A Premier Cup Saturday

Bognor Regis Town are on the road to Aylesbury Dynamos, who are in mid table in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division. That makes the Rocks the favourites, but they’ve yet to win a game this season and haven’t managed a clean sheet, either. If they can tighten up at the back, Tommy-Lee Higgs certainly knows where the goal is, he has four already. 

Badshot Lea are the hosts to high-flying Premier Division side Cray Valley PM. The Millers have won four in a row, the Baggies have lost three league matches but have two victories in the cup already, so the visitors will be hot favourites and hoping to repeat their Cup heroics of last season. 

We’ve an all-Premier tie- and a local derby- as Billericay Town host Bowers and Pitsea. The Blues are unbeaten so far, although they have drawn three of their five matches, whilst their visitors have had a poor start to the campaign, having taken only one point from their five matches. 

Canvey Island play host to Milton Keynes Irish, who will already know the way as they shocked the Gulls neighbours Concord Rangers in the last round. Canvey finally ended a run of defeats by picking up a derby day win at Bowers and Pitsea on Monday, and will hope to give their fans something to shout about by winning a first home match.

Carshalton Athletic have a familiar name heading to Colston Avenue, SCFL side Haywards Heath Town bringing an unbeaten record to South London. Heath have already taken one Isthmian scalp in the Cup, defeating Deal Town in the last round, but Athletic will expect to pose a much bigger test- and to bounce back after losing their last two.

Dartford will take on Marlow. The Darts will be looking for a fourth consecutive victory, whilst Marlow haven’t had the best of starts to their Pitching In Southern Premier South campaign, bottom of the table and still looking for a first victory of the season after losing their last four. 

Dulwich Hamlet will host Leatherhead. Hamlet have had a mixed start to the campaign but have taken seven points from nine at Champion Hill, whilst the travelling Tanners have had an unexpectedly poor start, without a win in the League so far and with only victory over Sevenoaks Town in the last round to delight their green army. 

Cheshunt are on their way to Great Yarmouth, their match against Gorleston’s ground companions Great Yarmouth Town scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Bloaters have had a fine start to their Thurlow Nunn Premier campaign, winning each of their four matches so far, and of course already have an Isthmian scalp as they knocked out Cambridge City in the next round. The Ambers have gone four without a win so will want to put that right, but we certainly don’t expect a walkover. 

League leaders Lewes are off to Harefield United, of Combined Counties Premier North. United have former Hanwell Town and Chertsey Town striker Gareth Chendlik in fine form, with four goals already- including one as they defeated our very own Beckenham Town in the Extra Preliminary Round- the striker looking to win a fifth promotion of his career. The Rooks, however, won’t be worried by that, as they have been superb so far, winning five out of five and conceding only three goals.

Hashtag United are on a poor run and will hope to get back to winning ways as Stotfold head to Parkside. The Tags have lost three in a row, and indeed four of their last five, whilst their Pitching In Southern Division One North visitors have had even less to shout about, losing each of their three league matches so far.

Hastings United will need to be careful as they welcome Combined Counties Premier South promotion chasers Redhill. United have gone three without a win, whilst the travelling Lobsters already have a Sussex Isthmian scalp as they defeated East Grinstead Town in the last round, and have also won each of their four league matches so far. 

We’ve an all-Premier tie as Hendon are the hosts for Whitehawk. The Greens have had a fine start to the campaign, in fifth place and with a one hundred percent home record, whilst the Hawks have taken only one point away from home- although they were unlucky to lose to a late goal at leaders Lewes on Monday and were impressive in a three-three draw at Dulwich Hamlet.

Horsham have Step Five opponents, Combined Counties Premier North side Virginia Water making the trip to Sussex. The visitors are three without a win but have already taken an Isthmian scalp, and a yellow scalp at that, defeating Ascoit United in the last round. The Hornets saw their unbeaten home record end against Dover Athletic on Monday, but will be rather determined to repeat last seasons Cup heroics.

Kingstonian welcome Chichester City to Raynes Park. It still seems rather surreal to think that a home win would actually be a giantkilling, which perhaps exemplifies the change in fortunes for both clubs of late, but the K’s, who lost to their landlords last time out, have the goals of Eddie Simon, who is looking to score in the fifth successive match and add to the five he has already. City got back to winning ways against Bognor on Monday and have adapted well to the rigours of our top flight. The two have only met once before, a one-nil cup win for the K’s forty years ago!

Cray Wanderers are on the road to Larkfield and New Hythe. The hosts have lost only one of their six matches in League and Cups so far, that defeat coming on penalties at Selsey in midweek, whilst Wands travel on the back of four successive defeats. 

Our North Division champions, Lowestoft Town, have had a mixed start to life in the Southern Premier, and wil hope to bounce back from being hit for six against another of our former clubs, AFC Sudbury, on Monday. The Trawler Boys will play host to Potters Bar Town, the Scholars with Steve Cawley looking to score for the fifth successive match, and also looking for a third consecutive win. 

We’ve a Kentish seaside battle as Ramsgate play host to Folkestone Invicta. The Rams have been scoring goals for fun- fourteen in four matches- and have won them all, with Joe Taylor in his usual fine form having already claimed two match balls this season and scored eight goals. Invicta  have lost only once this season, and have played some good football, but may need to be at their best as the Rams hope for another Cup run.

Sittingbourne are at home to Dover Athletic, another Kentish Isthmian battle. The Brickies are highly fancied in the South East promotion race and have won three of their four matches in League and Cup so far, whilst Athletic will have promotion pretentions at the top end of the Premier Division, and have scored almost twice as many Premier goals as anyone else so far, nineteen of them in five matches- nobody else has more than ten. The visitors will be favourites, but they might not have an easy ride.

Wingate and Finchley are off to Thame United. The hosts, of Southern Division One Central, have won their last three matches whilst scoring eleven goals and conceding none, so the Blues will need to be focused. Wingate have had mixed fortunes so far this season, but at their best are a match for anyone.

South Central side Westfield welcome Premier promotion hopefuls Chatham Town. The Woking side have had a fine start to the campaign, unbeaten and having scored ten goals as they’ve won their last three, so will be confident. The Chats have had a mixed start to the season, and wil hope to quickly bounce back from Monday’s defeat at the hands of Dartford.