Can Stoke tan the Tanners and make it twelve?

After eleven consecutive victories it’s no wonder that Basingstoke Town sit at the top of the pile, and Stoke will hope to- at the very least- hold on to their seven point lead as Leatherhead come to call. We’ve run out of superlatives to describe the performances from the side from Winklebury, whilst their visitors find themselves in twelfth place and four matches without a win- four matches which have seen them score only one goal. With nine points between themselves and the bottom four something would perhaps have to go very wrong for the Tanners to end up in a relegation fight, but with an eleven point gap between themselves and fifth place something will have to go very right if they are to get themselves involved in a promotion chase. The first match between the two sides this season ended in a goalless draw.

Many months ago we suggested that anyone finishing above Walton & Hersham would be promoted. The Swans will still be focused on ensuring that nobody finishes above them, but our second place side have a tough trip to Hanworth Villa this weekend. Having won their last seven, Walton are flying- but still find themselves seven points behind the leaders despite defeating them the week before Christmas. The Villains are always difficult to defeat- indeed they’ve lost only three of their last ten- and find themselves only six points behind fifth place Chertsey Town with two games in hand, so won’t have ruled themselves out of the play off hunt just yet.

Marlow have climbed to third place after winning their last two, and will want to make that three in a row as second bottom Merstham come to call. The Moatsiders have made themselves very difficult to beat, with only three defeats from their last ten, but if they are going to escape from the bottom four need to find a way to turn draws into victories. Their eleven draws this season is one of the reasons they are six points from safety.

Long-time leaders Northwood have slipped to fourth after a run which has seen them lose five of their last six. Woods welcome Ashford Town, the Tangerines having opened up an eight point gap between themselves and the bottom four after an improved February which saw them take three wins and a draw from their six matches. The Tangerines are very much better at home than on the road, however- could this be the day when the Woods get back to winning ways? The two sides have already met four times this season, and Town took wins in the FA Cup and the League, the only Woods victory coming in the Middlesex County Cup.

Chertsey Town are on the road, then the plane, then the road, as they travel to the Channel Islands to take on a buoyant Guernsey. The Green Lions finally climbed out of the bottom four in midweek with a win at Binfield, and will hope to stay there- particularly given they’ve won three of their last four whilst the Curfews have won only one of their last five. The Curfews won their last meeting by four goals to nil- is revenge best served green?

Binfield are three points away from the top five and have looked a little out of sorts, taking only one point from the last twelve available. The Moles welcome Westfield, five places and six points behind them- and the visitors are in an even trickier predicament, with only one win from ten. They defeated the Moles two-one in November.

South Park have fallen five points away from the play off places and will hope to narrow that gap as they welcome bottom side Tooting & Mitcham United. The Terrors are seven points from safety although they haven’t conceded a goal for three matches so perhaps are starting to build some momentum; whilst the Sparks are in mixed form themselves and have only two wins from their last ten.

Our other draw specialists, Southall- eleven draws so far this season- play host to third bottom Sutton Common Rovers. Hall have lost their last two, whilst Rovers are perhaps in their best form of the season, four unbeaten, but still find themselves two points from safety having played more matches- generally three more matches- than almost all of the sides around them fighting to escape the drop. That said, if they could continue in the same vein, anything is possible.

Thatcham Town take their fine form to a side searching for some of that, Bedfont Sports. The hosts have slipped into the bottom four after a run of one win from nine; whilst the Kingfishers have been superb, nine unbeaten, and if they could continue like that might think they have an outside chance of the play off’s. They defeated Sports five-one in October, a David Nyarko hat trick doing most of the damage.

Uxbridge and Chipstead meet at Honeycroft, only a point and two places between them. The Chips have seen a good run end with four defeats and only one win from their last six, although their last two losses did come against our top two; whilst the reds have lost only three of their last ten but have been prevented from capitalising on that by the fact that five of those- including the last three- ended all square. The Chips won two-one when they met at the High Road in October.

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