Bees, Bury or Witham- who will take top spot?

Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round

We know we’ll have at least one Pitching In Isthmian club in the First Round as one of the Fourth Qualifying Round tie features two of them, as Premier Division Horsham welcome North Division Gorleston. The Hornets will be familiar with the pressure that comes with FA Cup success as they reached the Second Round last season, but they won’t be used to being the favourites at this stage of the competition, and favourites they are. They are four unbeaten in all competitions. The travelling Greens defeated National League South opposition in the last round, so will head to Sussex with no fear, and they’ve left their best performances for the Cup. 

Pitching In Isthmian North

Basildon United’s narrow defeat at Felixstowe in midweek left their lead at the top looking rather precarious, and they’ll probably need to get back to winning ways at Newmarket Town if they are to hold onto their lead, with Bury Town and Witham Town breathing down their neck and playing each other. The Bees have lost only twice this season, both times on the road, whilst the Jockeys are still looking for a first league home win of the campaign- but do have Josh Lee looking dangerous in front of goal, scoring two goals in each of his last two matches.

Bury Town play host to Witham Town. Bury are off the top only on goal difference, and have a game in hand over leaders Basildon; whilst Witham are three points further back but have two games in hand over the Bees, and have played one fewer than their hosts, too. Both sides have only one league defeat so far this season, with Bury having won all four of their home matches and Witham unbeaten on the road. If one of those records end, the winners could find themselves top of the table on Saturday night. 

Bury took six points from these opponents last season- but Witham look an entirely different proposition this time around.

Fourth place Felixstowe and Walton United have been quite magnificent at home in all competitions this season- so opponents Tilbury will be glad that they are the hosts this weekend, as the Seasiders travel inland. Five away matches for United this season in all competitions have brought three defeats and only one win- rather a contrast considering their perfect home form. 

The Dockers are four unbeaten, having won three of them and come from three goals down to draw with Newmarket in midweek. They return home after three matches on the road, and will hope to channel the form which saw them defeat Waltham Abbey four-one the last time they were at Chadfields. 

It’s six v fifth as Concord Rangers welcome Brightlingsea Regent. Regent saw a four match winning streak come to an end with defeat in Maldon in midweek, whilst the Beachboys are five unbeaten- five matches which have seen them concede only two goals. 

Walthamstow are back in East London after midweek defeat on the road, and welcome Mildenhall Town. Stow had won three in a row prior to that defeat in Cambridge, and they have striker Brian Moses in fine form, with seven goals this season. Hall have lost four in a row in all competitions, and have won only once on the road this season. 

Waltham Abbey travel to take on Brentwood Town. The hosts are down in fourteenth, but that may well be something of a false position as they’ve played three or even four matches fewer than the sides above them, courtesy of being busy in Cup and Trophy. They come into this one looking for a fourth consecutive victory, and of course defeated Premier Division opposition in the shape of Cray Wanderers last time out. The travelling Abbotts got back to winning ways against Ipswich Wanderers last weekend, hitting their Suffolk visitors for four, but are still searching for consistency, having lost as many as they have won- four of each. The only result they are missing is a draw.

Heybridge Swifts are our draw specialists, five of their nine matches so far ending level. They head to Norfolk to take on second bottom Wroxham having won only one of their last five- but they won’t be too worried about making the trip as they’ve been far better on the road than on their own patch, still searching for a win at home but unbeaten on their travels. The Yachtsmen are also still searching for a home win, although they’ve only won once all season- at Mildenhall Town last Saturday. They have taken four points from Swifts in both of the last two seasons. 

Mid table Redbridge welcome Sporting Bengal United for an East London derby. The Motormen have gone three without a win- although the first two of those were draws- whilst United have gone six without a win in all competitions, including two defeats in the league- but those losses were against the top two so perhaps that doesn’t tell us a great deal. 

Finally, Ipswich Wanderers welcome Haringey Borough to Suffolk, seventeenth v last. Borough would point out that they may not be bottom of the table had they not been busy in Cup and Trophy, and they may be right- but it’s still the case that they haven’t yet won a league match and have taken only one point from the five matches they have found the time for. Their form in knockout competitions has been fabulous on occasions, but they really need to transfer that to the League. Wanderers are four unbeaten in the league on their own patch, although have only won one of five in all competitions, that win coming in the County Cup.