It’s first v fifth and third v second on North Saturday

Four of our top five get to play each other, so Felixstowe and Walton United will hope that they can narrow the gap on the top three- a gap which is currently four points (five to the top two), albeit with the Seasiders having two games in hand. 

Leaders Bury Town, top of the table on goal difference, welcome fifth place Basildon United to Ram Meadow. The Blues have lost only once at home, whilst any Bees difficulties this season have tended to come on the road, so the hosts will be favourites- particularly as the visitors have lost four of their last five. The sides drew one-one in September, but Bury will still have nightmares about United’s last visit to Ram Meadow, a six-two win in November last year.

Second place Tilbury and third place Witham Town have a point between them, the Dockers heading to Spa Road hoping to extend that and perhaps return to the summit, whilst Town also have their eyes set on top spot. Tilbury have won their last five league matches and are ten unbeaten in all competitions, whilst Witham have won their last four and will be hoping for revenge for their last defeat, which came at the hands of the Dockers last month.

Felixstowe and Walton United have been invincible at home- indeed more than invincible, as they’ve won every home match in all competitions, twelve victories at the Martello Ground so far. The side with the unenviable task of trying to end that run are Cambridge City, who lost two-nil to the Seasiders less than three weeks ago and have lost three of their last four in League and Trophy. To be fair to City, playing every match away from home can’t be easy, and they’ll be hoping that their new stadium is ready to be opened shortly. 

Waltham Abbey welcome Heybridge Swifts to Capershotts. The Abbotts are looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches, and will be aware that victory might see them climb into the top five, whilst Swifts are three points further back but unbeaten on the road, and will be looking for some revenge after their hosts defeated them at Scraley Road in September. Swifts scored nine in the County Cup in midweek, which we suspect was the perfect warm up for this match. 

Brightlingsea Regent are on the road to Mildenhall Town. Regent have hit a bit of a rough patch, with only one win from six, whilst their hosts, six points and eight places further back, are looking to make it three matches unbeaten. This will be their third meeting of the season- a four-two FA trophy win for Regent at the Riverside Stadium in September being eclipsed by Hall’s three-nil win at Regent in the league, a match which Regent ended with nine men after two red cards. 

Grays Athletic are at Chadfields, where they host Newmarket Town. Athletic’s league form has been very good, indeed they are looking for a fourth consecutive win, whilst the Jockeys have won only one of six but draws against Waltham Abbey and Bury Town in their last two were both very positive results. The visitors only have one win on the road, however, and they may need to improve that record if they are to climb out of the bottom four. 

Brentwood Town are five points away from the top five, albeit with three games in hand. The Blues are at home to managerless Ipswich Wanderers, and will see this as something of a must win, and a chance to quickly bounce back from last weekend’s narrow defeat at Felixstowe. Prior to that Seasiders loss they were eight unbeaten. Wanderers have won only one of their last nine in all competitions, and have taken only five points from the last thirty available to them. Town took six points from Wanderers last season.

Gorleston, in eleventh, travel to take on Maldon & Tiptree. The Greens saw a three match unbeaten run come to an end at Witham last weekend, and followed that by being surprisingly knocked out of the Norfolk Cup after reaching the Final in three of the last four years. The Jammers have been on a very poor run, losing seven of their last eight- including against the Greens just over two weeks ago. 

Redbridge welcome Wroxham to East London. The Motormen have won only one of their last seven league matches- although they’ve lost only two of those, becoming draw specialists- whilst the travelling Yachtsmen are looking for a third unbeaten match, and perhaps a win that might lift them out of the bottom four. The sides drew one-one in Sdeptember.

Finally, a London derby, as Sporting Bengal United host Haringey Borough. United are looking for a third win in a row, whilst Borough are looking for a first win in five- and a double over these opponents, who they defeated as recently as October 15th, two late Georgios Aresti goals giving them a two-nil win at Coles Park.