Can Stoke extend their lead to double figures?

Our leaders, Basingstoke Town, have opened up a seven point gap at the top- and will hope to extend that yet further as they travel to face bottom side Tooting & Mitcham United. Stoke, with nine wins from their last ten matches, are in fine form- whilst their hosts have only one win from ten and have lost their last four. Eight points from safety, a home win looks necessary yet unlikely- although how many times have bottom place sides suddenly found form against the leaders. The Terrors will be hoping to finally start terrifying someone other than their own fans. When they met in November, Town won by five goals to two.

Second place Walton & Hersham are also on the road, in their case to take on eighth place Westfield. The Swans- lest we forget, the only side to defeat Basingstoke recently- do have a game in hand over the leaders, and also seem to have got over their mid season blip, with only one defeat from their last six. Their Woking-based hosts got back to winning ways last time out after a long winless run, and with only four points between them and fifth place Chertsey Town also need the points if they are to mount a promotion challenge.

Northwood have slipped to third and have lost three of their last four. Unbeatable for much of the season, Woods are facing their first crisis of the campaign, and will hope to start to put that behind them as Guernsey come to call (2PM kick off). The Green Lions slipped up against promotion-chasing Marlow last weekend but had won their previous two, and they do have record breaking striker Ross Allen back in the side and finding form. The Woods won their match in the Channel Island in November, two-one.

Fourth place Marlow face a side in green for a second successive weekend, Leatherhead making the trip to the land where red kites fly free. The hosts have slipped to nine points behind the leaders but are in decent form, with only two defeats from their last ten. The Tanners are also in good form- indeed they are on their best run of the campaign, with only one defeat from their last seven matches. They will hope to extend their winning run to three, and could climb into the top ten if they can manage it.

Chertsey Town welcome Chipstead. The Curfews have lost two of their last three and know that any further slip up could see them lose their place in the top five; whilst the Chips were nine unbeaten before falling to defeat against Ashford Town last time out. The Curfews have taken only one point from the last three meetings between the sides.

Binfield find themselves only one point behind the top five with two or even three games in hand over the sides above them. The Moles fell to narrow defeat against Basingstoke in midweek, but will hope to climb back into the top five with victory over Southall. The visitors have gone three matches without a win, whilst that midweek defeat was the Moles first loss in eight matches.

South Park also have a chance of ending the weekend in the top five. The Sparks welcome their former manager as Bedfont Sports head to Whitehall Lane, but seem to have hit a sticky patch, losing their last three. Sports were also on a three match losing streak until travelling to former leaders Northwood and emerging triumphant in midweek, and have opened up a five point gap over the bottom four- although they have played more matches than three of its occupants.

Sutton Common Rovers welcome Hanworth Villa to Whyteleafe. Rovers are third from bottom but are on a terrible run, twelve consecutive defeats having seen them plummet down the table- and they haven’t managed to score a single goal in their last five. Villa have lost only two of their last ten, and actually started that terrible run for Rovers with a three-one win on November 19th.

Ashford Town, having got back to winning ways on Saturday, quickly followed that with a narrow defeat at Westfield in midweek. The Tangerines, six points clear of fourth bottom Guernsey, will look to widen the gap between themselves and the bottom four as they welcome Uxbridge, whilst Uxbridge will- of course- have other ideas. The visitors have put together a four match unbeaten run and could climb into the top ten if they can extend it- and are unbeaten in six matches against the Tangerines, winning five of them.

Finally, Merstham welcome a resurgent Thatcham Town. The Moatsiders, seven points from safety, have been much improved of late and have only lost three of their last ten- but drawn matches have become their achilles heel, with five of that run ending level, and they really need to start picking up wins if they are to escape the relegation places. Thatcham, in contrast, have won six of their last eight and are unbeaten in four, a run which now has them nearer to the play off places that to the bottom four.

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