Can the Swans regain top spot?

Walton and Hersham hope to rule the skies as well as Pitching In Isthmian South Central, heading to Gatwick for a flight to the Channel Islands where they will face Guernsey at 2PM. The Swans have been quite magnificent of late, particularly when winning their fourteenth match in a row as they hammered title rivals Basingstoke Town last weekend. Those fourteen matches have seen them score an incredible forty six goals- twenty six in the last six- but they can’t afford to slacken their pace now with only four matches left and Stoke back on top after victory yesterday. The Green Lions have opened up a six point gap on the bottom four and are very close to safety, but won’t want to be on the receiving end of the kind of hammering the Swans have been delivering with monotonous regularity of late. The hosts have a number of matchwinners- particularly striker extraordinaire Ross Allen- and have lost only two of their last ten matches, so will be determined not to be pushovers.

Third place Marlow will look to take a step closer to a home play off berth as they host South Park Reigate. One more win will guarantee the play offs for the side from the Alfred David Ground, but their battle is really with fourth place Northwood, who are three points behind. Ten matches without defeat, they are in fine form- and for the travelling Sparks, six points away from a play off spot, another defeat would probably end their own promotion hopes. The visitors have won two of their last three, and defeated these opponents two-nil back in December.

Two of our play off hopefuls meet at Fetcham Grove. Leatherhead are making a late run towards the promised land, having won their last four matches, but find themselves five points behind visitors Hanworth Villa- the Villains also with the luxury of a game in hand over each of their rivals for fifth place. Villa have taken five wins from their last six and are having a fine first Isthmian season. The last meeting between the sides was a goalless draw, which would do the Tanners little good at this stage of the season were it to be repeated- and might not to Villa’s promotion chances any good either.

Binfield are only one point outside the top five. The Moles are on the road to Uxbridge, the hosts not yet guaranteed safety- although with an eight point gap between themselves and the bottom four they are nearly across that particular line. The Moles seem to be rediscovering their early season form, with only one defeat from six; whilst Uxbridge have lost their last three and have only two wins from ten.

Chertsey Town, now being managed by a senior players collective, will look to make a late run towards fifth spot as they welcome Tooting & Mitcham United. The travelling Terrors have exhibited little that was terrifying this season- apart from, perhaps, to their own supporters- and are on the cusp of relegation from our ranks, fourteen points from safety and eleven away from even the consolation prize of a relegation play off spot. A Curfews win may consign their visitors to Step Five, but with only one win from nine is far from guaranteed.

We have a mid table battle as Chipstead welcome Thatcham Town. Neither side are mathematically prohibited from qualifying for the play offs, but it would take a set of freak results for that to happen so both, in reality, will just be pushing to finish as high as possible. The Kingfishers have a two point advantage and have lost only one of their last four; whilst the Chips are also in decent form, with one defeat from six.

Another side with little more than pride to play for are Westfield. The Woking side, ten points away from the top five, could do a great favour to the bottom four should they defeat Ashford Town, the Tangerines only two points above the drop line and having lost six of their last seven. With two wins from ten, the Chips are hardly consistent, either.

Finally we have a big relegation battle as third bottom Merstham welcome second bottom Bedfont Sports. The West Londoners are three points behind their hosts and six from safety, whilst the Moatsiders were within two minutes of climbing out of the bottom four in midweek only for opponents Leatherhead to score two late goals and leave them bereft. That was three defeats in a row for Merstham, whilst Sports don’t have a win since the last day of January.

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