Can the Rams go back to the summit?

Second place Ramsgate will return to the summit if they can win at East Grinstead Town this evening, and know that victory will open up a two point gap- albeit by giving Cray Valley PM a game in hand.

The Rams have won five of their last six, but lost unexpectedly in Horndean this time last week, an outcome which will have heightened the Wasps hopes. That said, the comparison rather ends as soon as it begins, as the Deans are sixth in our ten match form table whilst Town are rock bottom using the same measure, with one win from ten and seven defeats, including their last two. To put it another way, Horndean’s victory was a surprise, victory for East Grinstead would be rather seismic- particularly as the Rams hit the Wasps for five when the sides met in January. Ramsgate have won the last five meetings between the clubs.

It’s eighth v seventh as Hythe Town welcome Herne Bay. The hosts are twelve points away from a top five spot with four games in hand, so it looks as if a home win is critical to their promotion hopes; whilst Bay have fallen six points away from the top five with only one game in hand, so it would seem that an away win may be critical to their promotion hopes. We suspect that neither side would be content with a draw. The two sides have already met this month, the Cannons winning by two goals to one as Bay saw two men sent off.

Horndean have been in fine form, and are back on their own patch as Sheppey United come to call. The Deans have won three of their last four and are comfortable in fourteenth place, but victory tonight would lift them level with their opponents, who have seen their play off chances virtually evaporate. The Ites have lost their last four and won only two of their last ten, a sequence which has seen them slide into a mid table position and fall a full fifteen points behind fifth place Lancing. They do have three games in hand over the Lancers, but they’ll need a dramatic change in fortunes if the season is to have a positive outcome. Horndean are hoping to do the double after a three-two win at Holm Park in October.

Littlehampton Town, nine points above the danger zone, take on second bottom Erith and Belvedere at the seaside. The Golds have had a rather up and down campaign but ended a four match losing run with victory over Merstham at the weekend, whilst the Deres have lost five of their last six, a run which has seen them fall to five points away from salvation. They have already won at the Sportsfield, a six-nil hammering in the Extra-Preliminary Round of the FA Cup way back on August 6th, and defeated the Golds at home in December, two-one- so you’d have to think that Town will be rather determined to take their revenge.

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