majesty the Queen prior to the match, before a minute of applause on seventy minutes as we said thank you for her seventy years of service. Tonight, our other twenty clubs will get the chance to follow suit.

Last night’s result saw the Millers go top, and they will still be there this evening, but four clubs will compete for the chance to go second. Leading that quartet are Folkestone Invicta, who welcome Cray Wanderers to the seaside. Invicta are unbeaten, and have won their last four matches in all competitions; whilst Wands, in seventh, will want to bounce back from their cup replay hammering at the hands of Bognor Regis Town last week. Invicta took four points from six from their meetings last season, but we don’t have to go back too far to find a Wands win at the BuildKent Stadium, goals from Joe Taylor, Charlie Allen and Rhys Murrell-Williamson earning a three-one win two years ago this month.

Horsham start the night in fourth, and welcome unbeaten Lewes to the Camping World Community Stadium for a Sussex derby. The Hornets will want to get back to winning ways after a disappointing cup defeat at Herne Bay last time out; whilst the Rooks are still unbeaten, and defeated Sheppey United eight-nil in a cup replay last week. Their problem has been a collection of draws- three from five matches so far- so the travelling fans will hope that, now their side have located their shooting boots, they keep them on! The last time the Rooks travelled up the A24, at Christmas last year, they left with a three-one win- but prior to last season the Hornets had won five out of six meetings.

Fifth place Hornchurch welcome Corinthian-Casuals. The Urchins could climb to second with victory, whilst Casuals haven’t won since the opening day. The two last met as recently as March, the Urchins winning two-nil despite having goalkeeper Joe Wright sent off after twenty one minutes. Casuals will hope to put up more of a fight this time around.

Canvey Island have scored eight goals in their last three matches and hammered five past Enfield Town in the cup last time out. The Gulls welcome Haringey Borough to the seaside, the visitors with only one win so far this season. A win for the hosts could propel them into the top five, and Evans Kouassi will be hoping to add to the six goals he’s scored already this season. Danny Parish has also been no slouch, with four, whilst Borough’s Anthony Mendy is their top scorer with three.

Bognor Regis Town welcome Carshalton Athletic to the seaside. The Rocks have been brilliant on occasions this season- their six-one thrashing of Aveley and their four-nil win at Cray spring to mind- but haven’t yet found consistency, a charge which could also be levelled at the Robins. You’d expect both to be play off challengers this season, and both should be confident after four-nil (Bognor) and five-one (Athletic) wins last time out. The Rocks have won the last three times the sides have met.

Hastings United welcome Kingstonian to Pilot Field. United have struggled for goals so far this season, failing to score in four of their six matches, and need to put that right quickly; whilst the K’s are also in need of both goals and points, having drawn four of their five matches so far this season. Both sides were victims of cup giant killings last time out.

It’s the story of the Blues at New Lodge, as Billericay Town welcome Bishop’s Stortford. Town have lost their last four league matches and surprisingly hold up the rest, but did look more like their old selves when walloping Leverstock Green in the cup; whilst promotion favourites Stortford haven’t won in four matches, losing three of them, so will be hoping to recapture their form.

Brightlingsea Regent play host to Enfield Town. That cup thrashing at Canvey will need to be banished from the Towners mind as they take the trip to the seaside, but they have only won one match all season and seem- unsurprisingly- to be missing the goals of Mo Faal. Regent will be buoyant, having won their last two, scoring five goals and keeping two clean sheets.

Town have lost only one of their last five meetings with Regent, but it was the last one, a late goal from Ollie Bell clinching three crucial points for the hosts on April 9th.

We’ve a seaside derby as Margate host Herne Bay. Both sides have had mixed starts, and both have only one league victory to their name- although that’s perhaps more excusable for Bay, who haven’t yet been able to play in their own stadium. Hopefully their new pitch will be signed off shortly and that will change. Gate did win in the Cup last weekend, away at Aylesbury United; whilst Bay were defeating Horsham at ‘home’- well, at Ramsgate. The two haven’t met competitively since 2017, when a double from Jordan Chiedozie saw Bay depart the FA Cup at Hartsdown Park.

Finally, two sides in the bottom four meet as Bowers & Pitsea welcome Wingate & Finchley. The visiting Blues are the only side in the Pitching In Isthmian Premier not to have picked up a league win this season- but they have drawn three of their five games so can’t be too far away from a victory, and of course knocked Bowers out of the cup in North London last time out, Yannis Ambroisine with the only goal of the game. The Len Salmon faithful will want their side to take their early chance of revenge, and of course point out that league points are more important than cup wins if they manage to get them! The Londoners have won their last two meetings, but the hosts were four games unbeaten against them prior to that.

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