Blues, Urchins and Millers resume their battle for top spot

Bishop’s Stortford needed a goal deep into added time to avoid relinquishing their hold on top spot in midweek, and after that escape against fifth place Canvey Island they welcome…sixth place Hastings United. The Blues, with Hornchurch breathing down their necks, have seen their title charge slow with only one win from their last four matches, whilst United’s four match record is almost exactly the same. With three points between the visitors and Canvey they’ll be desperate to pick up points themselves and keep the top five within range. A Frankie Merrifield goal was the difference when the sides met at Pilot Field in October.

Hornchurch have what looks- on paper, anyway- like a guaranteed three points- although bottom side Brightlingsea Regent will hope to shock the Urchins. The hosts are on an eight match unbeaten run, whilst their visitors have no wins from their last nine and have lost seven of those- a run which sees them start the weekend thirteen points from safety with only nine matches remaining. They did manage a draw with the Urchins in November, however.

Another contender for Match of the Day comes from Parkside, where Aveley look to avoid any manager of the month curse as Folkestone Invicta come to call. The Millers, three points off the top and with a cup final to look forward to, have taken twenty two points from their last twenty four and are in fine form, whilst Invicta are six unbeaten- and have won five of them, form which has lifted them to within four points of the top five. The Millers hit five on their visit to the Kent coast in November, but this is a much more steadfast Invicta side- and they’ll be looking for revenge.

Hopefully the Dripping Pan will have stopped dripping before Enfield Town arrive to face Lewes on Saturday afternoon. The Rooks have slipped to eight points behind the top five, mainly because of a tendency to draw- twelve times this season they have had to settle for a point, including three of their last four, the other one ending in defeat. Only one side- Hornchurch- have lost fewer matches this season.

The Towners have also slipped up a little of late, with only one win from five, but the Rooks will need to attack as their need of three points is rather more desperate. They will be confident, however- they’ve won the last three meetings between the sides, scoring four goals on each occasion.

Canvey Island came within a hairs breadth of defeating leaders Bishop’s Stortford for the second time this season when the two met in midweek. The Gulls are back at home and taking on another set of Blues, Margate, and with only one defeat from their last ten matches the home faithful will expect another three points. Gate are on the up, having won their last two, but given they are fifteen points clear of the bottom four and nineteen behind their fifth place opponents they are playing mainly for pride. Margate did win their first match this season, however, by two goals to nil.

Carshalton Athletic find themselves four points away from the play offs. They travel to a side with far bigger problems, Corinthian-Casuals, their hosts thirteen points from safety and without a win since Monday 2nd January. A Tom Beere penalty was the difference in favour of the Robins the last time the two met.

Cray Wanderers play off hopes have been damaged by their inability to turn one point into three, Wands having slipped to ninth place- five points away from the promised land- after drawing twelve matches this season. Wands welcome a side in freefall, Potters Bar Town with only one win from their last ten and having fallen from first to thirteenth during their last fourteen matches. With only three wins from ten, the hosts surely must pick up three points if they are to have any chance of hauling themselves back into contention.

Kingstonian saw their four match unbeaten run come to an end at Hornchurch in midweek, and welcome a side who also saw a good run end on Tuesday night, Horsham, who lost at Herne Bay. The K’s have opened up an eight point gap over the bottom four but boss Simon Lane won’t think that’s nearly enough, whilst the Hornets will need to haul in a seven point gap between themselves and the top five if their play off pretentions are to remain alive. Horsham have lost only one of the last seven meetings between the sides.

Billericay Town host a battle of the Blues as Wingate & Finchley head to New Lodge. Billericay are three unbeaten but eight points away from the top five; whilst their visitors are still more concerned with goings on at the other end, although with an eleven point gap between themselves and danger will perhaps think they are nearly safe. The travelling Blues have only one defeat from their last seven, but lost three-one to Town when they met in October.

Herne Bay will hope to move themselves closer to safety by defeating their second Sussex side this week, as Bognor Regis Town travel to the Kentish seaside. The Rocks did Bay a favour in midweek, hammering Brightlingsea Regent, and have already defeated Saturday’s opponents this season, winning two-one at Nyewood Lane back in October. Eight points from safety, Bay surely need to keep their winning run going.

Finally, Bowers & Pitsea welcome Haringey Borough. Bowers are nine points from safety and have lost their last seven matches, whilst Borough have been paragons of inconsistency this season but have scored nine goals in their last two matches, so will be hoping to add to that. Borough won the last encounter between the sides four-two, but Bowers were unbeaten in their previous five matches against the North Londoners prior to that.

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