With three points between the top four, it’s all to play for!

The two top scoring sides in the Pitching In Isthmian Premier clash at the Camping World Community Stadium- and although we only have five games to go this is anything but a dead-rubber for both sides. Leaders Hornchurch have picked very much the wrong time to lose form, and are without a win in three as they head to eighth place Horsham with a one point advantage at the top. The Urchins know that anything other than victory could see them knocked off their perch; whilst the hosting Hornets have fallen eight points away from the top five and if they are to have any chance of continuing to have play off ambitions need three points of their own. With only two wins from six Horsham have also found themselves in a slump at entirely the wrong time, and they don’t have a good record against the Urchins, without a win from their last six meetings.

Second place Bishop’s Stortford are on the road to South London, where they face Carshalton Athletic. The Blues seem to have fought their way past a recent tricky spell, winning their last two, whilst the Robins have seen their own promotion hopes recede with a run of only two wins from six. Athletic are eight points short of eighth place and surely must win to have any chance of salvaging their season, whilst their opponents have bigger fish to fry. Stortford won the last meeting between the sides, in October, by two goals to nil.

Canvey Island have closed to within three points of the top- one of two newly promoted sides who are still realistic title contenders. The Gulls are unlikely to hit the summit this weekend no matter what happens to the top two- Hornchurch have a much superior goal difference- but they will hope to pick up three points nonetheless. They travel to Wingate & Finchley on the back of a nine match unbeaten run and having won their last four. The hosting Blues have opened up an eight point gap on the bottom four, but have lost their last three and will hope to get back to winning ways and make quite sure of their safety for another year. They sprung a surprise the last time the two sides met, defeating the Gulls three-nil on their own patch with goals from Ben Siggers, Alkeo Bani and Dylan Kearney.

Fourth place Aveley have a cup final to look forward to next week, but in the meantime still have their eyes on automatic promotion as they make the relatively short trip to Haringey Borough. The Millers travel with an eleven match unbeaten run behind them; whilst their hosts are on their best run of the season, too- only one defeat from six. The Millers won the first encounter between the sides by three goals to nil.

Fifth place Enfield Town welcome sixth place Cray Wanderers in what is perhaps our match of the day. Four points is the gap between the two sides, so the match is rather crucial for Wands- and also for the rest of the chasing pack, who will very much want the Towners to drop points. Town have only one defeat from their last seven matches, whilst Wands have really rediscovered their form of late, winning their last four and scoring thirteen goals in the process. The first meeting between the sides this season ended one-one- a similar result this time around would be likely to make neither side happy.

Lewes also have four points to make up on the Towners. The Rooks have a long trip to the Kent coast, to face Margate- the Blues still on a high after coming from two down to defeat the leaders last weekend. The Rooks have won four of their last five, and defeated the Blues two-nil at the Dripping Pan in October- indeed the last four times the two sides have met, the points have ended in East Sussex.

Hastings United may be eight points away from the top five but they do have a game in hand. However they face what looks like a difficult task as relegation-threatened Herne Bay arrive at Pilot Field. Bay, promoted with United last season, have had a contrasting campaign but have looked much improved of late, winning three of their last five and closing to within two points of safety. Another win could take them out of the bottom four for the first time in many months- but the last time the two sides met United delivered a three-nil win, Kane Penn, Alex Brefo and Sam Adams doing the damage, and indeed Bay have only managed to defeat United once in their last nine attempts.

Folkestone Invicta will probably need to kiss goodbye to promotion for another year, having fallen twelve points away from fifth place- but they could have a dramatic impact on goings on at the other end of the table as Kingstonian come to call. Invicta’s promotion hopes have evaporated with defeats in their last three matches; whilst the K’s survival hopes have been severely hampered by their defeat in their last four. Another K’s defeat could see them enter the bottom four.

Bognor Regis Town and Billericay Town meet in a mid-table match between two sides who have failed to achieve what their supporters hoped for them this season. Both have delivered some fine performances alongside some of an opposite nature, and neither will trouble either end of the table accordingly. The Rocks have followed a W-L pattern for their last six matches, so on that basis Billericay will want to keep that going, but their form has been up and down. That said, they’ve lost only one of their last five, and they did come from two down to defeat the Rocks the last time the two sides met.

Potters Bar Town have dropped from first to thirteenth over the last few months, and have won only two of their last twenty- so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were far more focused on their Velocity Cup Final next week than on this weekend’s match with Corinthian-Casuals. That said, Casuals will be desperate for three points to give them any mathematical hope of survival; ten points away from safety with only five matches remaining. They did pick up a late, morale-boosting victory last time out. The last time the two sides met a very different Scholars side won two-one.

Finally, we have a critical match between two of the bottom three as Brightlingsea Regent welcome Bowers & Pitsea. Twelve points away from safety, another defeat could as good as relegate the hosts; whilst Bowers, three points from safety, know that if Herne Bay and Kingstonian slip up their could even find themselves out of the bottom four if they could take a victory. Bowers have won two of their last three, which will give them hope; whilst Regent are without a win since January 28th.

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