Our Blue v Blue battle leads the way on North Saturday

Leaders Felixstowe and Walton United saw their unbeaten home record depart when they lost to Grays Athletic in midweek, but they held onto top spot by one point and will hope to at least maintain that record this weekend, as Haringey Borough make the trip. The Seasiders have only two defeats from their last ten, whilst Borough have taken only six points from the last thirty available to them and find themselves second bottom- but only three points from safety. The sides have already met twice this season, in League and Trophy, United winning both matches, scoring five goals and conceding none.

Second place Bury Town have a three match winless run which they’d like to end, but they also have a Brentwood Town shaped problem heading their way as the Blues play the Blues (although we suspect the travelling Blues will play in orange!). Second v third was always likely to be our match of the day, but with four points between the sides, and the Essex Blues with a game in hand, there’s more than usual riding on this one. Brentwood are twelve matches unbeaten and have won eight of their last ten, whilst their hosts are without a win since their victory over Felixstowe on January 7th.

Waltham Abbey are in wonderful form. The fourth place Abbotts have won their last four, the last three of them to nil, and also have seven wins from eight. They travel to Chadfields to take on Grays Athletic, the hosts boosted by their ending of Felixstowe’s unbeaten home record in midweek and looking to burst another bubble. Abbey have already defeated Athletic twice this season, the first of those victories in the County Cup, the most recent a one-nil win in the League on January 14th!

Tilbury have climbed back into the top five after a six match unbeaten run. The Dockers travel to face a side who haven’t managed a victory in seven matches, Concord Rangers- the Beachboys hoping to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat. Three is very much not their favourite number, as they’ve conceded three goals in six of their last ten matches. The sides met as recently as January 14th, the Dockers winning two-nil.

Witham Town have occupied a top five spot all season, but slipped to sixth in midweek. A run of three wins from ten has slowed their progress, whilst visitors Redbridge seem to have got over a spell of poor form, and make the journey looking for a fourth win in a row. Since the Motormen returned to the Isthmian League the sides have met four times, three in the League and one in the Trophy, with Redbridge unbeaten and winning three- including their last meeting, at early December one-nil victory in East London.

Brightlingsea Regent start the weekend in seventh place, a five match winning run ended last time out by narrow defeat against Heybridge Swifts. Regent will look to start another winning run as they host Basildon United, the Bees in shocking form, fourteen matches without a win and looking to avoid a fifth consecutive loss. One of those defeats was against Regent, a three-one loss on their own patch earlier this month. United are only three points clear of the bottom four. 

Cambridge City have been charging up the table. Eight matches unbeaten- seven of those victories- City are back in their new stadium, where Wroxham are the visitors. The Yachtsmen climbed out of the bottom four with a draw in midweek and with only three defeats from ten seem to be finding their feet after a difficult start to the campaign. They’ll be looking for revenge for a three-two defeat two and a half weeks ago.

Heybridge Swifts take a trip to East London to face Walthamstow, tenth v ninth. Swifts are six points away from the top five, Stow two points further back, and neither side will want to allow that gap to get any larger. Swifts ended a four match winless run with victory against Brightlingsea last weekend, and have been very good on the road with only one defeat all season. Stow have gone three without a win, losing two of them, and lost two-one against Julian Dicks side in early December.

Gorleston appear to be on the up. The Greens have taken seven points from their last three matches, and they will be confident of three more as bottom side Ipswich Wanderers come to call. Wanderers are ten points from safety, and despite delivering some decent performances of late continue to find it difficult to pick up points, without a league win since mid September. The sides drew one-one in December. 

Maldon and Tiptree and visitors Mildenhall Town are separated by one place and two points. The Jammers are on a four match winless run but did earn a point against title chasing Bury in midweek; whilst Hall have seen a six match unbeaten run end with two narrow defeats. Hall defeated the Jammers one-nil on January 7th.

Finally, third bottom Newmarket Town welcome the side one place and two points above them, Sporting Bengal United. The Jockeys will be confident after winning their last two matches and scoring three goals each time, whilst a run of one win from ten has seen the East Londoners slip into the danger zone. The sides meet again next Wednesday- but they have already met this season, a Velocity Cup tie which the Jockeys won by five goals to two, six of its seven goals arriving in the last seventeen minutes.