Can the Yellows return to the top?

For the first time in three months there is a different name at the top of Pitching In Isthmian North, but AFC Sudbury will hope to rectify that as they travel to Felixstowe & Walton United. The fourth place Seasiders will be no pushovers, however, having lost only one home league match all season- and with only two defeats from their last ten are in very good form. The Yellows start the night two points behind Hashtag United with a game in hand- but they’ll need to win it, and that might not be easy! A late Nnamdi Nwachuku goal for the Yellows made the difference the last time they met- and indeed Sudbury have won their last three meetings, and six of their last eight.

Lowestoft Town, in third place- sixteen points behind the leaders- will be perhaps more focused on ensuring that they retain or extend the five point gap between themselves and sixth place Heybridge Swifts. The Trawler Boys welcome Wroxham to the seaside, and will hope to start another unbeaten run after their eight match streak was ended by Hashtag United at the weekend. The Yachtsmen have been in fine form of late, with only two defeats from their last ten, and although they lost three-nil to the Trawler Boys in the league in September they followed that up by hammering tonight’s opponents five-one in the FA Trophy.

Stowmarket Town, under new management, will hope to get the Chris Casement era off to a flyer by defeating second bottom Gorleston tonight. Stow haven’t scored in their last two matches, which have delivered only one point, and with Heybridge Swifts and Grays Athletic breathing down their necks for fifth spot will want to get back to winning ways. Their visitors, five points from safety, have only two wins from ten.

Heybridge Swifts welcome Witham Town to Scraley Road. Swifts, with only three wins from their last ten, have been a little out of sorts of late; whilst their visitors are only two points above the drop zone but have looked much improved of late, their defeat on Saturday seeing them fall to a very late East Thurrock United penalty when a point looked likely.

Bury Town welcome a resurgent Coggeshall Town to Ram Meadow. After waiting months for a victory, the Seed Growers now have three of them- all from their last three matches, a run which has moved them to within four points of safety. Town should prove difficult opponents, however, four matches unbeaten- although they are struggling in front of goal a little, having scored only one goal in their last three matches.

We’ve a mid table battle as Brentwood Town welcome East Thurrock United. Town, three unbeaten, look to have finally shaken off their doldrums and will hope to start climbing the table; whilst the Rocks have taken four points from their last six and will also be looking upwards once more. A Harry Hope goal gave the Rocks victory when the two sides met in September.

Seventeenth welcomes sixteenth as Hullbridge Sports look to drag themselves out of the bottom four with victory over Tilbury, who will replace them there should that happen. Sports have lost seven of their last eight, whilst the Dockers have also been in terrible form, with only one win from ten.

Finally our bottom side, Great Wakering Rovers, last tasted victory more than four months ago- a two-one win over Coggeshall Town on October 8th the last time the Burroughs Park faithful were given any joy. Since then sixteen matches have brought nothing but misery, and they welcome Basildon United on the back of eleven consecutive defeats. When the two last met, on September 20th, the Bees won two-one; although with a run of one win from their last ten tonight’s visitors haven’t had a lot to shout about lately, either. Rovers are seven points from safety, whilst the Bees are four above the bottom four, so the points are crucial for both sides.

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