The Bostik (mid)week!

We’ve terrible weather on the way according to the Met Office, so prepare for lots of news stories about ungritted roads, the ‘wrong kind of snow’ bringing trains to a halt, and schools closed for health and safety reasons. Hopefully, however, the worst of the disruption will happen in between or after our scheduled fixtures so we’ll still have plenty of excitement to bring you. Let’s see if our guide to the best of the week’s action can warm you up!

Our action starts tonight, in the North and South Central Divisions. Aveley have the chance to put Saturday’s defeat to Bowers and Pitsea behind them and close the gap on the leaders to four points, whilst visitors Barking are still searching for consistency but do only have one defeat from their last five. This will be the first meeting between the sides this season- the next time they meet will be the penultimate match of the campaign on Easter Monday- but last season Barking did the double over the Millers, so James Webster’s side will be looking for revenge.

Elsewhere, leaders Hayes and Yeading United have the chance to extend their South Central lead to nine points with victory at Chalfont St Peter- but they’ll still have a game in hand afterwards whatever happens. United slipped up at Ashford Town on Saturday- although it shows the standards they’ve set of late when conceding a late equaliser away from home can be described as a slip up- whilst the Saints have only two victories in their last ten matches, and have let a previously good home record slip recently with three defeats in their last four appearances at Mill Meadow.

Two of the most entertaining sides in the Premier Division go head to head at Moatside on Wednesday night as Merstham entertain Worthing- but there is a significant difference in form between the two of late. There are only three points between the Moatsiders, in fourth, and the Mackerel Men, in tenth, so a victory could technically take the visitors above their hosts in the table- but Merstham are currently nine matches (and seven victories) unbeaten, whilst Worthing have won only three of their last ten and only one of their last five. Taking those stats further still (yes, we know, football is played on grass, not on a spreadsheet!) Merstham have lost only one of their last ten home matches- but Worthing have the best away form in the Premier Division over the same period, with only two narrow defeats! What does all of this mean? That you’ll have to head to Moatside to find out which is better, as we haven’t a clue!

In the North Division Bowers & Pitsea’s lead may have been cut by Aveley on Tuesday night, but they can extend it again as they travel to East Thurrock to take on Romford. Bowers have only lost one of their last ten matches, whilst Romford have only one victory and eight defeats during the same period, so this should be an away banker, but as Jimmy Greaves used to say- and by the way, he was born in Manor Park, just along the road from Romford (indeed, along the Romford Road)- “it’s a funny old game.” Head along to Rookery Hill and find out just how funny.

Finally for Wednesday, we don’t normally preview County Cup ties- but we’ll make an exception because Marlow will host MK Dons in the Berks and Bucks County Cup Quarter Final. Hopefully the weather won’t get in the way this time.