Will Bury or Witham be top on Saturday night?

Leaders Bury Town have a three point advantage over second place Witham Town, so will stay top if they can take just one point from visitors Haringey Borough, but of course will want all three- and will be overwhelming favourites. The Blues have lost only one of their last ten, won eight, and are looking for a fifth successive victory; whilst Borough resemble Dr Jekyll, one win in eight, brilliant one minute and woeful the next, and accordingly rather difficult to predict. The last meeting between the sides rather sums that up- Borough were three-one up with twenty two minutes left and somehow lost four-three, and that was only nine days ago. 

Second place Witham Town are protecting a seven match unbeaten run as they welcome Cambridge City, and indeed won the first six of those. City, meanwhile, have lost four of their last five, and will be very much looking forward to moving into their new ground next weekend- they have some good players and yet find themselves only three points above the drop zone. Witham won the first encounter between the sides this season with a goal in the ninety sixth minute, coming from behind with ten minutes to go to win two-one.

Felixstowe and Walton United were lucky to escape with a point from Wroxham in midweek, but our third place side have been ruthless on their own patch, and will expect that to continue as they welcome Brightlingsea Regent. The Seasiders have played fourteen home matches in all competitions, won them all, and scored forty six goals in doing so, which perhaps sums up the size of Regent’s challenge. That said, the visitors are outside the top five only on goal difference, have picked up ten points on the road, and defeated the Seasiders one-nil on September 28th, so they won’t travel with an inferiority complex.

Fourth place Tilbury make the trip to Waltham Abbey. The Dockers have gone two league matches without a win, which, given they’d won five in a row prior to that, might look like a downturn in form- and it’s seen them fall to eight points behind the leaders with one game in hand. Their hosts are eight points and three places further back, and hoping to get back to winning ways after three matches which have brought two draws and a defeat. Tilbury hammered the Abbotts four-one at the end of September, so the home crowd will be hoping for a little revenge.

Grays Athletic have the best defence in the League. Thirteen games so far have seen only eight goals conceded, and on Saturday they proved that they were no slouches at the other end, either, hitting Heybridge Swifts for four. That was their fifth league win in a row, four of which have come with a clean sheet, and they welcome Wroxham to Chadfields hoping to hold onto their place in the top five and narrow the gap on the sides above them. The Yachtsmen, with manager Jordan Southgate back with the club, were unlucky not to defeat Felixstowe in midweek and will think that they are much better than their twenty first place demonstrates- they certainly looked better on Tuesday night. The sides drew one-one at the end of September.

Eighth place Basildon United travel to Mildenhall Town, trying to end a poor run which has seen them lose five of their last six. Hall haven’t been too much better, taking five points from their last six matches, and they’ll be looking for revenge for their three-one defeat against the Bees on September 28th- and relieved that the chief architect of that defeat, Ruben Bartlett-Antwi, has recently departed for Leatherhead.

Heybridge Swifts travel to Sporting Bengal United hoping to get last weekend’s hammering against Grays quickly out of their system. Swifts were looking for a third consecutive win when Athletic came to call, but have been better on the road than on their own patch. United have three wins and two defeats from their last five, and have lost only two of the eight matches they’ve played in Mile End this season. The sides drew two-two earlier this season, a goal in the fifth minute of added time earning the East Londoners a point. 

Trophy heroes Brentwood Town are home to Gorleston. The Blues are four points away from the top five, albeit with games in hand over all of the sides ahead of them, but their league form over the last ten matches resembles a Margherita pizza with added green pepper, four wins, four defeats and two draws- and they’ll need to bring their cup game to all of their matches if their promotion hopes are to be realised. Gorleston have also been superb on occasions this season, and drew two-two with these opponents as recently as October 30th. 

Walthamstow welcome Newmarket Town to East London,  eleventh v twentieth. Stow are looking to go five unbeaten, the Jockeys got their first win in seven when hitting Cambridge City for four in midweek. At the end of September Stow won four-one against these opponents at the Tristel Global Stadium, courtesy of a Brian Moses hat trick. 

Redbridge know that their 3G pitch will be ready for the visit of Ipswich Wanderers, the visitors under new management and hoping to begin closing the six point gap between themselves and safety. Wanderers have lost their last four, and have gone ten league matches without a win, whilst the Motormen have only two wins from ten- but only three defeats, having become something of draw specialists on the road. The last match between the two sides was a two-two draw. 

Maldon and Tiptree have won their last two, a new manager bounce bouncing them up to seventeenth. The Jammers host a Concord Rangers side three points and three places better off, the Beachboys having got back to winning ways last weekend after a six match winless run. They’ve already defeated the Jammers three-nil this season, but should find this encounter rather more difficult.