Can the Urchins take a step nearer the title?

Leaders Hornchurch already sit eleven points clear of the only side who have any realistic chance of catching them, Chatham Town- and the word ‘realistic’ will be doing even more heavy lifting if the Urchins can win the first of their three games in hand over the Chats at Hastings United tonight. Hornchurch travel with an eight match winning streak under their belts, and are playing with the confidence of a side who are already preparing for National League South, whilst their hosts are on their worst run since the return of boss Chris Agutter, four matches without a win. United still have top five aspirations, and are currently five points away from a play off place, so will have no shortage of motivation as the leaders come to town. They will face an in-form striker in the shape of Urchins number nine Femi Akinwande, who has scored fifteen goals for his new side- and they will already know the scale of that challenge, as he scored eight in fourteen matches for United at the start of the campaign.

Hornchurch have won each of their three meetings since United’s return to our top flight by three clear goals, the most recent a four-one win in October.

Horsham could climb to third place with victory tonight, the Hornets heading to Canvey Island. This match is rather critical to the visitors play off ambitions, as they start the day in seventh, two points behind third place Enfield Town, one behind fourth place Wingate & Finchley, and behind Carshalton Athletic and Billericay Town only on goal difference. They have only one game in hand over the two North London sides in that list, so really need to win it- but after losing their last two will need to quickly quash any jitters. The hosting Gulls are six without a win, including four defeats, a run which has seen them drop to sixteenth- although fifteen points clear of the bottom four.

The Hornets have won the last three meetings between the clubs.

Bognor Regis Town haven’t yet given up on their play off hopes. Five points away from the top five they are back on their own patch for a Sussex derby, Whitehawk making the trip along the A27. The Rocks ended a five match winless run with three points at Wingate & Finchley on Saturday, whilst the Hawks, who are six points further back in fourteenth, are in good form- seven matches unbeaten- and hit Kingstonian for four at the weekend. Their last three victories were each followed by a draw, so they’d like to end that by delivering two wins in a row.

The Hawks won the first meeting between the sides this season by three goals to two, although the Rocks got a modicum of revenge for that with a three-nil County Cup win in January.

Concord Rangers, nine points from safety albeit with four games in hand, very much need to win one of those as Potters Bar Town take the trip to Essex this evening. The Beachboys have hit something of a slump after showing some signs of recovery, and have lost their last four, whilst the Scholars travel with a seven match unbeaten run under their belts and with games in hand over all of the sides above them. A Scholars victory could lift them to thirteenth, and they’ll still be buzzing after coming from two down to win at Hashtag United at the weekend. The sides met as recently as last month, Town coming out on top- just- in a seven goal thriller.

There is but one place- although five points- between Cheshunt and Folkestone Invicta as they kick off this evening. The Ambers have put a five point cushion between themselves and the danger zone, and have a game in hand over fourth bottom Margate, so Gate are in the rather unhappy position of hoping that their stripy Kent rivals can do them a favour this evening. The Ambers have one defeat from four and know that another win will do their survival chances a world of good, but they are unlikely to have it all their own way as Invicta seem to have finally found their feet, having won their last two and with only one defeat in six. Fourteen points above the drop zone, the stripes look to be playing mainly for pride, but there seems to be no shortage of that.

Invicta came from behind to win two-one when the sides met at the seaside in October.

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