Can the Hornets slow the Urchins march?

Leaders Hornchurch have created a six point gap at the top, as well as having two games in hand over second place Chatham Town. That said, they’ve given the chasing pack hope by looking rather less like a machine over the past few weeks, actually dropping a few points by losing their only game this season and drawing twice- yes, it’s a small straw we’re grasping at, but we’re grasping it nonetheless! The Urchins welcome Horsham to Bridge Avenue, the Hornets on their worst run of the campaign, with only one win from five.

Hornchurch have won four of their last five meetings with Horsham, and the one they lost…we’ll refrain from mentioning that, lest it opens up some old wounds! Two Ryan Scott goals won the meeting on the opening day by two goals to one.

Second place Chatham Town take themselves and their newly awarded Performance of the Month accolades to the Sussex coast, where they take on Bognor Regis Town. The Chats are looking for a fourth successive win, whilst the Rocks saw a seven match unbeaten run ended at Lewes last time out, but will still be scratching their heads and wondering how that happened. A Jamie Yila goal delivered victory for the Chats when they met on opening day.

Enfield Town, in third place but twelve points behind the leaders, make the trip to Canvey where they take on bottom side Concord Rangers. The Beachboys are three without a win but have improved enormously of late so won’t be without confidence, whilst the Towners will hope to bounce back quickly from their defeat at Cray Wanderers on the last Friday of 2023. Town defeated Rangers three-nil on opening day.

Wingate & Finchley have been one of our surprise packages this season, and sit deservedly in fourth place. The Blues travel to the Kent coast to take on Folkestone Invicta, having won five of their last six- whilst Invicta managed to bring an end to a five match losing streak at Margate on New Years Day. The Stripes defeated the Blues four-nil on the opening day of the season- we suspect this one will be a great deal closer, but Invicta have won the last SEVEN meetings between the sides.

Fifth place Billericay Town head to Mitcham, where they face Kingstonian. The Blues seem to have put a two game losing run behind them by winning the last two, but the last time they recovered in such a way from two defeats they went on to lose two more, so they’ll hope to avoid that! The K’s are on a terrible run, taking only two points from the last thirty available to them, and are without a league win since October 21st, a run which sees them nine points from safety. The Blues were victorious on opening day, Ade Azeez scoring the only goal of the game.

Hastings United, in sixth place, are on the road to North London where they take on struggling Cheshunt. The Ambers need a win to get them out of the bottom four, but they’ve lost their last three- each defeat a narrow one, but a defeat nonetheless, and find themselves two points behind Margate, who are in eighteenth. United are five unbeaten, and indeed have lost only two of their last ten, but three of their last four have ended level- as the fixture against the Ambers did on opening day.

Seventh place Hashtag United find themselves only three points away from the top five, and travel to face Dulwich Hamlet and their enormous crowd. The Tags were on a four match winning streak prior to coming up against the immovable object of Hornchurch last time out, but will hope to once more become an irresistible force at Champion Hill. Hamlet looked to be putting together a play off push, but a run of one win from four has slowed that down somewhat, and they find themselves six points behind their visitors. The two sides drew two-two on opening day.

Carshalton Athletic have suddenly found their form and their shooting boots, and the Robins could move up to sixth place if they can win at Potters Bar Town. Athletic have won four of their last five and scored ten goals in their last two matches, but they won’t find it easy at the Lantern Stadium, the Scholars last gasp defeat at Billericay on New Years Day bringing an end to a three match winning run, and delivering only their second defeat in ten. The Robins defeated the Scholars five-nil on opening day, and their hosts will be out for revenge.

The last ten meetings between the sides have brought seven wins for the Athletic and three for Town- with no draws.

Lewes head to Cray Wanderers for the latest incarnation of the Tony Russell derby. The Rooks boss will be happy with his sides four match unbeaten run, which includes three victories, whilst Wands have only lost one of their last nine but seem to have got into a habit of drawing their matches, five of their last seven ending level. A Chris Whelpdale goal gave the Rooks victory on the opening day, and Lewes are four unbeaten against these particular rivals, two wins and two draws.

Canvey Island will hope to improve on their twelfth place as they head to North London to take on Haringey Borough, whilst their hosts will be desperate for points, nine points away from safety. The Gulls got back to winning ways on New Years Day after five games without a victory, whilst Borough have only one win from ten, and will have nightmares about the last meeting between the sides, when they lost a two goal lead and all of the points in the last eighteen minutes of the match on opening day.

Whitehawk got back to winning ways with victory against Horsham on New Years Day, and will be hoping to move up the table as they welcomer Margate to the Enclosed Ground. That Hawks win followed eight matches without one, whilst their visitors haven’t won since November 4th- twelve matches- and know that another defeat could see them drop into the bottom four. Margate won the match between the sides on opening day, two Phil Roberts goals earning a two-one win.

Note to all clubs- please upload any goal of the month contenders as soon as you can, to the address we sent you!

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