Pitching In to the new season: South East Division

Title favourites Ashford United start the campaign with a difficult trip to a club who are also expected to challenge at the right end of the table, Burgess Hill Town. The Hillians have lost talisman Pat Harding but have replaced him with twenty goal Three Bridges striker Dan Perry, who returns to the club, a veteran of their own promotion season and FA Cup/FA Trophy runs from the middle of the last decade. The Nuts and Bolts have had a mixed pre-season, although have played mainly higher level opposition, whilst the Hillians have been in good form- for all any of that matters when all you’re playing is friendlies. United also travelled to Hill for last season’s opener, winning three-one, but lost the return fixture.

Our other contender for match of the day comes from Ramsgate, who welcome Cray Valley PM. Both sides are reckoned to be amongst the promotion contenders, and neither will want to lose against a rival. The Millers took four points from the Rams last season, and their hosts will want to ensure that doesn’t happen again- but it has been the way of things since the Millers promotion, Ramsgate taking only one point from their four meetings.

Haywards Heath Town are much fancied amongst our supporters, predicted into second place. Heath are on the road to VCD Athletic, the Vickers always unpredictable. The two met in the last match of the regular season, at Hanbury Park, and Vickers won that one by two goals to one whilst the match at Oakwood earlier in the season finished one-one.

A rebuilt Whitehawk side, under promotion specialist Shaun Saunders, didn’t get off to the best start to the season, departing the FA Cup against lower league opposition in a midweek replay. The Hawks welcome Sittingbourne, who have had a fine pre-season and will be hoping for much more than their predicted- by our supporters- mid table finish. The Brickies lost by the only goal of the game in Brighton last season, but picked up three points in the return fixture a week before Christmas.

Sevenoaks Town are perhaps our promotion dark horses. They finished last season like an express train, and will hope to keep up a similar tempo as they welcome Three Bridges to Kent. The two ended last season next to each other in the table, but Oaks have made a number of notable signings since, whilst Bridges have lost their top scorer from last season- Dan Perry- only this week. That said, Bridges reliance on youth has stood them in good stead, and may well do so again.

Newcomers Chatham Town are on the road to Sussex, where they take on East Grinstead Town. The Wasps had a winning start to the campaign last weekend, knocking Hollands & Blair out of the FA Cup, whilst the Chats were also winning in Sussex, defeating Little Common. The Chats were last in our ranks in 2017, but powered to promotion last season, scoring one hundred and twenty two goals in the process. New signing Prince Domafriyie has proved a handful in pre-season.

Another set of newcomers travelling to Sussex are Beckenham Town, who head to Lancing. This will be our featured game and there will be a report here by around 5PM. The Lancers had their difficulties last season and saved their skins with a relegation play off win, but also had some very fine moments in the second half of the season; moments which earned that play off spot after relegation had looked a certainty. Their visitors, meanwhile, were charging to the Combined Counties title, scoring one hundred and seven goals in the process, and in Louis Theophanous have a striker who has scored consistently at a much higher level. He scored in their three-nil Cup victory at Horsham YMCA last weekend, whilst the Lancers were sticking four past Roffey, Louis Veniti hammering home a hat trick.

A third of our four promoted clubs, Sheppey United, play host to Chichester City. The visitors had some fine moments last season but ultimately weren’t consistent enough to mount a promotion charge, whilst the Ites were sweeping almost all before them in the SCEFL, clinching the title with one hundred and two points. They started their campaign with a three-all FA Cup draw in midweek (replay pending), whilst City swept Frimley Green aside, winning four-nil.

The final members of our promoted quartet are Littlehampton Town, who are on the road to Faversham Town. The Golds were certainly golden last season, reaching the FA Vase Final, and winning promotion whilst scoring one hundred and thirty goals. The Lilywhites had a steady mid table campaign, and start with a new manager- two of them, in fact- and a changed squad.

Finally, Corinthian welcome Hythe Town. The hoops had a fabulous first Isthmian season, finishing in eighth place- only the top five lost fewer matches- and will be hoping to avoid difficult-second-season-syndrome, if such a thing exists! The Cannons had a tricky campaign, escaping the bottom three by only three points, but with Steve Watt back at the helm will hope for bigger and better things this time around. Corinthian took six points from their encounters last season, but the Cannons have begun their campaign with a win, one-nil at AFC Varndeanians last weekend.

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