Can Heath spoil the Hastings party?

Barring a shock of enormous proportions, Hastings United will soon be lifting the Pitching In Isthmian South East trophy- but they could do it as soon as this weekend if they can defeat Haywards Heath Town. United will be deserved champions, fourteen points clear with only five matches remaining, but their record against Heath is rather mixed, and the visitors, in fourth place, also need the points if they are to maintain their gap over sixth place Herne Bay.

The last time the two met, at the end of November, Heath ran out two-nil winners, and although United won the match between them during 2020-21- what there was of it- Heath won home and away during our last completed season, 2018-19, and we should expect will be determined not to be pushovers this weekend.

Second place Ashford United travel to VCD Athletic. Vickers have nothing left to play for as they won’t be troubling the battles at either end of the table, but the Nuts and Bolts haven’t won any of their last three matches and will be looking nervously over their shoulders.

Cray Valley PM, a point behind the Nuts and Bolts and a point ahead of Haywards Heath Town, host another set of promotion-chasers, Ramsgate. The Millers have defeated two of their promotion rivals in their last two matches, and will be hoping for a hat trick, whilst the Rams have been sheared, and come into this one on the back of three consecutive defeats and with Herne Bay breathing down their neck.

Image- Brownie Sports Photography.

Bay are on the road to Mid Sussex- Wivelsfield, if you’re travelling by train- as they face Burgess Hill Town. The Hillians are nine points behind the top five and with five games left that gap is probably insurmountable, but they won’t go down without a fight, and got back to winning ways at Corinthian last time out. Bay have lost their last two, and may not be able to afford to lose another.

Sittingbourne, in seventh and eight points behind the top five, welcome relegation-threatened East Grinstead Town to Woodstock. The Wasps have hit terrible form at just the wrong time, a run of seven defeats in nine seeing them slump to eighteenth, whilst the Brickies are five games unbeaten and will be confident of making it six.

We have a midtable battle between sides in green, as Chichester City welcome Corinthian. City are one point behind their visitors, and both have had solid if only occasionally spectacular campaigns, which for Corinthian is perhaps what they were hoping for. City are three games unbeaten, Corinthian lost narrowly last time out but were on a fine run prior to that.

Three Bridges welcome our Pitching In Performance of the Month winners, Phoenix Sports. Bridges look to be quite safe from worrying about events at either end of the table, whilst Sports have a five point gap between themselves and safety, although they’ve lost only one of their last four. Bridges have seen a six match unbeaten run come to an end with two defeats, but have been exhilarating at times this season and will hope to give their fans something to cheer.

Sevenoaks Town have climbed to sixteenth on the back of a run of three wins and a draw from their last five matches, but that run only gives them a point’s worth of breathing space over the bottom three. Oaks welcome Faversham Town, the Lilywhites six points better off and also in decent form, with seven points from their last nine.

Bottom side Whitstable Town haven’t given up the fight just yet, and welcome another of the struggling sides, Whitehawk. The Hawks are three points above the danger zone, and will hope that they don’t regret their high number of drawn matches come seasons end. The Hawks have drawn eleven times this season, including five of their last ten; whilst the Oysterboys would love a record like that, as a solitary draw has been their only partially positive result from their last ten matches.

Hythe Town, two points above the bottom three in fifteenth, entertain a side who are being kept out of trouble only by their goal difference, Lancing. The Lancers have conceded eleven goals in their last three matches- although two of those hammerings were against sides chasing promotion- whilst the Cannons are two unbeaten, but only too aware that an away win will put their visitors above them in the table.

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