A South Central- and Cup- Saturday

Emirates FA Cup

Ashford Town welcome Herne Bay to the edge of the airport. The Tangerines haven’t managed to pick up a league point so far, but have been much more successful in the Cup having defeated Northwood and Uxbridge to reach this stage, whilst Bay are unbeaten so far- and defeated South Central opposition in the last round, Rayners Lane departing the competition after a replay.

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. 

Bracknell Town, in eighth place in Pitching In Southern Premier South, play host to South Park Reigate. The Robins are three unbeaten, whilst the Sparks haven’t really set the world alight just yet but have lost only once, and that on penalties, so should travel with confidence.

Raynes Park Vale will be making a familiar trip, as they take on our South Central champions from last season, Chertsey Town. The Curfews are in mid table in their first Step Three campaign, whilst Vale have had a fine start to the season, unbeaten, and having won their last three matches whilst scoring twelve goals.

Dulwich Hamlet will take on 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. 

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!

Lordswood of the SCEFL have had a fine start to the season, winning six of their seven matches in all competitions, so visitors Binfield may have to work hard for victory. The Moles have scored twelve FA Cup goals so far this season- nine in the last round- but have lost both of their league fixtures so far.

Margate welcome Hayes & Yeading United in a South East v South Central clash. Gate have started their South East tenure with three draws, but they’ve also had three clean sheets in four matches so will be happy about that if hoping to find more potency in front of goal. United have had a fine start, four matches in all competitions, four wins, and twelve goals scored so far- so this might be an immovable object v irresistable force battle!

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.

South Central

Harrow Borough have had a fine start to the season, three wins from three, and they travel to Met Police aware that they need just a point to take over at the summit- although, of course, they’ll hope for three. The Boys in Blue are six places and five points further back after a mixed start to the season, and have been better on the road than on their own patch, the Imber Court crowd hoping for a first point- or three.

Rayners Lane are playing their first league match since opening day, having played three FA Cup and one FA Trophy matches as well as their draw at Westfield. They are now out of both of those competitions so can concentrate on picking up league points, and will want that to start now as Southall come to call. The All haven’t had the best of starts and are still searching for a first win of the season- the victory they earned at Lancing in the Trophy has been overturned due to an ineligible player issue, and the match will have to be replayed next week. 

Moneyfields have also only played one league match, and their second will pose a big test, Farnham Town making the trip to Portsmouth. The Moneys are still looking for a first League point, whilst Town, who have also played only once, already have three- and they have three wins from four in all competitions so far this season. They started the league season with a five-one win  at Badshot Lea. 

Ascot United are the hosts for Sutton Common Rovers, a mid table battle, both sides having taken four points from their first three matches. After a win in the Trophy and League in their last two matches the Yellas will be hoping to build on that as they start a run of four successive home fixtures, whilst Rovers have taken four points from their last two fixtures and looked impressive. Rovers took four points fromn the fixtures between the sides last season.