Four of the top five play each other- can Dover stretch their lead?

Dover Athletic, ten unbeaten and with a five point lead at the top, perhaps have the chance to make that gap even larger as all of their closest rivals play each other. Athletic head to South London to take on a rather erratic Dulwich Hamlet side, the Champion Hill faithful never quite sure what they’re going to witness of late. Hamlet’s promotion charge has faltered on the back of only three wins from ten, but we know full well that they’re a good side and that things will click eventually. Athletic will hope it isn’t this weekend! 

Cray Valley PM welcome Lewes. The Millers are having a fine first top flight season, five points behind the leaders and six points ahead of the fifth place Rooks, and are ten unbeaten in the league. Lewes got back to winning ways last weekend with victory over Canvey Island, but have been rather hit and miss recently, so will hope that victory kick starts a good run of form. 

Third place Billericay Town travel to North London to take on the side four points and one place behind them, Wingate and Finchley. The Essex Blues seem to have got over their mini blip and are looking for a third win in a row, whilst the Summers Lane Blues are looking to avoid a third successive league loss, and to narrow the gap between themselves and their visitors. The hosts are also looking for a fourth win in a row over their promotion rivals. 

Folkestone Invicta, in sixth place, will hope to climb back into the top five as they host Cheshunt. Invicta saw a four match winning run come to an end with a harrow- and very late- defeat at Whitehawk last weekend, whilst the Ambers have drawn their last two but have only one win from six, which has left them outside the bottom four only on goal difference. Both of last season’s meetings between the sides ended in home wins.

Carshalton Athletic have a chance of leaping into the top five if they can defeat twentieth placed Whitehawk at Colston Avenue. The Robins are six unbeaten, whilst the travelling Hawks, once more under manager Shaun Saunders, picked up their first win in months with a late goal against Folkestone Invicta last weekend, and will want to make more progress towards safety. The visitors are only a point away from escaping the bottom four, and will hope to continue their wining ways. Both meetings last season ended with three home points.

Dartford play host to Bognor Regis Town. The Darts recent league form has seen them climb into the top ten, and they are only three points away from the top five after a seven match unbeaten run. The Rocks are in disarray, bottom of the table and hammered seven-one at home last weekend. With only one win from ten, and with caretaker managers in place, the travelling fans will hope that they can begin to make up the four points that separate them from safety.

Canvey Island welcome Potters Bar Town. The Gulls have been better on the road than on their own patch this season, and given the Scholars have played every match away from their usual home whilst their 3G pitch is installed, you could say the same for them! Only one point separates the sides at kick off, eleventh v thirteenth, Town getting back to winning ways last time out after seven winless matches, the Gulls looking to bounce back from defeat at Lewes. The Gulls have won three of their four meetings with the Scholars over the last two seasons, but Town walloped their hosts four-one on the Island last December.

Chichester City welcome Hastings United in a Sussex derby. City are fifteenth, with one win from their last five, whilst United are in the bottom four on goal difference, courtesy of a five match winless run which has seen them pick up only one point. 

Bowers and Pitsea host Cray Wanderers in a match which is crucial for both sides. Bowers are three points from safety, and will want to end a five match losing streak with something rather more positive, whilst Wands are one of three sides three points better off, outside the bottom four only on goal difference, and with only one win from their last five.