Can the Chips become the first side in five months to silence the Curfews?

Struggling Chipstead have gone eight matches without a win, but were perhaps unlucky to take nothing from their trip to Raynes Park Vale in midweek. The Chips are back on their own patch tomorrow, and they welcome the biggest challenge that could come their way, leaders Chertsey Town making the trip. The Curfews have a six point lead at the top, an eight match winning streak to protect, and are unbeaten for TWENTY TWO matches- but they did lose at High Road last season. That said, they defeated the Chips two-one in October.

Second place Southall got back to winning ways against Westfield last weekend, and The All travel to bottom side Corinthian-Casuals hoping- at the very least- to stop Chertsey’s lead at the top from getting even longer. Casuals haven’t picked up a win since mid November, were beaten five two by this weekend’s opponents in November, are eight points from safety, and have taken one solitary point from their last ten fixtures. Think what a confidence boost it would be if they could get back to wining ways against the title chasers? That said, we suspect that Southall will have a great deal to say about that idea.

Third place Marlow are seven points behind the leaders, but only one point behind second place Southall- so could go second if The All somehow come unstuck. That said, it may not be easy for them, as they have to travel to take on the side directly behind them, Leatherhead- free-scoring striker Dave Tarpey making a quick return to his former club. Since arriving at Oak Tree Road, Tarpey has scored fifteen goals in fourteen appearances- including eleven in the last six- but the Tanners have the joint best defensive record in the Division so will be confident that they can keep him out! Marlow are nine unbeaten, having won eight of those including the last six; whilst Leatherhead have two defeats from ten and have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four. The Tanners will be looking for revenge- Marlow defeated them four-nil in October.

Raynes Park Vale make the trip to Ashford Town. Vale find themselves three points clear of sixth place Westfield, and are three unbeaten- although perhaps were a little lucky to take three points against Chipstead in midweek, a last-gasp penalty doing the damage. Nine matches without a win have seen the hosting Tangerines plummet down the table, and they find themselves just about the drop zone, albeit with a six point cushion. The form of Binfield, however, will have them looking nervously over their shoulders. The last time the sides met, Vale recorded a narrow two-one win.

Defeat at Southall last weekend saw Westfield depart the top five, and they’ll quickly want to return to the form that had seen them win eight of their previous nine. The Woking Park side welcome tenth place Badshot Lea, the Baggies three without a win and hoping to get back on track. The sides are scheduled to meet again on March 5th.

Hartley Wintney seem to have suddenly lost their way. The Row have lost their last three whilst conceding eleven goals, and find themselves seven points away from the top five, whilst their visitors, Sutton Common Rovers, will hope that they can mark themselves safe from promotion and relegation as they sit firmly in mid table despite some good performances across the season. Their last meeting with Hartley Wintney wasn’t one of those good performances, as they lost five-one after playing most of the match with ten men, but with only one defeat in their last four- and that a narrow one at Leatherhead in midweek- they’ll be confident of revenge.

Thatcham Town are ten points away from the top five, and after three wins in a row and only one goal conceded during them won’t be short on confidence as they head to Northwood. The Woods are nine places and twenty points further back, are three without a win, and are still struggling to find any consistency. The first match between the sides this season ended in a two-nil Kingfishers victory.

Ninth place South Park Reigate will have hoped to have escaped a spell of inconsistent form after winning two of their last three, but they may need to be in good form to defeat a resurgent Binfield. The Moles may be second from bottom and six points from safety but they’ve been playing more like promotion chasers of late, with only one defeat from six. The two sides meet again on March 5th.

Hanworth Villa play host to Uxbridge in a local derby. One place and one point separate the sides in eleventh and twelfth, but Villa have gone six without a win whilst their visitors have also been on a poor run, one win from ten, but have looked much improved and have taken four points from their last two. After two draws between the sides last season, the Villains won their first encounter this season by three goals to one.

Metropolitan Police welcome Guernsey, fifteenth v sixteenth, with only a point between the sides. The Boys in Blue saw a two match winning run come to an end against Chertsey Town last time out but haven’t managed to play for a fortnight, whilst the Green Lions have won three of their last four but have been much stronger at home than on the road. The sides drew one-one in October.

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