Seven sides hope to hit the summit on Premier Tuesday

Dulwich Hamlet had a superb start to the season, hitting Maldon and Tiptree for six- but they face what looks a rather more difficult task this evening as they travel to take on much-fancied Chatham Town. The Chats fell to defeat at St Albans City on Saturday and will expect to immediately bounce back- although they haven’t defeated these opponents in their last three attempts, the last meeting between the sides ending one-nil to Hamlet back in February.

Enfield Town will have been delighted with their four-nil hammering of Lewes on Saturday, and the Towners will hope to follow that with victory over St Albans City this evening as third takes on fourth. The Saints, of course, were similarly impressive in defeating Chatham Town, and will head to the Dave Bryant Stadium full of confidence. 

Fifth place Brentwood Town will cross the river to take on the side two places behind them, Dartford. The Blues, who did so well to reach our Play off Final last season, saw much change to their squad over the summer and yet started the campaign with a comfortable win over Burgess Hill Town, whilst the Darts also defeated Sussex opposition, coming from two down to triumph against Three Bridges. Dartford took four points from the meetings between the two last season, but it was rather close- and we suspect it will be similarly competitive this evening. 

Welling United will be delighted with their victory over Whitehawk on Saturday, whilst their hosts, Leatherhead, delivered an impressive win on the road in Ramsgate. Wings struggled away from home last season, and, although the Tanners strode to the Pitching In South Central title whilst remaining unbeaten on the road- they showed some weakness at home. Both sides will hope to continue their positive start.

Aveley picked up a late point from their competitive season debut against Eastbourne Borough on Saturday, but will expect three from their trip to Maldon and Tiptree, the Jammers reeling from that Hamlet hammering. The Millers lost only three times on the road last season, and will travel with confidence, whilst the Jammers went through the 25-26 campaign unbeaten on their own patch- but on Saturday they looked a shadow of the side who recorded that impressive record. 

Eastbourne Borough’s first Isthmian home match will see them host a Sussex derby, Three Bridges making the trip. Bridges will be disappointed by their opening day defeat, coming as it did after they went two goals up, whilst Borough fans will expect their side to pick up three points, and to reaffirm their position as title favourites. Bridges had a magnificent 25-26, and are unlikely to be overawed- particularly as they defeated two of Borough’s National League South rivals on the way to winning the Sussex Senior Cup last season.

Cray Wanderers and tonight’s visitors Cheshunt both started the campaign with draws. For Wands that will have been a familiar feeling, as they were our draw kings last season, sixteen of their forty two matches ending all-square, but as that was a record which kept them out of the top five will want to put that right this time around. Matches between the sides tend to be tight affairs- five of their last seven meetings ended in victory by one goal, the other two in draws.

Stanway Rovers started their top flight life with a point and a clean sheet at Cheshunt, and will hope for a home victory as Ramsgate make the rather long trip. The Rams will be looking to bounce back from home defeat against another newly-promoted club, Leatherhead, at the weekend, and will have ambition to do better than last season’s tenth place- particularly with the extra Play Off places on offer. The hosts were actually better on the road than on their own patch during the 25-26 campaign, and will be determined to rectify that.

Whitehawk and Lewes meet in a Sussex derby. Both sides fell to defeat on opening day, and the Rooks will be particularly saw after a mauling against Enfield Town, whilst the Hawks were rather more narrowly defeated at Welling United. The last four meetings between the sides have ended in home wins, and we’re sure that the Enclosed Ground faithful will hope that run continues for just one more match! The last away win went to the Rooks, on Boxing Day 2023. 

Finally, two sides who normally play in Green meet in Mid Sussex tonight- so one of them will have to change! Another thing they’d both like to change is their form, as both Burgess Hill Town and AFC Whyteleafe fell to defeat at the weekend, Hill losing two-nil in Brentwood whilst Leafe fell at home -Flamingo Park- to the same scoreline against Carshalton Athletic. This is a meeting between the last two sides to win our Pitching In Isthmian South East Play Offs, and Leafe will be hoping to adapt to the top flight as well as Hill did last season. 

The sides actually met last season at the same venue, Hill triumphing two-one in the Velocity Cup. Prior to that the four meetings between the sides- with Leafe in their earlier incarnation prior to becoming an AFC- all went the way of tonight’s visitors. 

We’ll have a report on this particular match tomorrow morning- and a round up of all of the others.