RYMAN PREMIER & DIVISION ONE (NORTH) WEEKEND PREVIEW

FIXTURES 

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN v HARROW BOROUGH 
BURY TOWN v DULWICH HAMLET 
CANVEY ISLAND v GRAYS ATHLETIC 
ENFIELD TOWN v BILLERICAY TOWN 
HENDON v AFC HORNCHURCH 
KINGSTONIAN v WINGATE AND FINCHLEY 
LEATHERHEAD v HAMPTON AND RICHMOND BOROUGH 
MAIDSTONE UNITED v WITHAM TOWN 
METROPOLITAN POLICE v MARGATE 
PEACEHAVEN AND TELSCOMBE v LEWES 
TONBRIDGE ANGELS v EAST THURROCK UNITED 
VCD ATHLETIC v LEISTON 

The game of the day comes at Imber Court as sixth placed Metropolitan Police welcome second placed Margate. The Met are currently unbeaten in their league home games having drawn three and won twelve of the fifteen they have played. They will be looking to get back to winning ways having gone three games on the spin without a victory. There last game was a 3-0 away defeat against Billericay Town in which Ricky Sappleton and Richard Liburd (2) got the goals. After a bad December (three draws and a defeat) The Gate have started 2015 very well with six wins and one defeat in league and cup games. The one defeat in 2015 came against Dulwich Hamlet. In midweek they knocked Kingstonian out of the Robert Dyas Cup at Hartsdown Park with a 2-1 victory - Ryan Moss got both goals against his former club. In their last league game they comfortably beat bottom side Bury Town 3-0 with two goals coming from new signing Freddie Lapado. 24 year old defender Ben Gerring (a recent signing from Truro City) also featured in the starting XI for the Bury game. Gerring is a well travelled played having begun his career with Plymouth Argyle and then moved on to represent Weymouth, Kettering Town, Cambrdige City, Taunton Town, Truro City (first spell), Hayes & Yeading United (1st spell), Bideford (1st spell), Gosport Borough, Bideford, Hayes & Yeading United and then Truro Cirty before earning a deal to keep him at Hartsdown Park until the end of the season. 

The Gate need to win every game from now on in order to keep the pressure up on table topper's Maidstone United who will be strong favourites for a victory at home to Witham Town who are without a win in their last ten games. Their big games come up against relegation rival's Harrow Borough (at home on Tuesday) and then Peacehaven and Telscombe (home next Saturday) before Tonbridge Angels visit a week on Tuesday. 

Just over 20 miles separate the two Sussex teams

 Another game that catches the eye is the Sussex derby between Peacehaven & Telscombe and Lewes. Both clubs currently in 16th and 19th places respectively aren't safe from the threat of relegation and need to get a minimum of around 15 points on the board between now and the end of the season to be safe. The game at The Dripping Pan earlier in the season ended 2-2 in front of a good crowd of 492 on Wednesday 1st October. Local pride is at stake here so expect a decent attendance at Piddinghoe Avenue.

At the bottom of the table there are two difficult games for Bury Town at home to third placed Dulwich Hamlet and VCD Athletic at home to Leiston (7th) who are chasing a play-off place.

Tonbridge Angels (17th) are another side who need to get a few more wins to keep them safe welcome in-form East Thurrock United (5th) place to The Longmead Stadium. Angels have recently signed left winger Mithcell Pinnock on loan from Vanaramma South side Bromley. The 20 year old former Arsenal trainee featured in the 1-2 home defeat to Wingate and Finchley on Tuesday evening and played twice in the football league for Southend United in the 2013/14 and will be facing some former team mates having spent time on loan at Rookery Hill last year.

Kingstonian (9th) v Wingate and Finchley (7th) should be another really good game. Both sides are in with a chance for a play-off spot and will need to keep winning to keep up with the other sides. A draw here would do neither side any favours.

Man of the Match Ricky Sappleton collects the match ball for Bishops Stortford in 2012

The Cold End, being an Enfield Town fan, will be at Donkey Lane to see Town (10th) play Billericay Town (11th). Bradley Quniton's side will want to gain some revenge for the 5-0 defeat they suffered at New Lodge in the week leading up to Christmas. The blues include striker Ricky Sappleton in their ranks who got two of the five goals earlier in the season and has scored a hat-trick at Donkey Lane when representing then Conference North side Bishops Stortford in an FA Cup tie in 2012. 6 foot 3 inch Sappleton is joined up front by 6 foot 3 inch Rowan Liburd so it's certainly going to be a hard 90 minutes for the Town back line. Liburd spent some time as a youth player with Chelsea so it'll be interesting to see how he matches up against Town's own ex Chelsea youth player in Bobby Devyne. Since arriving from Brimsdown he has scored four times in as many games played and will be looking to continue his scoring form on Saturday.

Finally two former FA Trophy winners meet in an all Essex derby as Canvey Island (2001 winners) play Grays Athletic (2005 and 2006 winners). Mark Bentley, who was temporary manager at Grays, has now been handed the full time job after a number of impressive performances.

RYMAN DIVISON ONE (NORTH)

At the top of Division One (North) the title race is really hotting up between Harlow Town and Needham Market. The Hawks welcome fourth placed Wroxham to Barrows Farm on Saturday with The Marketmen travelling to ninth placed Brightlingsea Regent. Both clubs have two goal scorers who have impressed many fans over the last few seasons. Alex Read (the goal machine) has scored over 20 goals for the Essex side again this season with Needham Market having just given Sam Newson a new long term contract after he scored over 20 goals this season. Newson was attracting football league scouts back in 2011 but a serious knee injury put a temporary end to any move he was going to make. It's great to see him back on form and scoring goals. The Hawks form has taken a bit of dip of late with two defeats (to Thurrock and Heybridge Swifts) and a draw last time out at AFC Sudbury. Needham have four wins, a draw and a defeat at Dereham Town in their last six games. It's looking like it's going right down to the end of the season as to who finishes top.

CURRENT TABLE

TEAM	P	W	GD	PTS
NEEDHAM MARKET	32	24	+40	74
HARLOW TOWN	34	22	+35	74

At the bottom of the table Romford, Cray Wanderers and Burnham Ramblers make up the bottom three with Barkingside moving out of the drop zone with a 2-1 win at home to Heybridge Swifts on Monday evening. There are two very important games taking place as Redbridge (20th) play Cray Wanderers (23rd) and Romford (22nd) play Barkingside (21st) which is a real relegation six pointer.

Above - Some match action from Barkingside's recent game's versus Soham Town Rangers and Heybridge Swifts. Photos courtest of @AMFCP13