RYMAN DIVISION ONE NORTH - EARLY SEASON NEWS

Phoenix Sports lead the early Division One (North) table on goal difference after two games played. The South London side have won 0-2 at Brentwood Town on the opening day of the season followed by an impressive 6-2 home win over Aveley on Tuesday evening. Steven Carvell (who has played for Thurrock and Barkingside) has been in excellent form scoring twice in each game.

Carvell is top of the scoring charts with Haringey Borough's Chris Benjamin who got two goals in each of their games versus Dereham Town (3-0 home win) and AFC Hornchurch (3-2 away defeat). Benjamin rejoined the club over the summer (he did play for them from 2011-2013) and has also played for Brimsdown, Bury Town, Billericay Town, Grays Athletic, Harrow Borough, Sutton United, Redbridge, St Albans City and started his career with Leyton Orient.

Five other sides still have 100% winning records. Cheshunt followed up their 0-2 opening day win at Wroxham with an emphatic 0-4 victory at Soham Town Rangers on Tuesday evening with ex Enfield Town midfielder Joey Stevens on the scoresheet for The Ambers. Bury Town and Thamesmead Town have also won both their games along with promoted side's Norwich United and Bowers & Pitsea who have adjusted to life at Step Four in good style so far.

At the bottom of the table Great Wakering Rovers, Wroxham, VCD Athletic and Brentwood Town all have lost both of their games played. VCD, Brentwood, Soham Town Rangers and Romford are all yet to hit the back of the net.

Could their be an FA Cup shock on the cards this weekend? Wroxham travel to Deeping Rangers (drawn one and lost two of their United Counties League and won 1-4 at Ely City in the Extra Preliminary Round) and VCD Athletic host Croydon (won one and drawn one in the Southern Counties East Football League so far and also beat AFC Uckfield Town  2-1 in  the previous round). 

With all the clubs in FA Cup action this weekend and possible replay games next midweek the next set of league fixtures are scheduled for Saturday 27th August as follows -

Aveley v Romford 
Bowers & Pitsea v AFC Hornchurch 
Has to be the game of the day. Can Bowers continue their excellent start to the season against one of the teams who were (and still are) one of the favourites for the title. In 2012/13 The Urchins were at Step Two on the non-league ladder with Bowers at Step Five.
Brentwood Town v Thamesmead Town
Brightlingsea Regent v Cheshunt 
Bury Town v Great Wakering Rovers 
Maldon & Tiptree v Soham Town Rangers 
Norwich United v Haringey Borough 
Phoenix Sports v Heybridge Swifts 
Thurrock v Wroxham 
Tilbury v Dereham Town 
Waltham Abbey v Witham Town 
Ware v VCD Athletic