The Big Weekend

With the FA Cup taking a back seat for another week, we’re back to our bread-and-butter, with a full BetVictor Isthmian League programme tomorrow. Here’s our guide to the action.

Unbeaten this season and with four straight victories in all competitions, our leaders Folkestone Invicta have started this campaign how the ended the last- in fine form. Tomorrow they welcome a Bishop’s Stortford side who sit in seventh place and seem to have got over an early season blip, having scored eleven goals in winning their last three matches. It may turn out to be a contest between Ira Jackson (seven goals so far) and the evergreen Jamie Cureton (six).

Second place Haringey Borough travel to Cray Wanderers- and supporters are advised to park on Hayes Lane as much of the car park at Bromley FC is currently out of bounds. Or come by train, bus, or hot air balloon. Borough have lost only one match so far this season, but Wands can say exactly the same- their last defeat came at the hands of Folkestone on August 14th.

Fourth play third at Colston Avenue, as Carshalton Athletic host Hornchurch. The Robins have won their last four in the league to soar up the table, whilst the Urchins have but one defeat all season- and won their FA Cup match against Kempston Rovers six-nil last weekend.

Enfield Town, in fifth, host a Corinthian-Casuals side still looking for its first league win of the season, but buoyed by a four-nil FA Cup win over Sevenoaks Town last weekend. The Towners were also victors, a 1-0 win over AFC Rushden and Diamonds seeing them through- but saw forward Sam Bantick leave for Cambridge City yesterday.

We have a geological event at Rookery Hill, as Rocks play Rocks! The Essex Rocks of East Thurrock United were depleted by illness and injury as they bowed out of the FA Cup in a midweek replay in Peterborough, whilst the Sussex Rocks of Bognor Regis Town have had a week of rest as they despatched Sittingbourne last Saturday. Bognor have only one league win this season, whilst United have blown hot and cold with three wins and three defeats.

Worthing will perhaps be a little frazzled after their late, late cup victory against Hastings United in midweek, but their visitors, Leatherhead, also played for one hundred and twenty minutes and then suffered the agony of losing a penalty shootout. The Tanners have yet to record a victory in this campaign.

Eleventh take on ninth as Brightlingsea Regent host a Horsham side who are still unbeaten away from home, whilst Lewes, who have seen their form improve dramatically courtesy of hard work and playing Leatherhead three times in a row, host tenth place Potters Bar Town at the Dripping Pan. The Scholars are also unbeaten in three.

Kingstonian host Bowers and Pitsea, the K’s on the up after wins over Merstham and Walton Casuals whilst Bowers got back to winning ways after two league defeats by knocking Brentwood Town out of the FA Cup last weekend.

Finally for the Premier Division, Wingate and Finchley host Merstham and will hope to continue the good form they showed in victory over London Colney last Saturday, whilst the Moatsiders will want to bounce back after three successive defeats.

North

Our North Division one hundred percenters Maldon & Tiptree host Basildon United, and on league form alone this looks to be a home banker; but the Bees knocked Coggeshall Town out of the FA Cup at the weekend and will be confident of causing an upset. Second placed Bury Town, who haven’t yet lost a game, entertain Brentwood Town, who haven’t yet won one, whilst our match of the day sees the third placed Seed Growers look to bounce back from that Cup defeat by defeating fifth place Canvey Island, who got back to winning ways in midweek with a cup victory over Waltham Abbey.

Grays Athletic, in fourth place, have been in good form this season, but will take on a Soham Town Rangers side who are also on a good run, unbeaten in the League and FA Cup since 20th August. Heybridge Swifts, in sixth, play their first League match for a fortnight as they travel to Dereham Town, the Magpies looking to start turning draws into victories and to climb up the table. They did win last time out, however, at Great Wakering Rovers.

Rovers, in seventh, travel to face a Romford side who have been rather consistent this season, losing every game but one and coming into this match on the back of four straight defeats in all competitions.

AFC Sudbury will look to bounce back after midweek cup defeat as they travel to Hullbridge Sports, the home side confident after picking up an extra Velocity Trophy point with a penalty shootout win over Canvey in their last match and picking up their first League win- against Cambridge City- three days beforehand.

Tilbury and Aveley, tenth and twelfth respectively, face each other at Chadfields. The Dockers saw a four match winning streak come to an end as they departed the FA Cup at Biggleswade last weekend, whilst the Millers will be looking to recapture their form of last season, having won only two matches this- both against Romford, in League and Velocity Trophy.

Finally Histon, in eleventh, face fifteenth place Witham Town. The home side haven’t managed to win on their own patch so far this season, whilst Witham won their only league match this season, against Hullbridge Sports, away from home. What does that mean? Probably nothing, so you’ll need to go along and decide for yourself!

