Will the Millers, The Swifts or The Jammers be top on Saturday evening?

We have an early start to the North Division fixtures this weekend, with Brentwood Town hosting Canvey Island if the pitch at the Arena has finally dried out. It’s an important game at both ends of the table- Town are third bottom, eleven points clear of Romford, although the Boro have three games in hand, whilst Canvey are two points away from the top five- and will enter the playoff places with victory.

The last ten North Division matches have seen lots of our clubs perform inconsistently. Canvey have taken sixteen points from thirty, yet focusing on the last ten matches only, that would put them fifth in the form table. Their last five have seen them win-lose-win-lose and win, so they’ll hope that pattern comes to an end. Town, in contrast, are in seventeenth place in the form table and eighteenth in the actual table, with three wins, a draw and six defeats from their last ten matches. Their actual form recently hasn’t been that bad, however, with two one-nil defeats and a draw from their last three, but narrow defeats don’t earn them any points and they could do with changing that.
POSTPONED.

Onto Saturday now, and our leaders Aveley travel to Histon. The Millers have a one point advantage over Heybridge Swifts and three over Maldon & Tiptree, and have taken twenty five points from their last thirty- their only defeat coming against the Jammers. Histon put a run of four games without a win behind them last timeout, defeating Great Wakering Rovers by three goals to one- a result which sees them start Saturday four points off a playoff place. The Millers have lost only one away match all season, so will be full of confidence.

Second place Heybridge Swifts travel to Soham Town Rangers. Swifts lost to Basildon United last time out, that putting to an end a run of three consecutive victories and seeing them lose top spot. Rangers, in contrast, have put their poor run behind them and won their last three matches, and start the day in twelfth place.

The Jammers lost to Tilbury in their last league match a fortnight ago, and since then have lost in the County Cup before knocking Premier Division Merstham out of the Velocity Trophy on penalties in midweek, after a goalless draw. You certainly couldn’t say that the wheels have fallen off, but perhaps one of them has worked slightly loose! They host second bottom Felixstowe and Walton United and will want to get back to normal. Aveley would have to lose and Swifts fail to win for them to go back to the summit, but they do have four matches in hand over the Millers and a rather incredible SEVEN over Swifts. The Seasiders have only one win in ten but have seemed to show improved form in their last couple, losing by the odd goal in seven to Aveley before drawing with Hullbridge Sports.

Tilbury have been superb of late. In the ten game form table they are third, with twenty three points and only one defeat from their last thirty, performances which have seen them climb to fourth place. They travel to face another side who have been in good recent form, Hullbridge Sports with only one defeat in their last seven matches and no defeats at all in their last five. It could be a close one.POSTPONED.

Bury Town and Dereham Town meet at Ram Meadow with the visitors buoyant after three consecutive victories- Basildon United, Canvey Island and- last weekend- Coggeshall Town being vanquished, the Seed Growers by an impressive four goals to one. Bury lost to Tilbury last time out- everybody seems to these days- and only have one win from six so will want to put that right- particularly as the Magpies are now only four points behind them.

With only two wins from their last ten matches Coggeshall Town have slipped down to ninth. They’ve drawn six of that ten, and will be hoping to bounce back after that Dereham thrashing and get back on track by defeating Cambridge City. Their visitors aren’t in good form either, with only three wins from ten, and lost to Canvey in midweek.

Great Wakering Rovers have slipped from the top five to tenth in recent weeks, having lost their last three matches. They travel to Witham Town, who have also lost their last three matches and also lost centre back Jake Thompson to Brightlingsea Regent this week. Rovers will hope to take advantage of their opponents enforced reshuffle.

Grays Athletic are another side who have slid violently down the table, but they’ll be hoping that they’ve put that right with a win and a draw from their last two. They host Romford, who will be making their second trip to Parkside this week and who will hope to do better in this one than the last, as they lost at ‘home’ to Hullbridge Sports. With only two wins from ten Romford are in desperate need of points, but given they’ve only been able to play four matches in two months and have had such an influx of players it’s difficult to predict how they’ll perform.

Basildon United host AFC Sudbury. The Bees impressively defeated Heybridge Sports last time out, but that was their first win in five. The visiting Yellows bounced back from two defeats by beating Brentwood with a late goal last Saturday, and start the day three points above their hosts.