Can Invicta trip up the Mackerel Men?

We have a number of big matches this evening, but the biggest is undoubtedly at the Crucial Environmental Stadium, where leaders Worthing host Folkestone Invicta. The Mackerel Men are eight points clear of their fifth place visitors, but Invicta have two games in hand and a win on the road tonight would give them an enormous boost in their quest to overhaul their hosts and win promotion.

Worthing saw a late equalizer deprive them of three points against Hornchurch on Saturday, whilst Invicta were squeezing past Wingate & Finchley at the Kentish seaside. Invicta should have new Dartford loan signing Luke Wanadio available for a debut.

The Mackerel Men’s number ten, Ollie Pearce (pictured: Marcus Hoare), hasn’t added to his twenty nine campaign goals during his last two matches. Only once this season has he gone for more than two games without scoring.

Enfield Town, in second place as we kick off, host Carshalton Athletic at Donkey Lane. The Towners managed to score five on Saturday at Kingstonian, whilst the Robins somehow managed four at Cray Wanderers yet still lost! That suggests we might have a high-scoring Tuesday night (which, if our usual luck with predictions holds true, means we’ve a nailed-on nil-nil draw in prospect). The Robins will need to somehow find a way to keep Mo Faal, quiet, the Towners striker took his tally to thirty with two more on Saturday. He also managed two against these opponents back on the opening day of the season, which his side won by four goals to two.

Lewes, in third place, host Cray Wanderers, former home of their boss Tony Russell and a collection of their first team squad. Wands will be flying after their comeback five-four win over Carshalton on Saturday, whilst the Rooks might be a little deflated by losing a two goal lead in their draw with Brightlingsea Regent. A little revenge might be on the cards; on the opening day the highly-fancied Rooks had their feathers clipped as Wands ran out three-one winners. Lewes striker Joe Taylor will be looking to add to his twenty five goals by scoring against his former club tonight.

Bishop’s Stortford, who start the day in fourth place, welcome Bognor Regis Town. The Blues have only one defeat from ten, and have scored nine goals in their last two matches, seemingly not feeling the loss of striker Jake Cass to Enfield Town one little bit. The Rocks have gone three games unbeaten, their best run in quite a while, and defeated Potters Bar Town on Saturday.

Kingstonian’s promotion charge was hit hard against Enfield at the weekend, but they’d been in good form prior to that match, having won four of their previous five. The K’s travel to Haringey Borough, who also saw a good run- four games undefeated- come to an end as they lost to bottom side Leatherhead. A Gus Sow penalty settled the clash between the two on opening day, and the K’s man has fourteen goals for the season- a rather incredible ten of those from twelve yards.

Hornchurch are our form side, unbeaten in eight matches with seven wins- and the only draw coming last Saturday, at leaders Worthing. The Urchins are closing the gap on the top five, and indeed could close it to only one point if they defeat visiting Horsham this evening. The Hornets got back to form on Saturday after five games without a win, defeating FA Trophy heroes Cheshunt away from home, and they’ll be hoping to do the same to last season’s FA Trophy heroes.

The Urchins won two-nil when they met on the opening day.

Cheshunt slipped down to tenth place with that defeat, and will hope to reignite their promotion hopes as they welcome Bowers & Pitsea. The visitors are in a terrible way after seven successive defeats, results which have seen them fall into the bottom three, and very much need to start turning the tide; whilst the Ambers have really slipped up, taking one point from their last nine, and will hope to prove that their Trophy adventures aren’t a distraction.

Each match kicks off at 7.45 PM.

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