Can the Scholars or the Towners hit the top?

We’ve four matches in Pitching In Isthmian Premier tonight, and we start at Potters Bar Town, who need just a point to take over from Bishop’s Stortford at the top of the table. The Scholars will obviously want more than that as they welcome Canvey Island, both sides rubbing their wounds after FA Trophy defeats at the weekend. The Scholars saw a four game winning run ended by North Division Heybridge Swifts, whilst the Gulls saw their three match unbeaten run ended by Bracknell Town. A win for the Gulls will see them up to sixth, outside the top five only on goal difference.

Enfield Town could go top if the Scholars fall to defeat. They start the night in fifth place, and will be smarting after an FA Trophy hammering at the hands of Chesham United on Saturday. Away from the Trophy, the Towners are unbeaten in five league matches, whilst visitors Bognor Regis Town are still struggling to find consistency, and indeed have the same number of wins, draws and defeats- three in each case. They did defeat Bowers & Pitsea in the Trophy on Saturday, however. They last met in the last game of last season, an Adam Cunnington goal giving the Towners a one-nil win.

Herne Bay, off the bottom only on goal difference, host a Lewes side who have fallen to fifteenth place after an indifferent September. Bay don’t have a League win since August 16th, whilst the Rooks haven’t delivered a bread and butter win since August 20th, so this is a match that both will hope to use to ignite their campaigns. The Rooks defeated Sevenoaks Town in the Trophy at the weekend, whilst Bay were losing to Bishop’s Stortford.

Corinthian-Casuals still can’t use their own ground due to storm damage, so ‘host’ tonight’s visit of Margate at Leatherhead’s Fetcham Grove. Casuals haven’t won since opening day and parted company with boss Tony Reid yesterday, whilst Gate have lost their way a little, having drawn one of their last five matches in League, FA Cup and Trophy, losing the other four. Both of last seasons meetings finished three-one, with one win each.

Pitching In Isthmian North

Heybridge Swifts, Trophy giant killers at Potters Bar Town on Saturday, put their unbeaten League record on the line once more as they welcome second bottom side Gorleston. Swifts start the day in ninth, but given their knockout exploits have played as many as four games fewer than the sides above them- and victory tonight will take them into the top five. Their visitors, second bottom with not a single point so far, still have no manager as we write- but will be desperate for three points.

Bury Town will also break into the top five with victory at Coggeshall Town. The visitors lost their first league match of the season against East Thurrock United at the weekend, and will hope to bounce back against a side who took four points from them last season. The Seed Growers have had a poor start to this campaign, however, third bottom and still without a win- although victory tonight would give them heart.

If Wroxham could take their FA Trophy form into the League they’d be challenging at the top end of the table rather than the bottom. Three Trophy matches have delivered three thumping wins, and when you consider that one of them was against our one hundred percent leaders Lowestoft Town it’s quite clear that the Yachtsmen have the ability to be much further up the table. Their hosts, Hullbridge Sports, have suddenly turned around their fortunes, moving clear of the bottom four with seven points from their last nine. Another win could take them as high as twelfth.

Pitching In Isthmian South East

We start with a Sussex derby, with our only unbeaten side, Whitehawk, welcoming Burgess Hill Town. Victory for the Hawks would take them into second, two points behind leaders Ramsgate with a game in hand- but their visitors need the points for different reasons, starting the day third from bottom. With wins in the League and Trophy from their last two matches the Hillians seem finally to be finding their form, whilst the Hawks were unlucky to depart the Trophy at Folkestone Invicta on Saturday, losing on a penalty shootout. The Hillians took four points from six from their encounters last season, but there was only one goal in one hundred and eighty minutes of action. Hopefully we’ll have more excitement tonight.

Sittingbourne also have top five aspirations, and know that a win tonight could take them as high as second. The Brickies travel to another side who will expect to be involved in the promotion shakeup, Cray Valley PM. The Millers departed the Trophy on penalties at the weekend, putting up a good show against Pitching In Isthmian Premier side Carshalton Athletic in a two-two draw, and haven’t lost a league match since the opening day; whilst the Brickies haven’t conceded a goal in their last three matches. Last season’s meetings ended in two Millers wins and an eight-one aggregate score, so the visitors will hope for revenge.

We’ve a bit of a grudge match at Jubilee Field, as Three Bridges welcome East Grinstead Town in an A264 Sussex derby. The Wasps fans sing of their dislike for these opponents even when not playing against them, and we suspect that both sets of supporters have some badinage saved up for this evening. Victory for the visitors could even take them into the top five, whilst Bridges, four points behind although with two matches in hand due to their cup exploits, will be desperate to get back to winning ways after three successive defeats- and to take local bragging rights.

In the Velocity Cup, Chertsey Town welcome Felixstowe and Walton United, Maldon & Tiptree welcome Hashtag United, and Westfield play host to Southall.

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.