A Trophy Saturday

Many of our clubs are facing each other in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round, so that should ensure few alarms and few surprises as they finalise their preparations.

AFC Whyteleafe welcome Whitehawk for the first time this season- indeed the first time since Leafe’s rebirth- with the sides in nineteenth and twentieth in our top flight and looking for a morale-boosting win. They meet again in the League in three weeks time.

Ashford United host Deal Town in an all South East clash, only four days after they drew two-two in the Kent coast, whilst Chatham Town travel to take on Berkhamsted, who sit in eighth place in Pitching In Southern Premier South with four wins and four defeats from their nine League matches so far. The hosts have faced Isthmian opposition this season, hammering Hendon in the Cup last Saturday.

Brentwood Town face Essex rivals Hashtag United, the Blues, under new management, finding their feet in midweek when hammering Maldon and Tiptree, the visitors at the same time falling to their first defeat of the campaign against Walthamstow. Town defeated the Tags home and away in our top flight lasts Eason.

Burgess Hill Town host some unfamiliar opponents, Winslow United making the trip to Mid Sussex. Hill are unbeaten on their own patch, their visitors sit in mid table in Pitching In Southern Division One Central and walloped Concord Rangers in the last round. Canvey Island, meanwhile, have had a rather slow start to the campaign and face Step Three opposition, Needham Market making the trip. The Marketmen are in tenth place in Pitching In Southern Premier Central, and have already defeated Isthmian competition this season, knocking Stanway Rovers out of the Cup.

Cheshunt and Cray Wanderers played out a goalless draw as recently as last month, and the Ambers don’t have a good recent record against their visitors, without a win in their last eight meetings; whilst Eastbourne Borough will hope to continue a recent positive run as they welcome Welwyn Garden City of Pitching In Southern Division One Central. City have had a positive start to the campaign and sit in third, and have been particularly good on their travels, five unbeaten on the road. They’ve already defeated Pitching In Isthmian North sides Buckhurst Hill, Mulbarton Wanderers and Walthamstow in knockout matches this season. 

Hanwell Town is the destination for our leaders, Enfield Town. The Geordies are three unbeaten in all competitions and defeated Burgess Hill Town in the Cup as recently as Saturday, whilst at the same time the Towners were slaying a ‘giant’ Step Two Billericay Town.

Hastings United are having a magnificent campaign in Pitching In Isthmian South East, three points clear, and will relish the prospect of taking on top flight side Dulwich Hamlet at Pilot Field, despite the visitors looking for a fifth successive win. If Hamlet have shown any vulnerabilities this season they have been on the road.

Hayes & Yeading United host Erith Town as nineteenth in our South Central Division takes on eighth in the South East. Town have had a positive start to the campaign and will be hoping to bounce back from midweek defeat in Croydon, whilst United have struggled in the League but have been much better in knockout competitions; indeed they’ve played eight Cup and Trophy matches so far and lost only once, against top flight Dartford last weekend.

Leatherhead welcome Ramsgate in an all-Premier tie, the Rams looking for revenge after a two-one defeat in August- and a four-one thumping at this stage of the FA Trophy last season. Dartford head to the edge of Sussex to take on Leiston, the Darts seven unbeaten in all competitions and looking for a sixth win in a row. Their hosts, of Pitching In Southern Premier Central, are in ninth spot- and saw a three match winning run of their own come to an end in midweek. 

Maldon & Tiptree, still searching for a new manager as we write, face South Central opposition in the shape of Egham Town, the Sarnies hitting the road after walloping Ascot United five-nil in midweek. The Jammers have lost three in a row and will hope for a morale-boosting victory, but we suspect Town will look at their opponents results and think they have a chance of an upset.

Newmarket Town are at home to Leighton Town, the Jockeys upwardly mobile after four wins in a row in all competitions, and particularly positive on their own patch. Their visitors sit fifth from bottom of Pitching In Southern Premier Central without a League win on the road; and indeed they have lost five in a row, including a thumping at home to the Jockeys North rivals Gorleston in the last round of the FA Cup. 

Real Bedford is the destination for Wingate and Finchley. Our Blues despatched a giant in midweek and  will travel with confidence and a three match unbeaten run; whilst their hosts are top of Pitching In Southern Premier Central with a one hundred percent record after eight League matches- and indeed have won every match they’ve played in all competitions so far this season, ten in a row.

St Albans City are at home to some old friends, Bury Town- these days of Pitching In Isthmian Premier Central- making the trip. Bury are having a fine season after winning seven of their opening eight League matches and indeed have only one defeat from ten in all competitions, whilst the Saints have a seven match unbeaten run to protect.

Stanway Rovers host Faversham Town. Rovers are bottom of our top flight but delivered a morale-boosting win over Brentwood Town in their last fixture, their first win of the campaign, and will hope to use that to kick-start their season; whilst their opponents are in fifth place in Pitching In Isthmian South East but were surprisingly defeated at home in midweek. That was only their second defeat in thirteen matches in all competitions this season, so they’ll be confident of giving their top flight opponents something to think about.

Takeley welcome Hitchin Town, the visitors third from bottom of Pitching In Southern Premier central. Hitchin are without a win on the road in any competition this season, and indeed have only one win anywhere; whilst Takeley have had a mixed start to their Pitching In Isthmian North campaign but sit comfortably in mid table - and defeated Southern opposition in the shape of Aylesbury United in the last round.

Some familiar faces are the hosts for Lewes, with Uxbridge- these days of Pitching In Southern Premier South- welcoming the Rooks to Honeycroft. Uxbridge have been giving their red army much to sing about, and sit in second place in the table, two points behind leaders Plymouth Parkway (indeed, former South Central promotion winners make up three of the top four with Hanworth Villa and Chertsey Town close behind). The Rooks have also displayed some good form this season but travel with only one win from their last five in all competitions. 

Waltham Abbey, these days in Pitching In Southern Division One Central, took a seven match winning streak into their FA Cup match against Dagenham and Redbridge last weekend, and earned a reply against the National League South promotion chasers before departing the competition in midweek. We suspect that the Abbotts will put up strong opposition as they welcome AFC Croydon Athletic, but the Rams managed to come from two down to defeat Erith Town- with ten men- in midweek to move up to second place in Pitching In Isthmian South East, and will travel with confidence and looking for a fifth win in a row.

Welling United, second in our top flight, host an intriguing tie with Chertsey Town, fourth in Pitching In Southern Premier South. Wings have played five home league matches and won them all, so they will be confident; whilst the Curfews travel with a five match unbeaten record and have lost only once on the road. 

Sunday sees Southall- hopefully recovered after their marathon cup tie in Dorking in midweek- face top flight opposition in the shape of Carshalton Athletic. The All remain unbeaten in the League - and indeed their five-four extra time defeat on Tuesday, against Step Two opposition, was their first of the campaign. The Robins are in fourth place in the Premier table, and put an end to a three match losing streak by defeating Maldon last time out.