It’s tight at the top!

Brentwood Town are in fine form in Pitching In Isthmian North, Tuesday’s win over Ipswich Wanderers their fifth in a row- but the Blues face the challenge of in-form Maldon and Tiptree at the Arena on Friday.

The Jammers might be in thirteenth, but they hit the road with a six match unbeaten run to protect, four of them victories. They may be nine points away from the promotion picture but they will consider themselves very much candidates for inclusion, and will be full of confidence. A Brentwood win would, however, see them climb to third- although that climb might turn out to be temporary as Witham play on Saturday. The Blues have won the last four meetings between the sides- a two season double double. 

Onto Saturday now, and leaders Bury Town are back at their own Ram Meadow to face ninth place Brightlingsea Regent. The Blues are two points clear at the top, and searching for a seventh successive victory, whilst Regent are four points away from the top five, and have only one defeat from seven. Both of last season’s meetings resulted in away wins, so Regent would particularly like that trend to continue- and we suspect that second place Felixstowe and Walton United would agree!

Felixstowe are on the road to a different seaside, Great Yarmouth, where they take on Gorleston. The Seasiders last lost a league match on October 12th, so will be looking to take their unbeaten run up to thirteen matches, whilst the Greens are having an inconsistent campaign but will be hoping for a third unbeaten match- and indeed to climb up from their current fifteenth position. Both of last season’s meetings ended in a home win.

Witham Town are also on the road, our third place side (although of course they might be fourth at kick off, depending on the Brentwood result) taking a trip to face seventh place Waltham Abbey. Depending on other results, victory for the Abbotts could take them into the top five, and they did have a three match winning streak before defeat at Felixstowe last weekend; whilst Witham have only two defeats from ten and are having a mightily impressive season. Abbey’s home record and Town’s away record match, four wins, two draws and three defeats- which is an interesting if not particularly valuable statistic!

Heybridge Swifts are at home, worst luck. Our fifth place side have been magnificent on the road, and indeed only they and league leaders Dover Athletic are still unbeaten away from home- but at Scraley Road have a record which matches that of second bottom Newmarket Town, only two wins from ten. Perhaps Julian Dicks might put them in the away changing room as they welcome Basildon United? The Bees are on a poor run, seven matches without a win and with only one win from ten, form which has seen them slip down to twelfth place from their early season lofty heights. Their away form has been the problem- they’ve only lost once at home, but seven on the road. Perhaps we should move the match to Basildon and please everyone!

The Bees haven’t defeated Swifts in seven attempts. 

Wroxham welcome Tilbury to the Norfolk Broads. The Yachtsmen are in nineteenth, four points from safety, and lost narrowly in Brightlingsea last time out, but were three unbeaten prior to that and have looked much improved of late; whilst a run of one win in five has tipped the Dockers out of the top five. It’s probably our fault; boss Marc Harrison picked up the Vita Risk Solutions Manager of the Month award for October, and form has been decidedly mixed ever since! 

The Dockers are outside the top five only on goal difference, and will hope to be back in a play off place for Christmas. 

Pictured: Ben Jarrett (Kit Manager), Liam Wallace (Assistant Manager), Neil Pilcher (Isthmian League), Marc Harrison (Manager), Drew Kilner (First Team Coach) and Emma Gray (Physio). Image from Paul Bocking (InFocus Photos).

Grays Athletic welcome Walthamstow to Chadfields. Athletic have slipped to eighth after losing their last two matches, but remain only three points away from the top five- and only Bury Town have conceded fewer goals. Stow are four points further back in eleventh, but are very much on the up, with only one defeat from seven and three wins from four. The sides have already met this season, in the Velocity Cup, Athletic winning on penalties after an entertaining one-one draw. 

Redbridge bring Cambridge City to East London. The Motormen are tenth, only four points away from the top five, but are rather inconsistent, three wins from seven (although perhaps one defeat from five would put a more positive spin on it!). City ended a three match losing streak by defeating Grays last weekend, and are surely better than their sixteenth place suggests.

Bottom side Ipswich Wanderers find themselves eight points from safety and, although they are showing improvement, have not been able to pick up many points- indeed, their last nine matches have brought only one. They host a Concord Rangers side who sit in fourteenth and haven’t yet managed to play a match this month, postponements rather interrupting their progress. They have only one win on the road, but have drawn five of their nine away matches. 

Mile End finds Sporting Bengal United, in eighteenth, facing the side who are above them only on goal difference, Mildenhall Town. United have picked up one point from their last five matches, Hall are looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat, and both sides will be hoping to put more distance between themselves and the bottom four. 

Finally, it appears that our previews mentioning Haringey Borough’s statistics are causing distress amongst the rather fabulous folks who support them vociferously home and away. Our apologies, we’ll put a yellow triangle in the top corner of any such future previews to warn you not to read them, and we’ll give you a stat-free Friday! Borough welcome the side one place and one point behind them, Newmarket Town, who have only one win in ten and are five points from safety. Both sides have been entertaining this season, but we suspect they are entertaining the neutrals more than their own supporters, and that probably needs to change if they are to fight their way to safety.