The top four are all at home- as Becks try to extend their lead, and the chasing pack attempt to cut it!

Leaders Beckenham Town hold a four point lead at the top, so will still be top on Saturday evening come what may, but with Ramsgate and Sittingbourne having many games in hand Becks cannot afford to slacken their pace. Looking for a sixth consecutive win they welcome Broadbridge Heath, the Bears having got back to winning ways last time out and looking for revenge, Becks defeating them in added time less than a month ago. 

Second place Ramsgate will be the biggest of favourites as they welcome Steyning Town, not only because they are unbeaten after twelve matches and have won eleven of them, but because their visitors travel having lost nine in a row. The Rams, four points behind Beckenham Town with four games in hand, will expect to complete a Steyning double- but will also be mindful of the fact that they were only able to win one-nil in Sussex on October 15th, and that the Barrowmen are likely to find form at some point. 

Third place Sittingbourne, Manager of the Month award intact, will be hoping to avoid a curse as they host Deal Town. The Brickies are looking for a sixth consecutive league win- and in all competitions have already won six in a row and kept five clean sheets during that run whilst scoring twenty three goals. They are six points behind the leaders with three games in hand at kick off, and defeated Deal three-two at the seaside last month-although the visitors will want to channel the spirit of their six-one win over the Brickies in the Kent Cup a month before! Deal lost narrowly to Margate last time out, and are in ninth place, eight points away from a play off spot.

Margate, with only one league defeat all season, welcome the side who inflicted that defeat- fifth place Burgess Hill Town- to Hartsdown Park. Gate are looking for a sixth successive win, Hill for a sixth win in eight and an eight match unbeaten run, and this one looks a cracker, both sides in fabulous form. A win for Hill would take them above their hosts. 

There are three points between Sheppey United, in sixth, and Merstham, in eighth. The Ites have gone two without a win but have only lost three matches all season, the Moatsiders are three unbeaten- and indeed have taken seven points from those three matches. They also have only one defeat in nine, and have been playing some rather fabulous football of late. When the two sides met last month, a one-one draw was the outcome. 

Erith Town are on the road to AFC Croydon Athletic. The Dockers are three unbeaten in the league, whilst the Rams have been in exceptional form, and in all competitions have a ten match unbeaten run to protect. Even better for the home fans, they haven’t seen their side lose on their own patch since a late, late defeat to Ramsgate on our opening day- but they did lose three-nil to the Dockers in Thamesmead in September, so will be rather concerned that lightning doesn’t strike twice!

Hythe Town, one point above the bottom four, welcome mid table Sevenoaks Town to Reachfields. The Cannons have lost seven of their last nine but did look much improved in their draw at Herne Bay in midweek and their win over Lancing a fortnight ago, however will want another three points to ensure that they don’t slip back into the danger zone. Oaks have lost only one of six but have drawn three of their last five, so will be rather hoping that they can begin turning one point into three. When the sides met in September, Oaks triumphed- but only just, a goal five minutes from time the only one of the match. 

Herne Bay travel to Eastbourne Town for a seaside special. Both sides are on rather unenviable runs, Bay having taken one point from their last four matches, Town having lost each of their last four, so victory will be welcome at both ends of the stadium. Bay defeated Town with an added time goal last month. 

East Grinstead Town will hope to put a run of three defeats from four- and indeed seven from ten- behind them as they welcome bottom side Phoenix Sports to College Lane. Sports are six points from safety and have only one win all season, that coming a week ago against Steyning Town- although it was followed by a three-nil Tuesday night defeat to Sittingbourne. They have looked as if they are improving, but if they are, then this is the kind of match they’ll be desperate to win- particularly as their hosts have been terrible at home this season, losing five of six so far. 

Lancing, second bottom and six points from safety, are under new management so will have new hope as they welcome Ashford United. The Lancers have gone nine matches without a win- eight defeats- whilst the Nuts and Bolts, who have been superb at times this season, are still struggling for anything that resembles consistency, and have lost their last three. They did defeat the Lancers three-one less than three weeks ago, however.