Bury and the Seasiders continue their battle for top spot on our North Saturday

New leaders Bury Town welcome Maldon and Tiptree to Ram Meadow aware that Felixstowe and Walton United, three points behind, will be desperate to regain top spot. The Blues, with one defeat from ten and ten wins from twelve at home, welcome a Jammers side who are still without a manager as we write, after surprisingly parting company with Brett Munyard after a run of only one defeat in ten- but they followed that with another loss in Mildenhall in midweek, and start the weekend in twelfth place. The Jammers haven’t beaten the Blues in six attempts, and Bury did the double over these opponents last season.

Felixstowe and Walton United had a fifteen match unbeaten run as they travelled to Bury in midweek, but will now need to start another one as they travel to take on ninth place Heybridge Swifts. Swifts are three without a win- although only one of those was a defeat- but have finally found some home form, four unbeaten at Scraley Road. United took four points from the meetings between the sides last season, something of a change of fortune after Swifts had won their six prior league meetings. 

Third place Brentwood Town welcome fourth place Witham Town in our match of the day, two points between the sides. The Blues are looking to extend their unbeaten run to ten matches, whilst Witham have become rather inconsistent, their previous six matches following a W-L pattern- which we’re sure they’d like to continue for just one more day! The sides met in the County Cup on Bonfire Night, Witham triumphing from the spot after a two-two draw, and also met in the FA Trophy, the Blues winning three-two, but this is their first league meeting of the campaign. Witham haven’t defeated Brentwood in the league since January 2019- that’s nine matches without a win, only two of them ending level. 

Waltham Abbey, in fifth, hold a two point lead over sixth place Brightlingsea Regent and will hope to at least maintain that as they welcome Basildon United. The Abbotts have won seven of their last nine, whilst the Bees, under new management earlier this week, have an eleven match winless run to try which they will hope to end. 

Brightlingsea Regent have been in fabulous form, winning five in a row, and with only one defeat in ten have moved to within two points of the play off places. Regent are on the road to Grays Athletic, who have gone five without a win, losing four of them, and have slipped to eleventh as a consequence. The sides met three times in League and Cup last season, each one a home win, and Regent were at home for two of them. 

Tilbury, in seventh and three points away from the top five, are on the road to East London to take on Sporting Bengal United. The Dockers are three unbeaten and seem to have put their mid season blip behind them, whilst their hosts win over Maldon in their last match, on New Years Day, was their first in nine matches. They are three points above the drop zone. 

Walthamstow travel to Redbridge for an East London derby. The eighth place visitors, five points away from the top five, are on a good run- having won five in a row and seven of their last eight. The Motormen, under new management, will look to end a run of five defeats in a row. Both of the meetings between the sides last season ended in away wins. 

Cambridge City are amongst our form sides, having won five of six unbeaten matches to climb to tenth. They travel to bottom side Ipswich Wanderers, who have probably forgotten what a victory feels like as they haven’t experienced one since mid September, despite some improved performances. They’ve also gone five matches without scoring, and are eleven points from safety. 

Third bottom Wroxham welcome Concord Rangers, the Beachboys seven places and nine points better off. Wroxham have only two wins from ten- although four of that ten ended all-square; whilst their visitors are four without a win, losing three of those by three goals to two. Rangers don’t tend to travel well, with only two away wins all season, but the Yachtsmen have only won two at home, which perhaps cancels that out a little. 

Haringey Borough, three points from safety, play host to Mildenhall Town, who are three places and six points better off having played two games less. We expected Borough to be challenging at the other end but with only one win from ten the table doesn’t lie, whilst Hall are five unbeaten, four of them ending in draws. 

Gorleston are only four points above the drop zone after a run of two wins from ten, and will hope to avoid a fourth successive defeat as they host second bottom Newmarket Town. The Jockeys will be boosted by their three-nil win over Redbridge last time out, but are five points from safety so very much need a few more of those.