NON-LEAGUE NUMBERS WEEK TWO

RYMAN LEAGUE

SEVENTEENTH time lucky for VCD Atheltic this Saturday? The Kent side have only picked up FIVE points from a possible FORTY-EIGHT they have had on offer in their Ryman Premier Division games.  They make the trip to FARNBOROUGH on Saturday and could, with a win, leapfrog them in twenty-second place. In their last six league games VCD have ONE draw and FIVE defeats with Farnborough on ONE win and FIVE defeats. In those games VCD have scored FOUR and let in THIRTEEN with their opponents on record of conceding TWENTY-ONE and scoring EIGHT.

CANVEY ISLAND v DULWICH HAMLET is the Ryman Premier game of the day as table-toppers entertain FOURTH place. An away victory could (depending on LEISTON's result at KINGSTONIAN) put Hamlet on top. The Gulls are rightly perched at the top of the division having won there last SEVEN league games on the trot with a 1-0 scoreline occurring on THREE separate occasions in those games. DULWICH were 0-1 up at HAMPTON and RICHMOND BOROUGH on Tuesday evening but ended up losing 2-1. The South-London side have lost FIVE of their opening SEVENTEEN league games - Last season they lost FOUR of their opening SEVENTEEN games - Although they have scored SIX more goals than at this stage last season.

SEVEN Ryman League side's represent their league in the Emirates FA Cup at the weekend. THREE play sides from non-league's top division, TWO play teams from the National League North and South, ONE plays a team from the same step with ONE playing a team from Step 4 of the non-league ladder. Only TWO sides have been drawn at home with STAINES TOWN welcoming GLOUCESTER CITY and GRAYS ATHLETIC playing WELLING UNITED on Sunday. TWO Division One (North) side's are on their travels to Vanarama National League's side's - AFC HORNCHURCH go to BOREHAM WOOD and HARLOW TOWN go to BRAINTREE TOWN. Elsewhere Premier Division side's BRENTWOOD TOWN go to Evo Stik Southern Division One (South & West) side DIDCOT TOWN, BOGNOR REGIS TOWN play at Vanarama National South side WEALDSTONE and ENFIELD TOWN go to Evo Stik Southern Premier Division side CHESHAM UNITED.

TWO sides in Division One (South) have lost just TWO league games. Table topper's FOLKESTONE INVICTA have a record of TWO defeats in FOURTEEN games with tenth placed HERNE BAY losing TWICE in THIRTEEN games. FOLKESTONE go to SITTINGBOURNE (19th) and HERNE BAY entertain WORTHING (8th) this weekend.

In Division One (North) AFC HORNCHURCH, THURROCK, CRAY WANDERERS, HARLOW TOWN all have a record of just TWO defeats with BURY TOWN losing just ONE of their FIFTEEN league games played. ROMFORD (who were thrashed 0-5 at home to AVELEY on Wednesday evening) travel to Ram Meadow on Saturday. A home win will be the bookmaker's favourite as ROMFORD only have ONE win in EIGHT games on their travels.

REDBRIDGE are on a terrible run of form having won TWO and drawn ONE of their opening league fixtures they have since lost THIRTEEN league games on the trot failing to score in EIGHT of those. They have let in SIXTY-ONE goals in their SIXTEEEN league games -   . It's not all been bad news for The Motormen as they did win in the FA Trophy Preliminary Round against Arlesey Town 2-0 in a replay after a 1-1 draw in Bedfordshire.

OTHER LEAGUES

EASTBOURNE TOWN are currently third in the Southern Combination League Premier Division with an unbeaten record in TEN league games played. They have won NINE and drawn ONE game scoring TWENTY-EIGHT and letting in just SIX goals. They travel to LOXWOOD (sixth place) at the weekend who have only lost TWO in ELEVEN games scoring a healthy total of THIRTY-SEVEN goals. It's looking to be an exciting race for the title as just SEVEN points separate the current table-topper's NEWHAVEN and HORSHAM in seventh place.

ST FRANCIS RANGERS are bottom losing all ELEVEN of their league games so far with Martin Mutungi scoring their only league goal so far in the 1-2 home defeat against HAILSHAM TOWN. They face WORTHING UNITED at home at the weekend. They have also lost all FIVE of their cup games 0-8, 4-7, 1-5, 2-7 and 0-2. 

It's first v third in the Southern Counties East Football League as HOLLANDS AND BLAIR entertain ERITH TOWN. Gillingham based H&B have made a rapid rise up the football pyramid having moved from the Rochester and District League to the Kent County Football League in 2004. They were Champions of the Kent Invicta League two season's running in 2014 and 2015. In 2014 they were not promoted due to the Football Association deeming their Star Meadow ground was not up to the required standards by the appointed deadline. Thankfully they won the league again and were rightly promoted for the current 2015/16 season. Could we see H&B in the Ryman Division One (South) next season?

Just EIGHT points separate the current top TWELVE in the Vanarama National Division. FOREST GREEN ROVERS are top on THIRTY-FIVE points from EIGHTEEN games played with ALDERSHOT TOWN on a total of TWENTY-SEVEN points from EIGHTEEN played. Over the past ten seasons (discounting 09/10 and 05/06 which were FORTY-FOUR and FORTY-TWO game seasons) the winners of non-league's top division have lost an average of 7.5 games (ELEVEN being the highest when MANSFIELD TOWN won in 12/13 and THREE being the lowest when Crawley Town were champions in 10/11).

GRIMSBY TOWN (currently 4th and lost only two games) are currently favourites at 10/3 followed by FOREST GREEN ROVERS at 4/1 (lost five) and CHELTENHAM TOWN at 5/1 (2nd placed and lost two games). You can get 14/1 for the in-form DOVER ATHLETIC who are in third place who have won six in eight league games.

Evo Stik Southern League Division One South and West side BASHLEY celebrated a rare-win on Saturday 3rd October when they beat CINDERFORD TOWN in the FA Trophy Preliminary Round 1-0 at home. They haven't won a league game in over a year - their last victory came on Saturday 20th September 2014 when they recorded a 0-2 win at TAUNTON TOWN. Their last home league victory came on Tuesday 11th February 2014 when Chippenham Town were defeated 2-1. There record without a league win now stretches back FORTY-FIVE matches. TIVERTON TOWN visit BASHLEY ROAD tomorrow who have won TWO, drawn FOUR and lost ONE of their SEVEN away games. #UPTHEBASH

AFC DUNSTABLE and HERTFORD TOWN are the only sides left unbeaten in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division. AFC DUNSTABLE are top and welcome EIGHTEENTH placed COLNEY HEATH tomorrow with HERTFORD TOWN making the short trip to play local rival's FC BROXBOURNE BOROUGH who currently placed in EIGHTH place. THIRD placed LONDON COLNEY are level on points with HERTFORD TOWN and travel to TWENTY-FIRST placed BIGGLESWADE UNITED.

Wherever you are watching your football this weekend have a great day - hopefully you'll see some goals and entertainment.