The top two try again!

Bury Town and Felixstowe and Walton United are separated only by goal difference, and both sides are eight point clear of the chasing pack- so tonight’s meeting at Ram Meadow may turn out to have season-defining importance. Town have only one defeat from ten, and only three defeats all season, although two of those defeats have come on their own patch. The Seasiders have also lost only three times this season, but each of those defeats has come on the road; although they seem to have found a cure for their travel sickness, and are seven unbeaten away from home having won their last three. Their unbeaten league run stretches back fifteen matches.

The sides have already met three times this season. The Seasiders took an FA Cup draw away from Ram Meadow in August before delivering a demolition job in the replay, and then on August Bank Holiday Monday defeated their local rivals in the league, too- but August is rather a long time ago, and Bury will be determined to exact some revenge. The sides have met eleven times this decade, Town winning three, United six, with two draws- including last season’s league meeting at Ram Meadow, which ended three-three, the Seasiders coming back from three-one down at the break to take a point.

Brightlingsea Regent, with only one defeat in ten, are looking for a fifth successive win as they travel to Basildon United. Regent have been superb under Ryan Salter, his side delivering a perfect month under his leadership and earning him a Vita Risk Solutions Manager of the Month Award, and sit in eighth, five points away from the top five with games in hand. United saw boss Chris Taylor depart the club at the weekend, to take up a new role at Redbridge, and have slipped to fifteenth after a winless run which stretches back to mid October- ten matches. They did do the double over Regent last season, however. 

Cambridge City have climbed into the top ten after a run of five games undefeated- the first four of which were victories. They head to third bottom Wroxham hoping to narrow the gap on the top five- a gap which currently sits at eleven points- whilst the hosting Yachtsmen have other problems, four points from safety- albeit having played fewer games than all of the sides around them. Wroxham have looked to have rediscovered their mojo, and indeed have lost only three of their last ten, which doesn’t read like relegation form, but they’ve also only picked up three wins from those ten matches so will be rather desperate to pick up three points.

Grays Athletic have slipped to eleventh place after a run of five games without a win- four defeats- and haven’t been helped by postponements of late. Athletic head to Concord Rangers, the Beachboys also on a poor run and without a win in four- two places and four points behind their visitors. 

Finally, Maldon and Tiptree- managerless as we write- travel to take on Mildenhall Town. After nine undefeated matches the Jammers lost against Sporting Bengal United on New Years Day, and then shortly afterwards also lost their manager, Brett Munyard departing the club for reasons as yet unexplained. This will be their first match since that departure, and they take on a Hall side who have gone six matches without a win but who have drawn their last four. With only three points between themselves and the drop zone, the hosts will be rather determined to turn one point into three. The sides meet again on January 25th, so whoever loses this one won’t have to wait long for a chance of revenge.