We’ve bottom v top- and more!

Our leaders, AFC Sudbury, hit the road- travelling to face bottom side Coggeshall Town. The Yellows, four points clear at the summit, have lost only one match this season and are in fine form, having won their last five and indeed nine of their last ten. Their hosts, in contrast, are having a terrible campaign and have taken only three points from their last thirty- all draws. The Seed Growers remain without a league win all season and are already ten points from safety- although they have made changes and looked dangerous in drawing at promotion-chasing Felixstowe and Walton United last time out. Perhaps this might not be the away banker that it looks- the Yellows may need to guard against complacency to avoid any unexpected slip. Sudbury have won the last four meetings between the clubs in League and Velocity Cup.

Second place Hashtag United have been in fine form, and rather like the one side above them they also travel to face a team who have been finding wins hard to come by. Witham Town conceded seven at the hands of Grays Athletic last time out- their sixth defeat in a row, and they’ve lost nine of their last ten, form which has seen them plummet to within two points of the bottom four. The Tags start the New Year four points behind the leaders but have won nine of their last ten matches, and have won their last seven- the best winning run in the Division at present. The Tags did the double over Town last season, and scored six goals in the process.

Stowmarket Town lost for the first time since August 16th as they fell to defeat at Wroxham last time out, and have a tough match as they look to start another winning run. Our third place side host sixth place Felixstowe and Walton United, who are four points behind them. The Seasiders have been magnificent at home but not so good on the road, losing half of their matches on their travels, whilst Stow are unbeaten on their own patch. With five wins and four defeats from their last ten the visitors are on their most inconsistent run of the campaign so far.

Lowestoft Town were our leaders for much of the campaign, but the Trawler Boys have fallen twelve points off the summit. They did end a four match winless run by defeating neighbours Gorleston comprehensively last time out, and they’ll hope to build on that as they travel to Ram Meadow to take on Bury Town (1PM kick off). The hosts have only one win from their last five, a run which sees them down in tenth place, and seem to have developed a regular habit of losing by the odd goal- three of their last four defeats were by a one-nil scoreline, the other two-one. Perhaps more worryingly, they’ve scored only two goals in their last five matches.

Heybridge Swifts have hit their first obstacle of the campaign, a run of three straight defeats- and five without a win- seeing them slip to fifth. They must fancy their chances as they head out past Southend to take on Great Wakering Rovers (2PM), as their hosts are in the worst form of their Isthmian lives- without a win since October 8th – that’s twelve matches in all competitions. Rovers start the New Year three points from safety- and third from bottom. Swifts won both meetings between the sides last season- although over their last eighteen meetings things are rather more even, with eight wins each.

We’ve a local derby as East Thurrock United welcome Grays Athletic (1PM). The visitors look to be approaching their best once more, winning three of their last four and- of course- hitting seven last weekend; whilst the Rocks are in fine form, with only one defeat from their last ten matches, eight of which ended in victory. Only a point- in favour of the Rocks- separates the two at kick off, and a win for either side could see them reach the top five.

Only three places separate New Salamis and Basildon United as the North Londoners travel to Essex- but that doesn’t tell the whole story, as those three places are separated by eleven points! Salamis are having a fine first Pitching In Isthmian campaign, only four points outside the top five and with only two defeats from their last ten. The Bees, however, are on their best run of the season- only one defeat from their last six- and will hope to pull themselves even further away from trouble.

We seem to have a two-tier Division at the moment, and Brentwood Town, who we expected to be challenging at the top end of the table, currently head up that second tier. The Blues are in eleventh, six points shy of tenth place Bury Town, and have hit the skids in a big way by losing five of their last six- indeed, they’ve taken only one point from their last eighteen. Tilbury, in fifteenth although with matches in hand over most of the sides around them, are the visitors to the Arena- the Dockers in even worse form that the Blues, with two wins- and seven defeats- from their last ten. Last seasons meetings between the sides saw both pick up an away win.

Wroxham’s best run of the campaign- culminating in that victory over Stowmarket Town last time out- has seen them climb to the heady heights of thirteenth place. The Yachtsmen take a six match unbeaten run to Lowestoft, where they face second bottom side Gorleston, the Greens now eleven points behind their visitors after taking only five points- and one win- from their last ten matches.

Finally, Maldon & Tiptree, fresh from that morale-boosting win over local rivals Heybridge Swifts last time out, will hope to finally climb out of the bottom four with a win over the side directly above them, Hullbridge Sports. The Jammers, with two defeats from their last seven, are finally beginning to find some stability and some form; whilst Sports had won two in a row prior to their defeat against Basildon on the Friday before Christmas, so will hope to quickly put that reverse behind them.

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