Can the Yellows and the Tags continue their winning run?

Leaders AFC Sudbury have maintained their four point lead at the top despite Hashtag’s charge, but the Yellows face the tricky challenge of a trip to third place Grays Athletic. With only one defeat all season Sudbury are deserved leaders, and they’ve won their last nine matches- whilst Athletic are on their best run of the season, with six consecutive wins. A rather incredible fifteen points separate the two, but the hosts will want to cement their place inside the top five by continuing their fine run. Athletic haven’t beaten the Yellows in their last four attempts- but they have drawn two of those. Sudbury won their first meeting of the campaign by three goals to one, despite playing the last half hour with ten men.

Hashtag United put the best winning run in the country on the line as they head to Wroxham. The Tags last league defeat was at the hands of their closest title rivals back in November, since when they’ve swept everything before them and have been scoring goals for fun. The Yachtsmen are unlikely to be pushovers, however- they were on a fine run of their own before last weekend’s narrow defeat to Sudbury, eight matches without defeat. When the two last met the Tags recorded a narrow two-one win.

Lowestoft Town look to have almost recaptured their early season form, and are five games without defeat as they welcome New Salamis to the seaside. Salamis, in eighth place, have been by far the most successful of our newly promoted clubs, but are on their first difficult run of the campaign, with only one win from six matches. When the two last met, at Coles Park in November, Salamis triumphed two-one.

Heybridge Swifts will hope to hold on to their top five spot as they travel to Hullbridge Sports. Swifts have become rather inconsistent, with only three wins from their last ten; whilst Sports have lost their last three, a run which has seen them fall into the bottom four. Swifts have won five of the last six meetings between the clubs.

Stowmarket Town, without a permanent manager as we write, have lost three of their last four- a sequence which has seen them slip from the top five. Stow are on the road to Brentwood Town, the Blues, who defeated Stow in the play off semi Final last season, having a rather average campaign- down in twelfth place and fourteen points behind their visitors. The last time the two met a Tevan Allen goal made the difference for Stow.

Felixstowe and Walton United find themselves in seventh place, but have one, three or even four games in hand over the sides above them, and only a three point gap to close to get back into the top five. The Seasiders are on the road to Tilbury, the Dockers a point above the bottom four but newly strengthened. Felixstowe won their earlier meeting this season, but have been far less effective on the road. That said, Tilbury have won only once at home, so draw no conclusions!

Maldon & Tiptree welcome East Thurrock United. After their early-season struggles the Jammers have climbed to fifteenth under Peter Taylor, five points above the bottom four- although they did lose to Grays Athletic last time out. The Rocks have seen their own good form shudder to a halt, and travel to the land of Jam on the back of three successive defeats- which have seen them slip to nine points behind the top five.

Witham Town, who have perhaps forgotten what winning feels like, welcome Bury Town. Witham have lost their last nine matches and will be desperate not to create an imperfect ten, particularly as they’ve plummeted to only one point above the bottom four. Bury have also entered a period of rather underwhelming form, and have only one win from their last seven.

Basildon United, six points above the bottom four, travel to face bottom side Coggeshall Town. The Seed Growers have looked improved of late but that improvement hasn’t transformed their results, and they kick off still without a league win all season and ten points from safety. The Bees were walloped at Heybridge Swifts last time out, but last time out was as far back as January 7th and they’ll be delighted to get the chance to consign that to history.

Finally, we have eighteenth v nineteenth as Great Wakering Rovers welcome Gorleston. Rovers, under new management, are without a win since October 8th and have been without a match since January 7th, whilst the Greens recorded a morale-boosting win at new Salamis last time out- but again, last time out was January 7th. An away win would see the sides swap places.

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