Thursday 12 November 2009

THE RYMAN DIVISION ONE (NORTH) SEASON SO FAR

With most teams playing 13 or 14 games so far the league is taking shape and looking a very exciting one at that, Just eight points separate Waltham Forest in 11th position with table toppers East Thurrock United and the surprise package teams for this season Thamesmead Town (18th last season) and Great Wakering Rovers (13th last season). In fact if The Mead win on their Saturday trip to Maldon Town they will equal the ten games they won last season in just 14 games.

FA Cup Heroes Lowestoft Town who make the trip to Goldsdown Road have only played nine league games due to their magnificent cup run but look one of the team's to beat having only conceded 4 goals in those nine games. If they win all there games in hand on the 13 games East Thurrock United and Thamesmead Town have played they will be on 34 points and 40 points on Thamesmead's 15 games. The Trawler Boys opened the season with a 2-0 win at Thamesmead and then demolished Concord Rangers at home 5-0. Their only blips being the freak 1-0 home defeat to Ilford and a 1-1 draw at Leyton on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Below the Table toppers we have the chasing pack of Wingate & Finchley, Concord Rangers, the aforementioned Lowestoft Town (although you could take them out bearing in mind the games in hand), Northwood and the mighty Enfield Town. What is disappointing is in the games versus the teams above us we have a record of played 4 won 0 drawn 1 lost 3 scoring six goals and letting in 13. In order to obtain our goal of making the play-offs the team will need to improve this record and what better place to start than against Lowestoft Town on Saturday. After their heartbreak of loosing to a late goal versus Wrexham in the cup they beat Ilford 3-1 at home in the League Cup in midweek which shows they are not suffering the dreaded cup hangover. It will certainly be a very hard game when the Trawler Boys come to face Town for the first time in our club's history.

Wingate and Finchley who impressed when winning last week have been on good form loosing only to Tilbury, Lowestoft Town, East Thurrock United and Great Wakering Rovers. They have won 4 and lost 2 of their last six games.

Concord Rangers whose 2-0 defeat at Redbridge last week showed what a topsy-turvy league it is this year are always going to be in the running with the firepower of Lyle Taylor, Danny Heale and Ross Wall. Most people will be expecting the Essex side to put the memory of that defeat behind them when they travel to Brentwood on Saturday. However, The International arena side who were pre-season favourites prior to their manager and chairman leaving have picked up their form of late winning four in a row versus Potters Bar Town, Harlow Town, Redbridge and Maldon Town. The game at the weekend will be a marker for how far Brentwood have come since their pre-season turmoil.

Northwood with a manager of the quality of Dave Anderson were always going to be there or thereabouts in the play-offs. They face Cheshunt on Saturday in what should be a routine victory for The Woods. Bob Dearie's side have been thrashed by Thamesmead Town and East Thurrock United in their last two games.

In the relegation section at the moment are Ware and Harlow Town (who we are all aware are suffering from major financial difficulties). Ware have only won one game versus Great Wakering Rovers on the 5th September but since loosing to Enfield Town on 13th October have drawn versus Heybridge Swifts and impressively at Waltham Forest (away) and then lost versus Wingate and Finchley, Tilbury and VCD Athletic by the odd goal which shows they maybe not as bad as their league position shows them to be. They face East Thurrock United at Woodson Park on Saturday in what surely should be an easy away win or should it????

Harlow Town who won their opening game of the season against GWR and then only one other in the battle of the basement dwellers at Ware look doomed. Their last six results reading LLDLLL. The Hawks boss Anthony Anstead has put together a young squad since Glen Alzapeidi left Barrows Farm. The club have been deducted 10 points for entering into a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) in a bid to tackle their debts rumoured to be around the £270,000 mark. With two wins in fourteen games and the club on NIL points following the deduction it's going to take an almighty effort for the Hawks to maintain their Ryman League status. They have recently won 4-0 versus Halstead Town in the Essex Senior Cup to set up a home tie with league side Dagenham & Redbridge. Unfortunately the cold end can see the impressive Barrows Farm being the best stadium in the Essex Senior League for season 10/11.

Relegated from the Premier last season Heybridge Swifts sit just above the relegation zone on 12 points. Wayne Bond is in charge at Scraley Road and will surely be looking to pull away from the bottom of the league starting with a win at Potters Bar Town on Saturday.

FACTS ABOUT THIS SEASON SO FAR

Cheshunt are the only side not to draw a game.

Redbridge have drawn the most games - six out of their fourteen games.

Cheshunt have conceded the most number of goals (34) but Ware have the worst goal difference (-17)

Lowestoft Town top the crowd table with an average of 637 (Apart from Dartford this tops every club in the Premier). In 2nd place are Enfield Town with an average of 209.

Every club has won at least one game at home. Only two remain winless on their travels being Ware and Heybridge Swifts.

Every club has lost at least one game at home. Lowestoft Town are the only club to remain without a defeat on the road...Lets hope that has changed at 5pm on Saturday.

There is only one club left representing the division in the FA Trophy and that is Town's conquerors Concord Rangers. They face a trip to BSS Hampton and Richmond Borough on 21st November. The cold end wishes Concord the very best of luck in this game.

After 13 games last year Town stood on 15 points winning 4, drawing 3 and loosing 6. GF 29 GA 35 (-6) which means we are 6 points better off this season.

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