Another South Central and Trophy Saturday

South Central side Ascot United welcome South East side Margate in a match which promises much. The Yellas have won their last six matches in League and Cups, particularly delighting their supporters as the last four of those have been on their own Racecourse Ground. Anas Igozouln is looking to score for the fifth match in a row. The visitors haven’t lost a match alls eason, and seem to be getting better and better, winning five in a row, of which four have been on the road, including Tuesday’s win at South East leaders Beckenham Town and last Saturday’s demolition of Premier Division Bognor, four-nil on the Sussex coast. They seem to have goals throughout the team, Harvey Brand on five, player-boss Ben Greenhalgh on seven and- an actual striker- Ibrahim Olutade also on five.

Another South East v South Central match sees Ashford United welcome Hartley Wintney to Homelands. The Nuts and Bolts are yet to win in the league but throw a knockout competition at them and they come out swinging, having already won five cup ties this season. The Row have lost only one of their last four, and defeated South East opposition- East Grinstead Town- in the last round.

Horndean have a rather long trip down to Devon, where they take on Exmouth Town of Pitching In Southern Division One South. Town are currently in fourth place, and have won their last two, whilst the Deans have lost only one of their last seven, although they’ve gone three without a win.

South East title chasers Ramsgate are the destination for South Central Raynes Park Vale. The Rams have lost only once in any competition this season- a much changed side departing the Velocity Cup on penalties in midweek- and will be full of confidence, particularly with Joe Taylor doing his usual in front of goal, eleven goals already. Vale travel on the back of two defeats, and will want to put that right. They also have a hotshot, Jordan Gallagher on six.

Sevenoaks Town, who became the first side to defeat Ramsgate this season with a Velocity Cup shootout win in midweek, play host to South Central Leatherhead. The two sides met in the FA Cup just over a month ago, the Tanners winning two-nil, so the hosts will want revenge- and they have won four of their last five. Leatherhead have also won four of their last five, only a Cup defeat at Dartford blotting their copybook. 

Sittingbourne will fill Blakey’s Shed for the visit of Kingstonian. The Brickies put out a rather youthful side in Velocity Cup defeat in Erith in midweek, which ended a six match unbeaten run- and they’ve been pretty muich perfect at home, with four wins and a draw- and that draw came against premier side Dover Athletic, who were defeated in the replay. The K’s are still to find consistency, but are three unbeaten and have already defeated South East opposition this season, Eastbourne Town in the last round. 

Uxbridge have found form of late, their last four matches bringing three wins and a draw- and twelve goals- and they welcome an AFC Croydon Athletic side who, as we write, are without a manager. The travelling Rams are rather hit and miss this season, but were three unbeaten before falling to defeat at Erith Town last weekend so perhaps are beginning to find their Step Four feet.

Westfield welcome Thame United of Pitching In Southern Division One Central, United having already played two Isthmian sides in Cup competitions this season, Wingate and Finchley hitting them for four in the FA Cup but Steyning Town being hit for five in the last round of the Trophy. Field saw a three match winning run come to an end at Farnham Town in midweek, but in six home matches so far this season have seen only Premier Division Chatham Town leave with victory. 

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

With leaders Harrow Borough having a weekend off and second place Westfield in Trophy action, Farnham Town will hit the top if they can defeat Ashford Town. Farnham have been scoring goals with reckless abandon, an average of four a match bringing four league wins from four so far, whilst the travelling Tangerines are still looking for a league win but picked up a useful point at Southall in midweek.

Hanworth Villa will be hoping to climb into the top five with victory at Binfield. The Villains followed two wins with a narrow defeat in Uxbridge in midweek and haven’t had much luck on the road, losing three of their four matches on their travels this season; whilst the Moles are still looking for a first league win and have only one win of any kind in their last six, that coming earlier this month in the Velocity Cup. Villa took four points from their meetings last season, and four during 22-23, too. 

Hayes and Yeading United could also go top five if they can defeat South Park Reigate at the Skyex. United have played five times on their own patch this season and emerged victorious four times, so will be favourites, whilst the Sparks are still looking for a first league win and also to avoid a first league defeat, having drawn each of their matches so far. Five of their nine matches this season have ended one-nil, two of them in Cup victories, and they’ve also had two goalless draws- indeed their last seven matches in league and cup have brought a total of six goals in total, and the results rather resemble the binary number system. 

Met Police are back at Imber Court, Rayners Lane the visitors. Eight matches this season have seen only two wins for the Boys in Blue, and only one in five when we look at the league; whilst Lane only have one win in ten in all competitions, that five-nil hammering of Raynes Park Vale last weekend being followed by a narrow defeat at Hartley Wintney in midweek.

Badshot Lea will search once more for that first win of the season, as they welcome Sutton Common Rovers. The Baggies only win in ten attempts so far this season was in the cup back on August 17th, and they very much need some league points; whilst Rovers have lost four of their last five in all competitions despite not playing badly in any of them, so will hope for three valuable points. The sides met three times last season, Rovers taking four points from their league encounters, the Baggies winning at this stage of the FA Trophy.