Only three points between the top four- who will head the table on Saturday night?

Leaders Bury Town have a two point lead and a perfect home record, and they face seventh place Waltham Abbey, the Abbotts hoping to boost their own promotion hopes and ruin the Blues afternoon. Town have won five of their last six- the other a draw- and, as already mentioned, have been perfect at home, winning five matches so far, and scoring two goals in each of them- indeed the last four matches at Ram Meadow have finished two-one. The visitors are four unbeaten- four matches in which they have scored ten goals- and certainly won’t be happy to play the role of the Blues latest victims. 

Second place Tilbury will be hoping for a Bury slip up, but to take advantage they’ll need to win a difficult match against sixth place Brightlingsea Regent. The Dockers have been in superb form, seven matches unbeaten- a run which has coincided with the arrival of Alex Hernandez, who has scored in six of those seven matches and is hoping to add to his seven goals in seven games. Regular scorer Sam Bantick is also in fine form, scoring five goals alongside Hernandez to take his total for the season up to ten. Regent have lost only one of their last eight, winning six of them, and in midweek were giant slayers, knocking Premier Division Bowers and Pitsea out of the Velocity Cup. An away win would see them climb into the top five- but anything other than a win will not be enough.

Third place Witham Town have got back to winning ways over the last week, defeating Newmarket and Mildenhall on their own patch, but they’ve lost their last two on the road and will want to make sure that doesn’t extend to three as they travel to struggling Maldon and Tiptree. A win for Witham could take them top if Bury lose and Tilbury fail to win, whilst the Jammers have lost five of their last six, but did defeat promotion chasing Brightlingsea Regent in their last home match. The last time the sides met in Jammer land was on April 27th, and the hosts let slip a three-nil lead as Witham won four-three. 

Basildon United travel to Walthamstow knowing that they have an outside chance of returning to the summit, although they’d need Bury to lose whilst Tilbury and Witham would have to fail to win, so that really is an outside chance! The Bees have been fabulous at home but less convincing away, and indeed have lost their last four on the road in League and Velocity Cup, so will be rather determined to put that right. Their hosts will be trying to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat and are something of an enigma, you never seem to know whether they are going to be brilliant or underwhelming. Stow did the double over the Bees last season- but this years Bees look to have a far bigger sting. 

Redbridge welcome Heybridge Swifts to East London. The Motormen look to have turned a corner, losing only one of their last six, whilst Swifts will be glad to be on the road as they can’t buy a win at their own Scraley Road. Away from home Julian Dicks side are unbeaten in six matches in League and Cup, including taking six points from their last two league games, whilst on their own patch they are without a win since Saturday 3rd August, when they were victorious in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round. The Motormen took four points from their meetings last season.

Gorleston got back to winning ways in midweek, defeating Maldon and Tiptree- and the Greens are at home once more, Haringey Borough making the long trip to Great Yarmouth. Gorleston had lost five league matches in a row prior to their Wednesday night victory, but in amongst that knocked National League South side St Albans City out of the FA Cup on their own patch so can be formidable when they turn their minds to it. Borough have only one defeat in five league matches and have accordingly climbed out of the bottom four, but have been the epitome of inconsistency so their fine travelling support won’t be as confident as they are joyous!

Mildenhall Town, in sixteenth, travel to Ipswich Wanderers, who find themselves in twentieth place, the third of four clubs on eight points. Wanderers have lost their last three, and indeed have only one win from seven in all competitions- that coming in the Suffolk Cup; whilst Hall have lost six of their last seven in League and Suffolk Cup, but have been marginally more successful on the road than on their own patch.

Wroxham, still looking for a first home win of the season, sit at the bottom of the table- and will hope to at least get themselves level on points with some of the sides above them by defeating Sporting Bengal United, who sit three places further up. The Yachtsmen have lost their last three, whilst United have taken only one point away from home all season, and don’t have a win of any kind since August Bank Holiday Monday.