North and Trophy Saturday

We have only two North Division matches due to Trophy commitments, and both involve sides at the bottom end of the table. Brentwood Town and Maldon & Tiptree are amongst our promotion favourites, but you wouldn’t know it on their form so far. The hosting Blues are thirteenth and have one only once, but the Jammers are in even worse form and have lost every match so far, parting company with manager Paul Abrahams in midweek. The Jammers took four points from six from their meetings last season.

Hullbridge Sports picked up their first points of the campaign in midweek with a three-nil win over Tilbury, and will hope to build on that as Great Wakering Rovers come to call. Rovers have also won only once this season, but took four points from Sports last season.

FA Trophy

Chatham Town will hope to bounce back from cup defeat against Walton & Hersham in midweek by defeating Stowmarket Town. The Chats were seven matches unbeaten before the Swans came to call, whilst Stow have won two and drawn one of their last three but haven’t really hit last season’s heights yet.

Cray Valley PM have lost only one of their last eight matches in all competitions, and will be confident as East Thurrock United arrive in South East London. The Rocks picked up their first League win of the season in midweek, but have saved most of their best form for cup competitions, having won three of their four knock out matches this season.

Heybridge Swifts (pictured- Alan Edmonds) finally lost a match in midweek- their first defeat of the season- but it did come against National League South side Braintree Town, and it was close. They welcome Pitching In Isthmian South Central Chipstead, the Chips seeing their three match unbeaten run come to an end against Marlow last weekend.

New Salamis host Coggeshall Town in an all-North encounter. After five games unbeaten, salamis have lost their last two- whilst the Seed Growers still await their first league win, and got their first win of the season in any competition in midweek, knocking Gorleston out of this competition on penalties.

Witham Town are having a magnificent season, as are opponents Ware of Pitching In Southern Division One Central. Town are fourth in the North Division, with only one league defeat, and have won five of their last six in all competitions; whilst Ware are top of their Division, have scored three goals in each of their last three matches, and knocked Maldon & Tiptree out of the Trophy in the last round.

Wroxham and Lowestoft Town met in the league only a few days ago, the Trawler Boys scoring three second half goals to continue their one hundred percent league record. The Yachtsmen have a quick chance of revenge, and will hope to find the form that saw them hammer East Grinstead Town in the last round.

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