Tension at the top- and bottom

Leaders Ramsgate have a two point lead at the top, and will hope to at least maintain that as they welcome East Grinstead Town in a match where everyone gets to watch for free! The Rams are seven unbeaten, whilst the Wasps got back to winning ways against play off chasing Hythe Town in midweek and will be hopeful of increasing their seven point cushion over the bottom four. The Rams have won eleven of the last fourteen encounters between the sides, with only two going the way of the Wasps- the last of those in October 2020.

Second place Chatham Town will be confident as they host third bottom Haywards Heath Town. The Chats seem to have got over their mini slump and comfortably disposed of VCD Athletic last weekend, whilst Heath have gone nine matches without a win and find themselves two points from safety. With the Chats unbeaten at home an away win would be unlikely, but the travelling fans from Mid Sussex won’t be without hope- although leading scorer Tom Collins departed the club this week, which won’t make their task any easier.

Beckenham Town welcome Littlehampton Town to Eden Park. The Becks are six points behind the leaders, but perhaps more pressingly only three points clear of sixth and seventh place Cray Valley PM and Ashford United, so can’t afford another poor weekend. With only one win from seven they are overdue three points- but trying to stop that will be Littlehampton Town. The Golds got back to winning ways after a long stale period last time out, and defeated Becks four-one on their own patch in November.

Perhaps our match of the day comes from the Enclosed Ground, where Whitehawk and Sevenoaks Town will be kicking the ball up and down the slope. The Hawks, in fourth, have won four of their last five- only an aberration at Chichester City blotting their copybook- whilst Oaks have only one defeat from ten and start the weekend only one point and one place behind their hosts. Oaks won their previous meeting, in December, by two goals to one.

Cray Valley PM and Ashford United, the closest challengers to the top five, meet at the Artic Stadium. The Nuts and Bolts protect a seven match unbeaten run; whilst the Millers are unbeaten in four. The two sides are separated only by goal difference, but the Nuts and Bolts have won their last three encounters- after losing the previous four.

Two more sides who are separated only by goal difference meet at Reachfields, as Hythe Town host Chichester City- tenth v eighth. Four points away from fifth place, they’ve both lost their way a little of late, City losing their last two, the Cannons without a win in three but losing only the last one. Three points for either side would put them back in the hunt, whilst defeat may be a rather large blow to their promotion hopes. City won their meeting in October, by the only goal of the game.

Sitting in between Chichester and Hythe are Sheppey United. The Ites welcome a relegation-threatened VCD Athletic side, and will hope to build upon their four-one walloping of East Grinstead Town last weekend- their first win in five. Vickers have been in freefall, and last won a match on Saturday 10th December. They did defeat the Ites two-one in October, however.

One point and one place separate Sittingbourne and Three Bridges, in favour of the Sussex side, but the Brickies will be favourites when the two sides meet. Sittingbourne are five unbeaten and have lost only one of their last eight, whilst Bridges have only one win in ten- and are yet to win at all on the road.

Lancing welcome Faversham Town to Sussex. The Lancers find themselves two points above the bottom four and without a win in four matches, whilst the travelling Lilywhites are eleven points from safety but certainly believe in their own survival. They have only lost one of their last five, so perhaps that belief isn’t far fetched.

Burgess Hill Town play host to bottom side Corinthian. The Hillians are only a point above the bottom four and have won two- and lost five- of their last seven; whilst the travelling Hopps, twelve points further back, have gone eight matches without a win.

Image- Chris Neal.

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