Becks and Millers look to leap back into the top five

Beckenham Town and Cray Valley PM slipped out of the play off places on Saturday, but both have a game in hand over the rest of the top five and can replace Sheppey United and Hythe Town in the play off places with victory tonight.

Becks welcome already relegated Faversham Town to Eden Park. The hosts have only one defeat from their last seven but have drawn two of their last three. Another point would take them back into the top five, but they would undoubtedly rather have the cushion that three would give them. The Lilywhites have improved of late, and indeed their recent ten match record has seen them take only one point fewer than their hosts, but they have nothing but pride to play for. Becks won the first encounter between the sides this season rather comfortably, first half goals from Freddie Cray, Danny Walden and Steve Townsend giving them a three-nil win.

Cray Valley PM need three points to regain their top five space- but visitors VCD Athletic need three points even more than the Millers. Cray have been in great form, and have only lost two of ten, but their narrow defeat at the hands of the champions saw both the Ites and the Cannons steal a march on them. Vickers, in contrast, have two wins and three defeats from their last five, but will have the motivation that three points could lift them out of the bottom four, depending on Burgess Hill Town’s result.

The Hillians have a tough task, travelling to Sittingbourne. The Brickies have had a remarkable past couple of months, eleven matches unbeaten- and indeed with only one defeat from their last fourteen- form which puts them in third place in our ten game form table, behind only Champions Chatham Town and Cray Valley PM. Burgess Hill ended a four match losing streak with victory over Three Bridges last time out, but will face an entirely different Sittingbourne side from the one they defeated two-one in December. Perhaps another motivation for Hill will be the fact that victory will condemn neighbours Haywards Heath Town to a relegation play off- and will also see them climb above Lancing into fifteenth place.

East Grinstead Town are five points clear of the bottom four. The Wasps travel to Chichester City knowing that victory will see them safe. City are comfortable in mid table, but picked up their first win in eight on Saturday, defeating Ashford United. The visitors have only two wins from ten, but did defeat City the last time they met, in January, three goals to two.

Finally we’ve a mid table battle between Littlehampton Town and Sevenoaks Town. The Golds have only two wins from ten, whilst Oaks ended a five match losing streak by scoring five in Sussex on Saturday at Haywards Heath Town.

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