Can the Dockers down the Rams?

Ramsgate, five points clear at the top and still unbeaten, welcome seventh place Erith Town to the seaside. The Rams are looking for an eighth successive win, The Dockers have lost only one of their last ten and are six unbeaten, and the visitors will want have the incentive that a win could lift them into the top five. If Joe Taylor gets to play it will be his two hundredth Rams appearance- and he already has a rather astonishing one hundred and forty eight goals from the first one hundred and forty nine. 

Second place Beckenham Town are on the road to Herne Bay. The hosts are down in sixteenth place after a run of seven matches without a win, but they showed remarkable powers of recovery to come from three-two down to defeat Three Bridges in midweek, and will hope to build on that. Becks have lost their last two and will hope to stop that rot.

Sittingbourne have played nine home matches and won them all, scoring a rather incredible thirty eight goals in the process- more than four per match- whilst conceding only two in total. The next side to attempt to knock down the Brickies walls are Croydon Athletic, who sit in thirteenth after a ten match unbeaten run was ended by Three Bridges last weekend. The Brickies are eight points behind the leaders, having played one game fewer. 

Fourth place Margate head to take on bottom side Phoenix Sports. Gate are eight unbeaten in the league, whilst their hosts are one of three clubs on seven points, and six points from safety- but have shown some signs of recovery with two wins from their last five. 

Burgess Hill Town are back at home, and are defending a nine match unbeaten run as Broadbridge Heath arrive for a Sussex derby. This will be the Bears third Sussex derby in a row, and they won the first two of those to climb to eleventh place, but are eleven points behind their hoists. The sides met in the Velocity Cup a month ago, and it took Hill a penalty shootout to win that. 

Sheppey United welcome Eastbourne Town. The Ites are looking to build upon their victory over Phoenix Sports last weekend- and indeed also defeated Margate in the Velocity Cup in midweek- and are only a point away from the top five, whilst Town fell to defeat against Broadbridge Heath on Tuesday but had won their previous three, so will have their eyes set on a top ten spot- particularly as they tend to perform better on the road. 

Merstham welcome Ashford United, two form sides meeting at Moatside. The hosts, four points away from the top five, have lost only two of their last ten and are looking for a third win in a row, whilst the travelling Nuts and Bolts have suddenly found their feet, winning four in a row and scoring three goals on each occasion. They are still ten points away from the top five, but will feel hopeful that they can begin to close that gap.

Sevenoaks Town welcome Deal Town. Both have had inconsistent campaigns, and both are looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat. Deal have actually lost four of their last five, their hosts three in six- and Deal are the only side in the Division yet to draw a match, whilst Oaks have drawn almost half of their home games. 

East Grinstead Town welcome Lancing in a Sussex derby. There are ten points between the fifteenth placed Wasps and their twentieth placed visitors, and the Lancers are six points from safety, having won one and lost eight of their last nine matches. Town have three defeats from their last four, six from their last ten, and have had particular struggles on their own patch, winning just twice this season. 

Hythe Town play host to Littlehampton Town, eighteenth v seventeenth, two points between them at kick off. The Cannons are only a point above the drop zone, but will be delighted to have picked up an added time win over Steyning last weekend, only their second win in ten. The Golds have lost their last three, and need at least a point to ensure they won’t end up in the bottom four.

Steyning Town are the hosts for Three Bridges, another Sussex derby. Steyning have slipped to second from bottom, six points from safety, after taking only one point from the last thirty available to them. Bridges, hoping to be back in their own home on Boxing Day, managed to turn victory into defeat at Herne Bay on Tuesday after victory over Croydon Athletic last weekend, that being their only in six, the other five ending in defeat. The visitors are a point from safety and will be focused on ensuring that they are out of the bottom four before they return home.