Can the Tags get back to winning ways?

Our leaders, Hashtag United, saw a twenty one match winning run come to an end with defeat at Stowmarket Town last weekend. Still six points clear at the top, and with only five matches to go, the Tags welcome relegation-fighting Coggeshall Town to the Len Salmon this weekend, looking to take a step closer to the title with second place AFC Sudbury hoping that the Seed Growers can upset the apple cart. The visitors, who are twelve points from safety, will perhaps be focused on the second chance salon of the relegation play off places, but to get there will still need to make up points. When the two sides met in February, the Tags won by two goals to one.

Second place Sudbury welcome the Tags conquerors, Stowmarket Town, who will be looking to reinforce their own promotion credentials by taking another big scalp. Stow, in fourth, are four points clear of the chasing pack so seem to have a firm grasp on a play off place, but having won their last five matches will be looking enviously at the third spot and home play off berth occupied by Lowestoft Town. The Yellows seem to have got over their tricky patch, and with striker Nnamdi Nwachuku surely eyeing a fifty goal haul for the campaign- he currently has forty three- Stow’s defence will need to be at their best. Stow inflicted defeat on the Yellows as recently as March 7th- their third meeting of the season, a cup win for the Yellows and a cup draw the outcomes of the other two.

Lowestoft Town will hope to get back to winning ways as they welcome Brentwood Town, and to strengthen their grip on third place. The Trawler Boys are three without a win- and indeed have lost their last two, conceding five goals at Maldon & Tiptree last weekend. Their visitors are on their best run of the season, with only one defeat from their last ten- a run which included a two-two draw with their seaside opponents only two and a half weeks ago. POSTPONED.

Felixstowe and Walton United are in fifth place only on goal difference, but they do have a game in hand over Heybridge Swifts and Grays Athletic, both of whom are level on points with the Seasiders. They welcome a side suffering a major downturn, East Thurrock United- the Rocks twelve points further back and having lost their last four matches. The hosts have only one win from their last five, and can’t afford to lose another- indeed, even a draw might see them down as low as seventh by Saturday night. POSTPONED.

Heybridge Swifts will hope to capitalise on any Felixstowe slip up. Scraley Road plays host to Bury Town, the visitors still without a permanent manager as we write, and down in twelfth place. Two one-nil wins in a row have seen Swifts get their promotion hopes back on track; whilst the visiting Blues have only one win from their last nine. Town have won two of the last three meetings between the sides, including a one-nil win in December.

Grays Athletic will attempt to climb back into the top five with victory over Basildon United- although, of course, the Bees will have something to say about that! Athletic have only one win from their last four and very much need three points, whilst the Bees suffered their first defeat in six last weekend and, with an eleven point cushion between themselves and the bottom four, and very close to being declared safe. The two met as recently as March 7th, and it took two goals in the last five minutes to earn a draw for Athletic when defeat had looked certain.

Wroxham welcome Maldon & Tiptree to the beautiful broads. The Yachtsmen could climb to eighth place with victory- and with only two defeats from ten are in fine form; whilst the Jammers were impressive last weekend, getting back to winning ways when walloping five goals into the Lowestoft Town net. The visitors have opened up a ten point gap on the bottom four, and another win would surely guarantee them safety. POSTPONED.

Bottom side Hullbridge Sports welcome Gorleston. Twelve points from safety with only six games left, the hosts surely need to win to give themselves any chance of a great escape- but they’ve taken only one point from the last twenty four available. The Greens, in contrast, have been in fine form, only two defeats from ten giving them a nine point lead over the bottom four- and defeated Sports three-nil as recently as February 21st. POSTPONED.

We have a critical battle at Chadfields. Hosts Tilbury are eight points from safety and surely need to win if they are to have any chance of a great escape. Visitors Great Wakering Rovers are two points further back, so escape would be even more difficult, but they will at the very least hope to guarantee a relegation play off place. A very, very late Alex Clark goal gave the Dockers three points against Rovers on January 31st.

Sixteenth place Witham Town travel to New Salamis on Sunday.

Image: Nashy Photo.

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