Can the chasing pack narrow the gap on Dover?

Leaders Dover Athletic are on the road to face last season’s runners up, Chatham Town. The Chats find themselves in sixteenth, one of the chief reasons for that their inability to turn one point into three on their own patch. They’ve drawn four of their six home matches so far, including their last two- but that certainly doesn’t make them a Dover pushover, as they are seven unbeaten in League and Cups. Athletic are four points clear at the top and actually better on the road than at their own place, unbeaten on their travels. They’ve won seven of their last eight in all competitions, and have scored significantly more league goals this season than anyone else- averaging nearly three per match.

Second place Billericay Town are our only Premier side to remain unbeaten, a significant feat, but the chief reason that they find themselves four points behind the leaders is that they’ve drawn more games than they’ve won- seven out of their thirteen so far. The Blues have a trip to South London, Carshalton Athletic their hosts, the Robins still searching for consistency in eleventh place- perhaps perfectly exemplified by the fact that their win-draw-loss record is four-four-four. The Robins have been a force at home, however, with only one defeat- but again have more draws than wins on their own patch, which perhaps suggests that Billericay’s draw habit might just continue, but they did defeat their hosts at Colston Avenue as recently as April. 

Cray Valley PM are having a fine first Premier season, and the third place Millers are at home again, with Cup heroes Horsham making the trip. The hosts are five unbeaten in the league, whilst the Hornets have taken seven points from their last nine but have been far less convincing on the road than at home, with only one league win from their five away games so far. Horsham find themselves five points away from a play off spot, albeit with a couple of games in hand.

Wingate and Finchley turned up their noses at any Manager of the Month curse with victory over Carshalton Athletic in midweek, and our fourth place side have won five of their last six, so won’t be short on self belief as Hastings United come to call- particularly as they’ve lost only once at home. Hastings got back to winning ways in midweek, after a losing run, but have taken only five points from eighteen on the road- and took only one point from their North London hosts last season.

Former leaders Lewes are now seven points off the top- albeit with a game in hand- and they travel to take on Hendon. The Rooks have won only one of their last six league matches (although only two of them have ended in defeat), whilst the Greens ended a four match winless run with victory over Dulwich Hamlet in midweek, and have lost only once on their own patch. 

Dulwich Hamlet have only two wins from six, but our sixth place side will be determined to bounce back from that defeat at Hendon in midweek as they welcome the side who are behind them only on goal difference, Potters Bar Town. Hamlet are better at home than on the road, perhaps unsurprisingly given their colossal home support, whilst the Scholars are unpredictable on their travels, their last six league away games bringing two wins and three defeats. Hamlet took four points from six against Town last season.

Chichester City have had a fabulous start to their first Premier campaign, and have striker Jimmy Wild in top form, with fifteen goals from seventeen appearances so far- and he’ll hope for more as second bottom Hashtag United make the trip to Sussex. The Tags have gone four without a win, losing three of them and conceding seven goals in their last two, and their legion of fans across the world are getting a little twitchy- and they face a City side who have lost only once at home. 

Canvey Island welcome Whitehawk to Essex for a seaside derby. The twelfth place Gulls would perhaps rather be away from home, given they’ve been pretty good on the road but have lost five of seven home matches so far, but they have won three of their last five so are in fairly good form, whilst their visitors are having a terrible time, taking two points from their last six matches and without a goal in any competition for five hundred and eighty minutes, their last one coming from now-Lewes striker Gianluca Botti in a Sussex Senior Cup win over Broadbridge Heath on October 8th.

Folkestone Invicta will perhaps consider themselves unlucky to lose against the leaders- in front of a record crown- in midweek, and they’ll hope that a substantial number will return as they take on Cray Wanderers. Invicta haven’t been very successful on their own patch this season, winning only one of their six league matches so far, whilst Wanderers haven’t had a very positive start to the season but seem to have found their feet- until their midweek defeat to local rivals Cray Valley PM they were four unbeaten. The last six meetings between the sides have brought two Invicta victories, one for Wands, and three draws. Invicta took four points from their clashes last season. 

Dartford have hit a sticky patch, a run of seven matches without a win seeing them drop down to fifteenth. They welcome Cheshunt to Princes Park, the Ambers only one point behind them and looking upwards, particularly after hitting Bognor for four on the Sussex coast last weekend. Cheshunt won’t be sad about being on the road, as they’ve been far more successful on their travels than at home so far this season.

Finally, Bowers and Pitsea are at home to Bognor Regis Town. Bowers will be pleased to be at home, as most of their victories have come at the Len Salmon, whilst the Rocks will be rather less delighted as they haven’t yet won a league match on the road. Bowers have been in inconsistent form of late, their last seven in all competitions bringing four wins and three defeats, whilst their visitors have certainly been consistent, but not in a way they would like, losing their last five in League and Trophy- and indeed six of their last seven, the only victory coming in a County Cup match during that period.