Can the Hillians take advantage of managerless Becks?

Isuzu FA Trophy

Ashford United are hosts to Walton & Hersham. This will be United’s tenth cup tie of the season so far- contrast that with only four league matches- and indeed they have played only once in the League since August Bank Holiday Monday. The departed the FA Cup in narrow defeat at Chertsey Town last weekend, and face a Swans side who sit fourth in Pitching In Southern Premier South, but who are looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat.

Chichester City take on Herne Bay, Premier v South East. City are having a fine first Premier campaign, and come into this one with only one defeat in eight, whilst Bay have been so busy in Cup competitions that they’ve managed only three games in the league. This will be their tenth cup tie of the season so far, and they’ve already got a Premier scalp under their belts, having defeated Hendon in the FA Cup. Last season Bay took four points from their league meetings with City, including a three-one win at Oaklands Park in January. 

Littlehampton Town is the destination for Barton Rovers of Pitching In Southern Division One Central. Rovers have only one defeat from seven, that coming in the League against Enfield in midweek, and defeated Waltham Abbey in the last round. This will be the Golds fourth home draw in a row in this competition, the first against non Isthmian opposition, and they’ll be hopeful of a fourth consecutive victory- although perhaps without a required penalty shootout!

Ramsgate and Cray Valley PM spent all of last season fighting over the Pitching In Isthmian South East title, a battle which the Millers eventually won, so there will be enormous motivation amongst the hosts to gain some revenge when the two sides meet tomorrow. The Rams will, on paper at least, be the underdogs- but after a one hundred percent start to the league season we don’t expect there to be much between the sides. Cray Valley have adapted well to life in the top flight, but a few injuries and suspensions of late hasn’t helped their form, and their only win in five came in the Kent Cup against Ashford United.

Another Premier v South East tie comes from Sittingbourne, where the Brickies meet Bognor Regis Town. Sittingbourne have been almost perfect at home this season- only defeat against Plymouth Parkway in the Cup last weekend blotting their copybook- and will be confident of causing an upset, whilst the Rocks have been the very epitome of inconsistency so far this season, and you never seem to know what you’re going to get. They took on South East opposition- Margate- in the FA Cup three weeks ago and were on the end of a hammering, so they’ll want to make sure that doesn’t happen again, and yet on occasions they’ve looked rather magnificent, so…who knows!

Pitching In isthmian South East

It’s been rather a strange week, with leaders Beckenham Town seeing their management team depart and later turn up at bottom side Phoenix Sports. Becks have a four point lead at the top and know that they will at least hold onto that as neither Sheppey United or Ramsgate are in league action, but they’ll hope to extend it with victory at Burgess Hill Town. Hill, in seventh at kick off, will have other ideas- and until their midweek defeat to Sittingbourne had won four league matches in a row. If they can get back to winning ways they will find themselves in the top five on Saturday evening.

Fourth place Erith Town are on the road to the Sunshine Coast, where they take on Eastbourne Town- and victory will take them above Ramsgate into third. The Dockers will want to bounce back after defeat to Beckenham Town last weekend, whilst Town haven’t yet won a league match on their own patch- and are without a win in three.

Merstham have a chance of hitting the top five if they can win at East Grinstead Town. The Moatsiders got back to winning ways against Littlehampton Town last time out, and have already defeated the Wasps this season, in the Velocity Cup. Town have actually been better on the road than at home so far this season, and their fans haven’t seen a home win since August 23rd. 

Margate, still unbeaten in the League and with our Shepherd Neame Performance of the Month trophy about to be delivered for their cup win at Bognor last month, are back in Sussex once more as they take on Lancing at Culver Road. Another win for Gate will take them to the cusp of the top five, whilst the Lancers are trying to climb out of the bottom four by delivering only a second win of the season, having ended a two match losing run with a draw at Littlehampton on Tuesday night.

Sevenoaks Town are at home to Three Bridges. This will be- rather incredibly- Oaks eleventh home match in all competitions, and they’ve won five and lost their last two. For Bridges, awaiting the completion of their 3G pitch, every day is an away day, which perhaps explains why they sit in twentieth place and are still without a League win. 

AFC Croydon Athletic welcome Hythe Town. The Rams haven’t had the best of starts to the season but have taken four points from their last two matches and have skipper Brandon Pierrick in good form, with eight goals so far and four in his last three matches. The Cannons are still waiting for their season to fire, their only away win so far coming on penalties at Sheppey in the Kent Cup. They’ll be trying to avoid a fourth consecutive league defeat.