We finally have a proper title race!

Leaders Ramsgate find themselves suddenly under pressure at the top, as they welcome Merstham to the seaside. It isn’t that the Rams have lost form- they’ve lost only one of their last ten- but draws in their last two and Cray Valley PM winning nearly all of their games in hand has reduced the gap at the top to three points, and Cray still have a game in hand.

The Rams will expect to get back to winning ways against a Merstham side who haven’t won in five, particularly after they defeated them three-nil in November, whilst Cray Valley may think they have a more difficult task, as they welcome Chichester City to the Artic Stadium. The Millers remain undefeated- the only undefeated club in the league- and have won six of their last seven and kept a clean sheet in five of their last six; whilst City got back to wining ways in style last weekend, hammering seven past East Grinstead- and find themselves only three points away from a top five spot.

Third place Sittingbourne travel to Erith and Belvedere on Sunday, whilst Lancing, in fourth place and seven points clear of sixth place Herne Bay, are on the road to Sevenoaks Town. The Lancers are this season’s surprise package so far, and have two defeats from ten; whilst the Oaks haven’t done as well as we might have expected, and have taken only six points- one win- from the last thirty available to them, a string of results which sees them down in eleventh, with a ten point gap to make up between themselves and the top five. They did defeat the Lancers in October, however, coming from behind to win two-one.

Fifth place Sheppey United head to take on bottom side Beckenham Town. The Ites have only two defeats from ten, a period during which Becks have won only once, and the visitors find themselves six points from safety- albeit with two games in hand. They have defeated the Ites in the Kent Cup this season- but they lost two-nil in the league.

Herne Bay welcome Broadbridge Heath to the seaside. Bay are outside the top five only on goal difference as they pursue an immediate return to our top flight, and have won five of their last six, whilst the Bears were in good form, four unbeaten, until finding themselves on the wrong end of a midweek hammering at Horndean. The first meeting between the sides, in October, was a one-one draw.

Burgess Hill Town saw their improving form come to an uncomfortable end in a five goal thrashing at Sittingbourne last weekend, but the Hillians have won five of their last seven so will hope to put that quickly behind them as Ashford United come to call. The Nuts and Bolts put an end to a run of five defeats with victory over Beckenham Town last time out, and they have a good recent record against Hill, defeating them in November and indeed defeating them in seven of their last eight meetings.

Littlehampton Town will hope to take heart from their thrashing of Bognor Regis Town in the Sussex County Cup in midweek, the Golds playing hosts to Hythe Town. The Golds won at Phoenix Sports last time out, but are still looking for consistency, four wins and three defeats from their last seven- whilst the travelling Cannons have won only one of seven, and surprisingly lost to Erith and Belvedere in midweek. They are eleven points away from a top five spot, albeit with six games in hand.

East Grinstead Town welcome Horndean. The Wasps find themselves five points above the bottom two and in a bit of a slump, with only two wins from ten and having lost their last three. The Deans are upwardly mobile in contrast, with only one defeat from six, and hammered Broadbridge Heath in midweek. The Wasps won three-one at Five Heads Park in October, so revenge will be on the minds of the visitors.

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