Stoke and Chips!

Leaders Basingstoke Town, seven points clear at the top, take their nine match winning run to Chipstead looking to make it ten. Stoke have been superb of late, but their hosts, with only two defeats from their last ten, will be determined to be no pushovers. Town won their previous meeting by three goals to nil, and also won both of last season’s meetings.

Second place Walton & Hersham now look to be the biggest challengers to Basingstoke’s title hopes. They welcome relegation-threatened Bedfont Sports to the Sports Hub, a five match winning run behind them- and given they have a game in hand over the leaders and will face them at home on April 1st will consider themselves firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion. Sports actually defeated the Swans three-two in November, a Sam Evans hat trick doing the damage, and only a point above the bottom four would like to see a repeat of that result.

Northwood, for so long our leaders, have slipped to thirteen points behind and start the weekend in third place. They are on the road to take on a team desperate for points for different reasons, Merstham second from bottom and eight points from safety. The Moatsiders haven’t been in dreadful form, with only three defeats from their last ten, but are three without a win and seem to struggle to turn one point into three; whilst the Woods head to Moatside with two wins and five defeats from their last seven. Northwood won their first encounter this season by the odd goal in five, and strengthened their side with two new signings yesterday.

Fourth and fifth meet at Alwyns Lane as Chertsey Town welcome Marlow. The Curfews have involuntarily adopted a pattern in their results, their last eight appearing thus, W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L, so they are due a W; whilst their visitors looked back to their best in the second half against Ashford Town in midweek, coming from two goals down to win four-two. Level on points at kick off, and with Binfield only two points behind, the losers could find themselves out of the top five at full time.

Binfield are on the road to bottom side Tooting & Mitcham United. The Terrors are nine points from safety, and with only one win in their last ten; whilst the Moles have suddenly gone off the boil a little, with only one win from five. Both sides need the points, but the hosts need is far more urgent. When the two last met, the Moles triumphed four-one- and they won both league meetings last season, too.

Another of our relegation-fighters, Sutton Common Rovers, welcome South Park Reigate to Whyteleafe. Rovers are three unbeaten, but find themselves three points from safety having played four more matches than anyone else in the bottom four. The Sparks seem to have got back on an even keel, two unbeaten after three defeats, and still have promotion pretentions, starting the weekend four points away from fifth place.

Westfield, with new signing Jake Baxter perhaps making his debut, welcome Hanworth Villa to Woking Park. There is only one point between the sides, and neither are in the best of form, Villa with three wins from their last ten, Field with only two but having drawn five of them. Their meeting in November finished in a two-two draw, Jonathan Hippolyte with a last-gasp equaliser for the Villains.

Thatcham Town welcome Southall in a clash between two very difficult to defeat sides, tenth v eighth. The Kingfishers have been magnificent of late, eight unbeaten and with only one defeat from their last ten, whilst Hall have lost fewer matches than anyone else in the division, level in that respect with leaders Basingstoke Town. Southall’s downfall, if you can call it that, has been a proliferation of draws- eleven from their twenty five matches so far. Their first meeting this season was- surprise- a two-two draw.

Leatherhead welcome Uxbridge to Fetcham Grove. The Tanners have seen their revival slow, losing their last two, whilst Uxbridge have only two wins from ten but have strengthened their squad this week. The Tanners won their last encounter in November, two-nil, and with both sides not too far away from the wrong end of the table- ten points clear for the Tanners, eight for their visitors- points remain important for both sides.

Finally, Ashford Town welcome Guernsey. The Tangerines are six points clear of their fourth-bottom visitors, but the Green Lions are in good form, with four wins from six, and know that another victory could lift them out of the bottom four. Ashford have had an up and down sort of campaign, and have lost their last two- against promotion-chasing Walton and Marlow- but were rather impressive in winning the two matches prior to that. A last gasp Dale Burnham goal gave them victory in the Channel Islands in October.

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