Basildon, Bury and Witham battle for North supremacy- and we also have some North Trophy action

Isuzu FA Trophy

Pitching In Isthmian North side Cambridge City travel to take on one of our former North favourites, AFC Sudbury. The Yellows are in their second season in Southern Premier Central, and sit comfortably in mid table with an unbeaten home record- whilst City, still waiting for their new home to open, have been permanently away so far this season. Theys aw a three match winning streak come to an end against Witham Town on Sunday.

Brentwood Town host Cray Wanderers in a North v Premier clash. With two Play Off Final shootout defeats in three years the Blues will think themselves unlucky not to be a Premier side themselves, and are looking for a third successive win; whilst Wands have lost only one of eight in all competitions so certainly won’t expect to end up as slain giants. 

Felixstowe and Walton United play their eighth cup tie of the season as they welcome Haringey Borough, but Borough scoff at that number, as this is their ninth- and would have been their tenth had their Cup replay at Lowestoft Town not been called off in midweek. Borough have lost only one of nine in all competitions (we’d point out that the defeat was in one of only two league matches they’ve managed to fit in since August Bank Holiday Monday), whilst the Seasiders have won every match they’ve played on their own patch this season, eight of them so far- and scored thirty goals in front of their own fans so far. 

Maldon and Tiptree and Canvey Island meet in a North v Premier showdown, and an Essex derby. The Jammers brightest moments of late have come in this competition, and indeed their only win in four came on penalties against Corby Town in the last round. The Gulls will be looking to bounce back from narrow Cup defeat in Biggleswade on Sunday, but had won four of their previous five so shouldn’t be short on self-belief. 

Pitching In Isthmian North

Basildon United and Bury Town are separated only by goal difference at the top- and both have tricky fixtures this weekend. 

Basildon are at home to FA Cup heroes Gorleston. The Bees have lost only one league match all season, and are undefeated at home, whilst the travelling Greens have lost their last three in the League whilst sweeping all before them in the Cup. If they play as they did in defeating National League South St Albans City on Saturday they’d be a match for anyone in the Division, but after a fabulous August they had a far less convincing September, so perhaps the outcome in this one might depend on which version of Gorleston turns up. The last four meetings between the sides have seen a win each and two draws, the last of those a three-three draw in April. 

Second place Bury Town, with boss Cole Skuse celebrating his latest Vita Risk Solutions Manager of the Month Award, are on the road to Grays Athletic, who picked up our uhlsport Golden Gloves award for the best defence. Town have been magnificent on their own patch but far less convincing on the road, whilst Athletic are three unbeaten in the League and could climb to the fringes of the play off places with victory. Town took four points from Athletic last season, whilst Grays did the double over their Suffolk visitors during 22-23. The last seventeen meetings between the sides have seen only three away wins. 

If both Basildon and Bury end up with nothing for their efforts, then Witham Town could go top if they defeat Walthamstow at Spa Road. Witham are the only undefeated side in the Division, and have played some fine football this season- although they have lost their last two home matches, both cup ties. Stow seem to be finding form, winning three of their last four and scoring four goals in each of their last two matches, so this one promises excitement.

Brightlingsea Regent will break into the top five if they can defeat Newmarket Town. Regent have won their last three in all competitions, conceding only one goal in the process, whilst the travelling Jockeys picked up a useful point against Concord Rangers in midweek and won their last match on the road, defeating Maldon & Tiptree.

Heybridge Swifts are the hosts for Tilbury, seventh v ninth. A win for either side could see them into the top five, but Swifts haven’t yet managed a home win in the league- and indeed don’t have any sort of home victory since Saturday 3rd August. The Dockers seem to have come out of the other side of a poor spell, winning last Saturday and again on Monday to climb the table, and have Sam Bantick- formerly of Swifts- in impressive form, with nine goals already this season. 

Waltham Abbey have only one win from six in all competitions, and having lost their last two will want to avoid that run continuing as they host Ipswich Wanderers. The visitors, only a point behind the Abbotts in the table, won for the first time in four matches by emerging victorious from a Suffolk Cup tie in midweek, but have gone five away matches without a victory.

Mildenhall Town are at home to Wroxham. Hall are on a three match losing streak, whilst the Yachtsmen haven’t yet managed a league win this season and have lost each of their matches on the road- although it’s perhaps worth pointing out that those defeats have come against three of our promotion favourites.