Whilst the Millers are in Trophy action, it’s a Jammers v Swifts battle for top spot

We’re going to start our preview of the North Division by leaving it for a moment, and heading to Parkside, where Aveley host National League South Chelmsford City in the FA Trophy Third Round.

Getting to the last sixteen of a national competition is magnificent for the Millers, and being the Isthmian League’s sole representatives at this stage doubles their glory- but that won’t be enough for a side who have already slain five giants to get to this stage. This will be Aveley’s ninth match in the competition so far. They entered it with a thrashing of East Grinstead Town on October 15th, and since then have seen Bowers & Pitsea, Taunton Town, Biggleswade Town, Carshalton Athletic and Hornchurch fall by the wayside. With only three league defeats all season too, there’s no reason to believe that the Trophy will distract them from their main job- but they’ll be focused entirely on their Essex opponents on Saturday.

Chelmsford have defeated Hungerford Town, Havant & Waterlooville and Salisbury to get to this stage- but haven’t won any of their three matches since that last victory, and were defeated five-three by Dulwich Hamlet last weekend. They sit firmly in mid table, with nine wins, nine draws and ten defeats in the league. Good luck to the Millers tomorrow- the entire Isthmian world wishes you well!

Back to the bread and butter now, and Heybridge Swifts start the weekend at the top of the league, two points clear of local rivals Maldon & Tiptree- although the Jammers have a rather incredible seven matches in hand. Swifts travel to face Canvey Island having won seven and lost three of their last ten- and their not-so-secret-weapon, hotshot striker Alex Teniola, will be looking to add to the twenty one goals he’s already scored this season, including four in his last five matches. The last time the clubs met it was the Gulls who emerged victorious, winning three-two at Scraley Road with former Swift Sam Bantick getting a double.

Bantick has been unwell recently, and that has coincided with a period of inconsistency from the Gulls, whose last five have seen them lose, win, lose, win and lose. They’d like that sequence to continue this weekend, as victory would bring them closer to the top five.

The Jammers are at home once more, and host Hullbridge Sports. Maldon have lost only one league match this season and have been fantastic at both ends, having the second best scoring record in the division- fifty goals- and the best defence in the league with only thirteen conceded. Sports, who start the day in thirteenth place, have also been in very good form of late, and were five games unbeaten until the narrow midweek loss at Heybridge- a match in which they were ahead early on and level until eight minutes from time.

Bury Town, in fourth place, host eighth place Histon. An injury crisis has seen Town win two and lose five of their last eight, whilst their visitors are four games unbeaten and still harbour playoff ambitions. Three points off a playoff spot, they’d be delighted with an away victory.

Tilbury have been in fabulous form; form which has seen them climb to fifth place and lose only once in their last ten matches- they’ve now gone nine games unbeaten and won their last four. The Dockers host Dereham Town, who start the day in ninth, but who have won only three of their last ten and who really need to get back to winning ways if any playoff pretentions are to have a chance of being realised.

The return of Nnamdi Nwachuku has seen Coggeshall Town get back their sharp edge and move to within two points of fifth place. The Seed Growers have lost only two of their last ten, but their downfall has been an inability to turn one point into three, with six of those matches ending in a draw. They host Grays Athletic, who have slipped from the top five to mid-table but who seem to be experiencing a positive turnaround in form, unbeaten in three- although they’ve caught the Seed Growers disease and drawn two of them.

Soham Town Rangers have won four of their last five, form which has seen them climb the table into twelfth place. They host Brentwood Town, who now have a new manager and will be looking to impress him and increase the gap between themselves and bottom side Romford. The visiting Blues saw a good run come to an end recently and are without a win in three- with a draw and two single-goal defeats.

AFC Sudbury, buoyed by a derby victory over Bury Town in midweek, travel to Cambridge City hoping to keep that good form going and record a third consecutive victory. City don’t have a win in three, and indeed have only two wins in ten. They’ve lost their last three matches by the same scoreline, two goals to one.

Witham Town walloped four goals past Romford in midweek and will hope for more against Basildon United as fifteenth hosts seventeenth. The Bees are five points behind their hosts but have three games in hand. Town had lost four consecutive matches prior to that well-needed victory, whilst the Bees last six games have seen them win two, draw two and lose two.

Finally, the bottom two meet- although please note that they are doing so in Kent, as Romford v Felixstowe and Walton United is being played at Phoenix Sports due to the pitch at the Brentwood Arena being currently more suited to wallowing hippopotamus than football. Romford have used eighty three players so far this season, and such a turnover hasn’t helped them greatly as they’ve taken only five points from their last thirty and have only nine points on the board. The Seasiders are nine points ahead, but have played six matches more and will be desperate for victory. They have six points from thirty, but have drawn two of their last three.