Can the Yellows continue their winning streak?

Our leaders, AFC Sudbury, will start the day as they will end it, at the top of the table- but whether they’ll kick off with a one point lead, a three point lead or a four point lead will depend on how Hashtag United do at East Thurrock United tonight. The Yellows, with only one defeat all season and nine wins from their last ten, are on the road to a side who seem to have forgotten how it feels to win, Witham Town. The hosts start the weekend only a point clear of fourth bottom Tilbury having lost their last eight matches, a run that has plunged them into trouble. The Yellows won the first meeting of the clubs this season by a single goal- and indeed Town haven’t emerged victorious from this fixture since December 2018.

Heybridge Swifts, in third, are on the road to take on bottom side Coggeshall Town. The visitors, without defender Darren Phillips who left for the bright lights of Faversham Town yesterday, are only three points ahead of seventh place Grays Athletic, so rather like most of the top five can’t afford to slip up. They’ve won their last two, looking back to their best after a five match winless run, whilst the Seed Growers are still without a win all season, but have looked much improved of late- so you have to expect that first three points will arrive sooner rather than later.

Stowmarket Town host our match of the day as fourth takes on fifth, Lowestoft Town the visitors. Stow look to be over their blip having defeated Tilbury three-nil in midweek, whilst the Trawler Boys bump in the road also seems to be smoothed out, and they arrive on the back of a four match unbeaten run. The visitors won their first meeting this season by two goals to one, Chris Henderson and Jake Reed scoring the goals before Tom Bullard got one back for Town.

Felixstowe and Walton United head up the coast to take on a Gorleston side who will have hope following last weekend’s win at New Salamis. That was the Greens first win in eight matches- and only their third of the campaign- but they are only four points from safety and certainly won’t give up their Step Four status easily, particularly given how hard they had to fight to attain it. The travelling Seasiders are much better at home than on the road, winning only three of their matches away from the Goldstar Ground, but they are four unbeaten and won their last away match at Stowmarket Town. A win could see them climb as high as third- and they won the home fixture against the Greens by three goals to two back in August.

Grays Athletic make the trip to Maldon & Tiptree looking to crash back into the top five, and protecting a record which has seen them win their last four- and indeed five of their last six. The Jammers have launched manager Peter Taylor’s reign with a collection of wins, and indeed have only one defeat from their last six after three consecutive one-nil wins. Athletic beat the Jammers two-nil back in August, Courtney Homans and Correy Davidson with the goals, and also defeated the Jammers three-two at the end of last season.

Brentwood Town welcome New Salamis to the Arena. Salamis surprisingly slipped up against Gorleston last time out, whilst the Blues have only one win from their last eight and find themselves thirteen points behind the top five. A penalty from Pap Jawara separated the two in favour of tomorrow’s visitors when the two sides met at Coles Park in August.

Bury Town see one of our form sides, Wroxham, arrive at Ram Meadow. Town have only one win from their last seven and aren’t putting up the promotion fight we all expected, starting the day nine points adrift of the top five; whilst the Yachtsmen have put their early season struggles firmly behind them and are eight matches unbeaten, having won their last four and conceded only one goal in doing so- a run which has seen them open up a ten point gap on the bottom four. The two sides played out a goalless draw in August.

Basildon United have been much improved of late, with only two defeats from their last eight matches, and start the day six points and four places above tomorrow’s visitors, Tilbury. The Dockers, conversely, have been in terrible form, but will hope to give new boss Scott Dash an impressive start to his time at Chadfields and get themselves out of the bottom four at the same time. They’ll need to turn around a run which has seen them win only one of their last ten to do so.

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