A penultimate South East Saturday

Five of the top six play on Friday- preview here- but we have six matches left for Saturday. 

Perhaps the most important of those comes from Erith Town, as the Dockers, who are comfortable in eleventh spot but have lost their last three, welcome fifth place Merstham. The Moatsiders are in a fight with Beckenham Town for fifth spot, and, depending how Becks do at Margate on Friday, could kick off on Saturday ahead by three points, two points or only on goal difference! Merstham have only two defeats from ten and have already played Town twice this season, knocking them out of the FA Cup prior to a one-one league draw in October.

Seventh place Three Bridges have had a rather positive campaign when you consider they spent the first half of it playing home matches in Chatham! Bridges welcome Herne Bay to Crawley, looking to put last weekend’s defeat at Ramsgate behind them. Bay have won two of their last three and are looking to end a disappointing campaign on a high. The sides have already met twice this season in League and Trophy, Bay winning both times.

Sevenoaks Town have had a positive end to their campaign, and welcome Broadbridge Heath hoping to bounce back from their first defeat in ten. Oaks are eighth (as we write), whilst the Bears are fourteenth, nine points worse off, and got back to winning ways against Hythe Town last weekend after a run of six matches without a win. Heath haven’t lost to their hosts in three meetings since their elevation to our level, doing the double last season and almost taking victory when the sides met in November, a Warren Mfula equaliser deep in added time earning Oaks a point.

Deal Town will hope to bounce back from a hammering at the hands of Burgess Hill Town as they welcome East Grinstead Town. Deal had won four in a row prior to that defeat, whilst the travelling Wasps have lost five in a row. Deal won three-two when the sides met in Sussex.

Croydon Athletic take on already relegated Lancing. The Rams are comfortable in thirteenth but in inconsistent form, whilst the Lancers form has been consistent but not in a good way, and they have lost the last fourteen. Athletic won three-one at Culver Road in September.

Finally, Eastbourne Town bring Phoenix Sports to East Sussex. If Littlehampton Town take anything from their home match with Ashford United on Friday then Sports may already be relegated by kick off, but even if the Golds were defeated Sports will start the match eight points from safety with three matches to go and their plight looking almost hopeless. Their hosts are fifteenth, and have won two of their previous three. They defeated Sports two-nil in August.