THE PROMOTED SIDES - HOW ARE THEY DOING??

With it nearing Christmas thought it would be good to look at how the two sides promoted from the Ryman Division One (North) last season are getting on in the Ryman Premier Division.

EAST THURROCK UNITED

                           HOME              AWAY               TOTAL  
                           P W D L GF GA GD  P W D L GF GA  GD  P  W D L  GF GA  GD PTS 
21. EAST THUURROCK UNITED  9 2 2 5  7 12 -5  7 1 1 5  5 17 -12  16 3 3 10 12 29 -17 12 
-   FA CUP & TROPHY RECORD 5 2 3 1 11 11  0  6 6 0 0 16  6 +10  12 8 3 1  27 17 +10 -

Least season's Ryman North champions are somewhat surprisingly struggling near the foot of the table being 21st of 22 teams at present. They are the lowest scoring team in the division with only 12 goals in their 16 league games so far which is in stark contrast to their 92 goals in 40 games last season.

Their two home victories have come against bottom of the table Horsham (1-0 on the 10th September) and more impressively against current fourth placed Lewes (1-0 on the 22nd November). On their travels they have only gained 4 points out of a possible total of 21 on offer. These came in a 0-1 win at Tooting and Mitcham on the opening day of the season (20th August) and a 1-1 draw at Hendon on 13th September.

The Rocks have reserved their best form for the FA Cup and Trophy games where they have knocked out teams from a higher level on no less than five occasions with Bedford Town (2), St Albans City, Eastbourne Borough and Welling United all being knocked out by John Coventry's team. The Rock's boss, along with the players and supporters, must be scratching their head as to why a team can win six on the trot away from home in the cup competitions but then have such indifferent form in the bread and butter of league games.

Even in the Alan Boon Ryman League Cup when they lost to Redbridge (2-3) they were re-instated as The Motormen played an ineligible player.

The Rocks are currently four points off Concord Rangers in eighteenth place so all is not lost. If they can convert some of their magic cup and trophy form into the league they should move up the league and be safe come the end of the season.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES 
Tuesday 20th December  - Carshalton Athletic 
Tuesday 27th December  - Aveley 
Saturday 31st December - Hastings United 
Monday 2nd January     - CANVEY ISLAND 
Saturday 7th January   - LEATHERHEAD 

WINGATE AND FINCHLEY

                         HOME               AWAY              TOTAL 
                         P W D L GF GA GD   P W D L GF GA GD  P  W D L GF GA GD PTS 
14. WINGATE AND FINCHLEY 9 4 2 3 15 17 -2   9 2 3 4 10 17 -7  18 6 5 7 25 34 -9 23

The Blues (are sort of) comfortably sitting in fourteenth place being seven point off the drop zone and fifteen points away from the play-off zone. They made a great start to the season beating Hastings United, Lowestoft Town, Wealdstone and Metropolitan Police as well as drawing with Tooting and Mitcham United in their first five games but since then have only won two of their last thirteen league games against Horsham (currently bottom of the table) and Concord Rangers (eighteenth place).

More worryingly, for Dave Norman and Tony Faulkner, is that in the last four league games they have failed to score (L 0-5, D 0-0, L 0-3 and L 0-2). The Blues have a strong squad which I think will see them have a better second half to the season and (hopefully for their loyal supporters) see them finish in mid-table as something to build upon for the 2012/13 season.

It doesn't get any easier for the blues as there next fixtures come against 8th, 7th, 2nd, 13th and 3rd placed teams. The 13th placed side being Wealdstone whom Enfield Town fan's know are a very good side.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES 
Tuesday 20th December  - BURY TOWN 
Monday 26th December   - Hendon 
Saturday 31st December - Lowestoft Town 
Monday 2nd January     - WEALDSTONE 
Saturday 7th January   - AFC HORNCHURCH 

Many Enfield Town supporter's may of thought our friends from Wingate & Finchley and East Thurrock United would have fared a little bit better in the Premier Division this season as they both were formidable opponents over the last few seasons. Perhaps it's a measure of the strength of the Ryman Premier Division as a number of top quality sides battle it out for promotion to the Blue Square South Division.

HOW HAVE PROMOTED SIDES DONE SINCE 2006/07?

                07/08      08/09      09/10      10/11      11/12(CURENT POSTIONS)
06/07 
AFC HORNCHURCH  4th  RP*   6th  RP    9th  RP    10th RP    3rd  RP     
HARLOW TOWN     15th RP    20th RP#   22nd D1N%  4th  D1N   7th  D1N
07/08 
DARTFORD        -          8th  RP    1st  RP    10th BSS   3rd  BSS 
CANVEY ISLAND   -          12th RP    16th RP    6th  RP    9th  RP  
08/09 
AVELEY          -          -          3rd  RP@   19th RP+   17th RP 
WALTHAM ABBEY   -          -          21st RP#   11th D1N   14th D1N
09/10 
LOWESTOFT TOWN  -          -          -          4th  RP&   2nd  RP 
CONCORD RANGERS -          -          -          8th  RP    18th RP 
10/11 
EAST THURROCK   -          -          -          -          21st RP
WINGATE & F     -          -          -          -          14th RP
 
  
        

KEY - 

* denotes lost play-off semi-final to AFC WIMBLEDON 
@ denotes lost play-off semi-final to BOREHAM WOOD 
& denotes lost play-off final to TONBRIDGE ANGELS
# denotes relegated
+ denotes AVELEY reprived from relegation due to the demise of RUSHDEN AND DIAMONDS
% denotes HARLOW TOWN reprived from relgation due to VCD ATHLETIC'S demotion on ground-grading issues.  

AVERAGE FINISHING POSITION FOR PROMOTED SIDES   - 10th
AVERAGE FINISHING POSITION FOR TITLE WINNERS    - 7th
AVERAGE FINISHING POSITION FOR PLAY OFF WINNERS - 13th
BEST FINISHING POSITION FOR TITLE WINNERS       - DARTFORD..Champions 09/10
BEST FINISHING POSTITION FOR PLAY OFF WINNERS   - CANVEY ISLAND...6th 10/11