An action-packed Premier Saturday!

What a Saturday we have in prospect. Two of our four teams with one hundred percent records play each other, a third take on the FA Trophy winners, and the fourth play the title favourites. If a famous Danish beer in a green bottle made Saturday fixture lists, they would look like this!

Enfield Town, top of the pile on alphabetical order (don’t worry, we won’t use that as a divider at the end of the season and relegate Worthing, although Bognor fans will be starting their petition now), have a difficult trip as they travel to Folkestone Invicta. The Towners, who have so far defeated Carshalton Athletic and Brightlingsea Regent, defeated Invicta home and away in 2018/19 before taking only one point from their opponents during 2019/20, drawing their last visit to the BuildKent one-one. Invicta, who have the second-best defensive record so far having only conceded one goal, have so far defeated Worthing and Corinthian-Casuals, and will expect a big crowd as they bid to go top of the table.

Kingstonian, who have the same F6 A2 P6 record as Enfield, welcome Hornchurch to Tolworth. The Urchins started the campaign impressively at Horsham before surprisingly losing at home to Cray Wanderers last weekend, and will hope to bounce back- but their hosts have been very good indeed so far, putting five past Bishop’s Stortford last weekend. Daniel Ajakaiye, who got a hat trick in that match, already looks as good as he was when he was with Hastings United and will be looking for more goals, whilst the Urchins Liam Nash already has five in his first three matches (if we include their Super Cup win, which saw him get two).

Cray Wanderers fans might have expected it to take time before their new side gelled under new boss Danny Kedwell, but the Wands welcome Worthing after confident victories over Lewes and Hornchurch. The Hayes Lane side were one of Worthing’s bogey sides during 2019-20, beating them at Woodside Road and drawing with them at Hayes Lane, and Adam Hinshelwood’s side will need to be wary, despite getting back to winning ways against Bowers and Pitsea last weekend.

Danny Kedwell previews that match here.

We’ve three more unbeaten sides, and we’ll start with the team in fifth, Cheshunt. The Ambers drew at Lewes last weekend after defeating East Thurrock United three-nil in the opener, and they’ll be delighted to be at home- but won’t underestimate the threat of Margate, the second of those unbeaten sides. Margate have only managed to score one goal during their first two matches, in their win at Wingate and Finchley, but haven’t conceded any, so this might be a battle of attack v defence- head to Theobalds Lane to find out. The Blues won the last time they visited the Ambers, but the Ambers returned the favour at Hartsdown Park in October last year.

The third of those unbeaten sides are Bognor Regis Town, although the Rocks, in fifteenth, have drawn both of their matches and will be looking for three points. Visitors Haringey Borough will have something to say about that, having bounced back from opening day defeat to put three past ten-man Horsham last Saturday.

Tenth plays sixteenth as Potters Bar Town host Lewes. The Scholars fell to defeat at Merstham last time out after starting the campaign with victory over Corinthian-Casuals, whilst Lewes got over the shock of opening day defeat to Cray Wanderers to pick up a point against Cheshunt on Saturday. The last three matches between the sides ended all square.

Leatherhead started the campaign with a bang at Bowers and Pitsea, then continued it with a whimper as they lost at home to Wingate and Finchley. They’ve a long trip to Brightlingsea Regent as twelfth hosts eleventh, Regent also looking to get back to winning ways after defeat at Merstham. The last six meetings between the sides have seen three wins each, so perhaps we’re due a draw?

Wingate and Finchley had a morale-boosting win at Leatherhead last time out, something which Corinthian-Casuals could do with as they travel to Summers Lane. Casuals fell to defeat to two late penalties in their opener at Potters Bar Town, and lost by the only goal of the game against Folkestone last weekend. The last time they met here, in October last year, the Blues won four-one with an Ahmet Rifat hat trick.

Merstham picked up a win against Brightlingsea Regent last weekend, and travel to face a Horsham side still without a point. The Hornets currently hold up the rest, but their squad is surely too strong for them to stay down there for long- although the Moatsiders will be hoping to prolong the agony for the Lardy Army.

Carshalton Athletic, much fancied before kick off, are another side who haven’t had the start they would have hoped for. Seventeenth hosts eighteenth as they take on Bishop’s Stortford, both sides with one point each. The Robins will be hoping to improve on their point at Margate, whilst the Blues need to quickly put their thrashing by Kingstonian behind them.

Finally, Bowers and Pitsea have lost by the odd goal in both matches so far, and welcome East Thurrock United to the Len Salmon. The hosts have conceded seven goals in those two games and will need to tighten up at the back, whilst the Rocks have had similar defensive issues, letting in five. The Rocks did the double over their opponents during 2019/20, and will hope for more of the same.

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