Can the Blues extend their lead- or will the Scholars pounce?

Bishop’s Stortford lead the Premier pack, seven matches unbeaten and with a rather incredible six clean sheets from their lasty six matches. The Blues, who start the weekend two points clear, welcome Carshalton Athletic, the Robins having increased their firepower this week with the arrival of Alex Akrofi from Aveley. Athletic are finally looking to be putting together a consistent run of form, having won their last three matches in League and Trophy, and will hope to be the first side for more than five hundred and forty Isthmian minutes to puncture that Blue rearguard- whilst Frankie Merrifield will be trying to add to his eight goals at the other end.

Any slip from Stortford could see Potters Bar Town take over at the top. The Scholars have not managed a win from their last three games and will be hopeful of changing that record as they travel to Corinthian-Casuals- and they actually will travel to Tolworth after Casuals got the go-ahead to reopen their storm damaged King George’s Field for the first time in a month. The hosts are rock bottom without a win since the opening day, but would suggest that being wandering nomads hasn’t helped much. Last season Casuals won their home match against the Scholars four-one, but both sides are much altered since then.

Third place Enfield Town travel to fourth place Cray Wanderers in our match of the day. The sides have had contrasting fortunes recently, the Towners without a win in three and having conceded four goals against Lewes and Chesham United during that run, whilst Wands hit four of their own in midweek and have taken seven points from their last nine. Wands have had thirteen different goalscorers this season, with Dan Bassett and Ben Krauhaus leading the way- the latter scoring a hat trick on Wednesday night.

Aveley have a new signing in place as they welcome Haringey Borough- defender Siju Odelusi signing on. The Millers have slipped a little of late, with only one win from their last four league matches and a Trophy defeat against Horsham adding to those woes, whilst Borough have only one defeat from their last nine league matches and defeated Bowers & Pitsea four-two last time out.

Hornchurch, in sixth, welcome Horsham, a place behind. The Urchins have been in Cup and Trophy action over the last two weekends, and two defeats left them the league to concentrate on. They’d won four consecutive matches before knockout football got in the way, and are six points behind the leaders but have four games in hand. The visiting Hornets seem to be back on track, three games unbeaten, and would undoubtedly like a little revenge after losing both of last season’s encounters by two goals to nil.

Canvey Island welcome winless and now-managerless Wingate & Finchley, who saw boss Marc Weatherstone depart last night. The Gulls have stumbled a little of late, a win over Potters Bar Town the meat between defeats against Bracknell Town and Margate in that particular sandwich. A Gulls victory could send them into the top five, a win for the visitors could see them climb out of the bottom four. The side from Summers Lane have drawn six and lost five of their eleven matches so far.

Hastings United, who also have top five hopes, take on the side who were promoted from Pitching In Isthmian South East alongside them last season, Herne Bay. United travel to the Kent coast on the back of a run that sees them with one defeat in six- and five clean sheets- and will be full of confidence after a four-nil win at Wingate & Finchley in midweek. Bay, meanwhile, will hope to show the form them demonstrated when walloping Lewes on October 11th, previous last home fixture. United took four points from their fixtures against Bay last season.

Billericay Town play host to Bognor Regis Town. The hosting Blues have looked in fine fettle when taking ten points from their last twelve, whilst the Rocks are on the up, too, with only one defeat in six.

Lewes and Margate meet at the Dripping Pan. The hosts got back to winning ways in midweek, the winning at Enfield Town, whilst the Blues are three unbeaten in the league, winning their last two without conceding a goal. Last season the Rooks won both of their encounters, scoring eight goals and conceding only two.

Kingstonian welcome Folkestone Invicta to Imperial Fields, home of Tooting & Mitcham United. The K’s have been difficult to beat all season but have a shortage of victories, only two from thirteen games in League, Cup and Trophy- but they also have six draws. Invicta got back to winning ways when defeating Corinthian-Casuals four-nil in midweek, and have Ade Yusuff in fine form, with eleven goals so far. Invicta won both of last season’s encounters, seven-two on aggregate, Yusuff scoring in both matches.

Nineteenth hosts twentieth as Bowers & Pitsea welcome Brightlingsea Regent, both hoping for a win which might lift them out of the bottom four. Bowers are without a win since Saturday 20th August, although they have drawn five of their eleven matches; whilst Regent were beaten four-nil at Cray Wanderers in midweek and have now lost their last four matches in all competitions without scoring a goal-whilst conceding ten. Their last league win was on August Bank Holiday Monday.

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