South Central

The big match in the South Central Division sees our one side with a one hundred percent record, Tooting & Mitcham United, travel to face fifth place Harlow Town. The Hawks are still struggling for consistency at both ends, and most recently were held 2-2 against Histon in the Velocity Trophy on Tuesday night, but picked up an extra shootout point. The Terrors are simply grinding out win after win, but this might be their biggest test so far.

Second place Westfield, who scored eight goals in the Velocity Trophy in midweek, travel to face a Hertford Town side who haven’t yet kept a clean sheet in the league- but who did win their last home league match, against Barking.

Hanwell Town, in third, travel to face a Northwood side who sit second bottom and yet have been far better than the table might suggest, and who will hope to break their winning duck tomorrow. Town, who have won three and drawn one of their four league matches, might have other ideas.

Fourth place Chalfont St Peter lost to Chichester City in the FA Cup last weekend, but have otherwise been rather imperious, only Marlow managing to take a point from them in the league. They travel to face Ware, who demolished Step Three Leiston by five goals to one last weekend and are unbeaten in all competitions. This will be our BetVictor Isthmian Matchday feature tomorrow, M25 willing, so look out for words and pictures by half past five.

Marlow, in sixth and also unbeaten, will entertain tenth place Chertsey Town, whilst seventh placed Waltham Abbey will travel to face a Chipstead side who have won their last three matches in all competitions and will be hoping to transfer their cup form to the League.

Bracknell Town travel to Bedfont Sports whilst sitting three points ahead of their hosts, whilst FC Romania will be desperate to get back to winning ways after shipping fourteen goals in their last three matches and- unsurprisingly- losing them all. The Wolves head to Uxbridge, who haven’t had a match for a fortnight- but who won their last home match, against Staines Town, and who currently have an unbeaten home record.

Staines travel to South Park, currently sitting a point behind Sparks in the table. The Swans have been much better in cup competitions than in the league, scoring twelve goals in their three cup matches so far- and in Che Krabbendam have the most in-form forward in the league, with ten goals including two hat tricks. Sparks, like Staines, are still looking for their first league victory, but have drawn three of their four matches.

Our bottom side, Ashford Town, have had a terrible start to the campaign, losing every match in every competition. They host a Barking side who have managed only one point themselves, that coming in a draw at Bedfont Sports- but that may be somewhat explained by the fact that the Blues have had to play every match so far away from home.

South East

Our top match in the South East Division features two promoted clubs, as first place Cray Valley PM host third place Chichester City. Mills are unbeaten in the league, although fell to Velocity Trophy defeat against Phoenix Sports in midweek, whilst Chi have lost only one league match, to Whyteleafe, and have progressed to the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

Ashford United, in second place, still have a one hundred percent record after winning their three matches so far- but they face a tricky task as they travel to Whyteleafe, who last weekend dumped Premier Division Merstham out of the FA Cup.

Hastings United are fourth, and they’ll hope to have shaken off a midweek extra time FA Cup defeat at Worthing as they travel back to West Sussex to face Three Bridges. Bridges defeated two Sussex opponents in their last two matches, so will be hoping to make it a hat trick.

Whitehawk, in fifth, host a Herne Bay side yet to live up to their promise and find some consistency. Both sides were knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend.

Sixth place Sevenoaks Town travel to Burgess Hill Town- a happy hunting ground for them last month as they knocked the Hillians out of the FA Cup with a three-nil victory. Hill haven’t picked up a league point since they got three on the opening day, so will be desperate to turn that around tomorrow.

Another side who haven’t tasted victory for quite a while are Burgess Hill’s neighbours Haywards Heath Town, who have now lost three in a row in all competitions. They travel to face a Whitstable Town side without a win since August Bank Holiday Monday, so three points would do them both a great deal of good.

VCD Athletic are another side without a league win since the Bank Holiday, but to be fair to Vickers two of their matches since then were in the FA Cup, and they did win one of those on penalties! They travel to East Grinstead Town, who haven’t yet managed a victory this season.

We’ve a Kentish derby at Faversham Town, who entertain Sittingbourne. Faversham’s last match was a seven-one Velocity thrashing of Hythe Town, so they will be on a high; but although the Brickies fell to defeat at Bognor Regis Town last weekend the manner of that defeat seems to have been applauded from all sides, and they were on a four match unbeaten run beforehand, so they won’t be short on confidence either.

Our early kick off- 1PM- sees Ramsgate entertain Guernsey, with the Rams still looking for their first win. The one side even worse off than the Rams is Phoenix Sports, and they entertain a Hythe Town side only one place better off.