One more Trophy Saturday

Dartford were superb last Saturday, hammering Eastbourne Borough at Princes Park- and will hope to give their home fans even more to cheer about as they welcome AFC Totton of National League South. The visitors are having a mixed campaign, and sit in sixteenth but they have won their last two away matches at Hemel Hempstead and Horsham, so we suspect they’ll prove difficult opponents for the Darts.

Burgess Hill Town travel to take on Dover Athletic. The Hillians are four without a win- indeed their last victory was over Erith Town in the last round of this competition- but they have had something of an injury crisis and hopefully will have a more complete squad to choose from as they head to the Kent coast. Dover sit in mid table in National League South, but have only one defeat from seven on their own patch. The sides last met way back in 2016, when Dover trounced the Hillians in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

Eastbourne Borough quickly put their defeat in Dartford behind them, returning to winning ways by defeating Dulwich Hamlet in midweek, and they will be the favourites as Pitching In Southern Premier South side Chertsey Town head to the seaside. The Curfews are in good form, however, six unbeaten- five of which were victories- and have already defeated four Isthmian sides in Cup competitions this season, including Borough’s promotion rivals Welling United.

Enfield Town sit atop our top flight, and will hope to slay a ‘giant’ as they welcome Spalding United to North London. The visitors are in mid table in National League North, and very good on their own patch, but have struggled on the road and are without a win in six on their travels, five of those matches ending in defeat. 

Cray Wanderers travel to face familiar foes, Folkestone Invicta their hosts. Wands bounced back from Sunday’s brave FA Cup defeat at the hands of Stockport County to pick up three points in midweek, and have already removed three higher-ranked clubs from Cup competitions this season, so won’t be afraid of taking on the Stripes. Invicta sit in fifteenth place in National League South, but have picked up the vast majority of their points on their own patch- and they will remember that the last time Wands visited them they headed back to South London on the end of an eight-one defeat. 

Newmarket Town have been in fabulous form in Pitching In Isthmian North, and indeed were fourteen unbeaten in all competitions prior to defeat in Sudbury last weekend. The Jockeys are at home to Oxford City, third in National League North and fresh from a four-two FA Cup defeat against Leicester City on Saturday, so will need to be at their best- particularly as City defeated our top flight leaders Enfield Town six-one in the Cup last month. 

Aveley head to Walton and Hersham. The Millers have had rather a fractious campaign, with a managerial departure and a large turnover of players as a result, but it’s been plain sailing compared with the campaign of the National League South Swans. They sit second bottom of the table with only two wins all season, seven points from safety, and come into this match on the back of four consecutive defeats. 

Whitehawk have had a torrid start to the season, but have shown signs of improving form in the League and have enjoyed their time in the Trophy, the two previous rounds bringing victories over AFC Whyteleafe and St Albans City. They have an even bigger challenge this time around, as Tonbridge Angels, in tenth place in National League South, head to Sussex. Angels travel on the back of two League defeats, but they have already beaten Isthmian opposition this season, knocking Ramsgate out of the FA Cup in September.

We’ve an all-Isthmian tie in North London, as Wingate & Finchley welcome Hashtag United- our only all-Isthmian tie. The Blues were six unbeaten in all competitions prior to defeat against Maldon and Tiptree last weekend, whilst the Tags, who started their Pitching In Isthmian North campaign at top speed, have hit something of a sticky patch, losing three of their last five in all competitions. Wingate defeated these opponents home and away last season. 

We have, of course, fixtures across all four Divisions this weekend, not just in the FA Trophy. See our entire programme by heading here.