Tuesday 25 January 2011

RYMAN DIVISION ONE (NORTH) MIDWEEK PREVIEW

A match took place last night at Cricklefields whereby Ilford beat visiting Thamesmead Town by the score of 1-0 in front of 61 people. The only goal of the game coming in the second half thanks to a Tom Nyama 25 yard strike. This is the first time the Foxes have won two league games in row since beating Ware (2-0) and Redbridge (3-2) at home last season on the 19th September and the 10 October 2009. Colin Walton's side have the chance to make it three in a row this weekend when fellow struggler's Tilbury visit them in a relegation six pointer.

Tonight and tomorrow has the following fixtures taking place -

AFC Sudbury          v Tilbury 
Brentwood Town       v Needham Market 
East Thurrock United v Harlow Town 
Waltham Abbey        v Enfield Town 
Ware                 v Redbridge 
Wingate and Finchley v Maldon and Tiptree

Waltham Forest       v Grays Athletic  (Wednesday night)

Town make the short trip to Capershotts to face in form Waltham Abbey. Over the last eight league games only East Thurrock United and Needham Market have better records. Here is the form comparison and league positions for both The Abbotts and the The Town -


FORM                 P  W D L  GF GA  GD PTS 
Waltham Abbey        8  6  1 1 24 9  +15 19  (3rd place)
Enfield Town         8  3  2 3 16 13 +3  11  (10th place)
LEAGUE POSITIONS 
8. Waltham Abbey     23 8  9 6 42 33 +9  33
9. Enfield Town      20 10 2 8 39 28 +11 32   

As you can see Town's local rivals have been full of goals of late seeing off Tilbury 4-0 and Brentwood Town 5-2 amongst other results. On Saturday they recorded a good 1-3 away victory at Great Wakering Rovers. Tyler Campbell signed in October and Kieran Ogunkoya signed in September have been amongst the goals of late. Ogunkoya counts Grays Athletic, Kingstonian, Tooting and Mitcham and Banstead Athletic amongst his former clubs and has scored in the last four games whilst Campbell has played for Histon, Ware, Hitchin Town and Bishop's Stortford. Campbell and Ogunkoya are joined in the scoring charts by another recent signing from SSMFL side Haringey Borough. Liam Farrell who has also played for Potters Bar Town and Cheshunt has netted 10 times since joining Paul Wickenden's side.

As indicated by the league positions it's an important game in the race to get back up the play-off zone and The Abbott's form suggests they are a very dangerous side at present so as the cold end keeps stating it's another tough game in prospect for the Town. If the Town play as well as they did at AFC Sudbury and against Ware at home we're in with a chance of getting something from the game.

Elsewhere, both title contenders are in action playing two teams who have changed managers recently. Needham Market travel to Brentwood Town who recorded a good 2-0 home versus Romford on Saturday, Steve Witherspoon is now the man in charge at The International Arena.

East Thurock United's strong form at home should be enough to beat Harlow Town who slumped to a 2-0 defeat at lowly Tilbury on Saturday. Danny Chapman and Christian Wheeler are taking temporary charge of the Hawks following Kevin Warren stepping down as manager.

The game of the night comes as third placed Wingate and Finchley welcome fourth placed Maldon and Tiptree to The Harry Abrahams Stadium. A win for the home side would cement their play-off place by putting them nine points ahead of the Essex side whereas a win for the visitors would see them pull the North London side back towards the clutch of clubs fighting for the places in the play-offs.

The Wednesday night game see's Grays Ahletic visit Waltham Forest. This fixture shows that a year is a long time in football especially if your a Gray's Athletic fan as rewind 364 days and they were visiting Kidderminster Harriers in a Blue Square Premier match after playing Oxford United at The Rec Ground in front of 1,136 people. Sadly, the stadium in Bridge Road is steadily being demolished putting an end to a 100+ years of playing there. The cold end, as a fan of the old Enfield FC, whose Southbury Road stadium has been gone now for over 10 years sends much empathy out to the Grays supporters.

UP THE TOWN!!!

  

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