Who will have a Happy New Year?

Premier Division

Folkestone Invicta have had a wonderful start to the season, and kick off the New Year on top of the pile- although only on goal difference. They travel to face a Merstham side who have finally turned their form around, with four points from their last six-and who will be looking to avenge their three-one defeat at the BuildKent Stadium on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Worthing will be hoping to take advantage if Invicta slip up, and know that all they have to do is record a better result than their rivals to hit the top. However that won’t be easy, as they travel to face local rivals Bognor Regis Town. The Mackerel Men have picked up twenty two points from their last thirty- a period during which they have remained unbeaten- but the Rocks have picked up exactly the same number, despite losing twice. Worthing have the best away record in the Division, with only one defeat on their travels.

Former leaders Horsham have fallen to third place in recent weeks, and will want to narrow the gap on the top two as they host Lewes. The Hornets have won only one of their last four- against East Thurrock United on December 14th- whilst the Rooks have lost only one match during the same period and will be hoping to take advantage of the Hornets recent uncertainty to avenge their defeat on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Carshalton Athletic could climb to fourth place with victory at Leatherhead, but it won’t be easy. The Tanners have lost only one league match in the last three months, and if they can continue that form will undoubtedly have promotion aspirations of their own- and haven’t lost at home in the league since Lewes departed with three points on August 31st. The visiting Robins are unbeaten in four matches and defeated the Tanners by the only goal of the game in the reverse fixture.

Enfield Town, in sixth place, got back to winning ways on Boxing Day as they defeated Haringey Borough five-three in a topsy-turvy match. They’ll hope to keep that momentum going as they travel to Potters Bar Town. The Scholars have a four match record that has seen them follow each win with a loss, so they’ll hope that continues for just one more match.

Cray Wanderers, in seventh, travel to Margate. Wands have lost their last two, whilst Gate have only one point from nine and were walloped at Folkestone last time out, so both will have something to prove to their supporters.

Ninth place East Thurrock United travel to face Bowers & Pitsea. The Rocks have been short of matches of late, and have only three points from their last nine, whilst Bowers have three consecutive league wins under their belt and will be hoping for a fourth.

Fourteenth takes on thirteenth as Bishop’s Stortford host Kingstonian. The K’s are above the Blues only on goal difference, but have three matches in hand over their opponents- and if they were to win those would climb to the fringes of the top five. Unbeaten in six- and that’s only their league form and doesn’t include their successes in the FA Trophy- they face a Stortford side who seem to have got back on an even keel, three matches undefeated after a period where their form was erratic to say the least.

Haringey Borough are another side with matches in hand over those around them. The Coles Park side will entertain Wingate & Finchley desperate to get back to winning ways after picking up only two points from the last fifteen, whilst the visiting Blues have only one win in ten and five points from thirty.

North Division

We’ve four matches in the North Division, but the top two, Maldon & Tiptree and Aveley, aren’t playing until Saturday- when they play each other.

Third place Bury Town can’t go back to the top with victory at Cambridge City, nor can they go second, but they can narrow the gap on Aveley to just one point. Bury have only two defeats in their last ten- which perhaps just shows quite how good the Jammers and the Millers have been during the same period- whilst their hosts have lost four of their last five. When the teams met at Ram Meadow in the reverse fixture on August Bank Holiday Monday Town ran out three-one winners, goals from Horne, Robson and Machaya earning them victory after they conceded a second minute own goal.

Sixth place Histon will be looking to jump back into the top five as they travel to AFC Sudbury, who sit in sixteenth place. The hosts have lost only once in their last five matches so may prove difficult to beat, but Histon have won their last three matches and will travel in confident mood.

Another side who will want to be back in the Playoff places by full time are Heybridge Swifts. They host Felixstowe and Walton United. The Seasiders ended a run of three consecutive defeats with victory over Basildon United on Saturday, whilst Swifts have uncharacteristically lost three of their last four and will be desperate to make up ground on the leading pack.

Basildon will hope to move on from that defeat as they host Grays Athletic. The Bees followed a three match unbeaten run by losing their last two, and will be looking over their shoulders at Romford, who are four points behind at the bottom of the table. Grays will hope to bounce back from their six-one hammering against Aveley on Boxing Day and return to their form in the previous three matches, when they were unbeaten.

South Central

We’ve only one match in the South Central Division, and it sees fifth place Uxbridge travel to face Staines Town, who sit in eighteenth.
Uxbridge have lost only two of their last ten, whilst the Swans have only two wins from the same period and are only two points off the bottom. The Red Army had much to celebrate the last time the two sides met, winning two-one.

South East

It’s top versus bottom as Hastings United entertain East Grinstead Town. The last time the two sides met, in the Velocity Trophy, the Pilot Field crowd were enthralled as their side smashed home twelve goals, with Davide Rodari getting eight. Hastings know they’ll still be top at the end of New Year’s Day come what may, but they might face a Wasps side with a different mentality as this will be new manager Leigh Dynan’s first match in charge. The visitors are six points from safety, but have four games in hand over the side above them- Ramsgate, who are now managed by their former boss Matt Longhurst.

Second place Cray Valley PM have had a magnificent start to life at Step Four, and travel to seventh place Sevenoaks Town. The Millers have taken only five points from their last fifteen, but that’s one more than their opponents have managed, Sevenoaks currently on a run which has seen them win only one in seven.

Ashford United, in third place, became the first side to defeat Hastings this season in their last home match, and followed that up with victory at Whitstable Town last time out. The Nuts and Bolts host Three Bridges, who are in eighteenth place and have only one win in their last ten.

We’ve a seaside derby as Herne Bay host Whitstable Town. Bay have lost only two of their last ten matches, a run which has seen them climb the table- and will be desperate to avenge their three-nil defeat against the Oysterboys on August Bank Holiday Monday. The visitors saw their three match unbeaten run come to an end against Ashford United last time out.

Finally, another Kent derby, as Hythe Town host Faversham Town. Hythe are much improved of late, seven points from their last nine seeing them climb to fifteenth, whilst the Lilywhites have only one win in six and only two points from their last twelve.