BOSTIK PREMIER DIVISION - FACTS, STATS AND NEWS ON THE RACE FOR THE TITLE, PLAY-OFFS AND RELEGATION

CURRENT TABLE 

TOP TWO 

POS	TEAM	P	GD	PTS	FORM
1	DULWICH HAMLET	29	+32	62	WWWWLL
2	BILLERICAY TOWN	22	+40	57	DWWWWD

Dulwich Hamlet are still top of the table but have lost ground on title favourite's Billericay Town in their last two games which have ended in defeat to Margate (away last Saturday) and at home to Merstham yesterday. The Moatsiders recorded a 1-2 win coming back from 1-0 down at half-time with two goals from Charlie Penny. Billericay's scheduled home game against Harrow Borough at The AGP Arena was called off at 1.30pm when the match referee deemed some areas of the pitch unplayable. 

Glenn Tamplin's side now face playing 24 league games in a little over three months along with their continued involvement in the Essex Senior Cup (Semi-Final which is scheduled for next Thursday at home to Bostik North side Romford) and Buildbase FA Trophy (Third Round trip to Vanarama North side Harrogate Town on Saturday 3rd February - Town are currently second in the table behind Salford City). They also have the Bostik League Velocity League Trophy where they qualified for a semi-final place with a 0-1 away victory at Wingate and Finchley last midweek. 

With a current points per game 2.59 compared to Hamlet's of 2.14 it's no surprise to see Billericay Town rated as odd's on favourites for the title. 

POINTS PER GAME FOR THE CURRENT TOP THREE - THIS SHOWS WHY BILLERICAY TOWN ARE ODDS ON FOR THE TITLE

Tuesday night's fixtures see Dulwich at home to Wingate and Finchley who, as you'll see below still have a shot at making the play-offs, and Billericay Town travelling to Dorking Wanderers. 

CURRENT TABLE 

POSITIONS 3 to 10 

POS	TEAM	P	GD	PTS	FORM
3	FOLKESTONE INVICTA	28	+19	52	WWWLDW
4	STAINES TOWN	28	+20	49	WLDLWW
5	HENDON	26	+28	48	WWWWLD
6	MARGATE	28	+14	48	LDWWDW
7	LEISTON	28	+3	48	WLLWLW
8	MET POLICE	30	+5	46	LDWDWL
9	WINGATE & FINCHLEY	26	+3	45	DDWLWW
10	LEATHERHEAD	27	+3	45	WWWWLD

Folkestone Invicta, Staines Town and Hendon currently make up the play-off places. Invicta need just three more points to equal the amount they won last season in 46 games played. It's a real close fight with just seven points seperating the teams. If Hendon win their two games in hand they have on the teams around them it could be argued that they are the best placed of the teams to secure a play-off spot. 

CURRENT TABLE 
POSITIONS 11 to 19 

POS	TEAM	P	GD	PTS	FORM
11	TONBRIDGE ANGELS	28	+1	41	WLWDLW
12	BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT	29	-4	38	LLWDWW
13	THURROCK	30	-12	37	LWWDLW
14	ENFIELD TOWN	28	-2	36	DWDLDL
15	HARROW BOROUGH	30	-16	34	LLLLWW
16	DORKING WANDERERS	26	-5	32	LWWWDD
17	MERSTHAM	29	-9	32	LLLLDW
18	KINGSTONIAN	27	-15	32	LLLWWL
19	LOWESTOFT TOWN	28	-12	31	WDLDDL

The teams from 11th to 19th have probably done enough to avoid the one sole relegation spot there is this season but not quite enough to get into the play-off race. Tonbridge Angels are only seven points off the top five so are best placed to get there. They would need to put together a good run of wins over their forthcoming fixtures. Likewise Lowestoft Town and Kingstonian will need to pick up a few more wins to keep away from the bottom of the table. The loyal supporters of both Brightlingsea Regent and Thurrock (who came up from the North Division) last season will be really pleased at sitting comfortably in mid-table after 29 and 30 games played. 

CURRENT TABLE 
POSITIONS 20 to 24 

POS	TEAM	P	GD	PTS	FORM
20	HARLOW TOWN	29	-26	28	LLLWLD
21	NEEDHAM MARKET	30	-11	27	DLLLLD
22	WORTHING	28	-15	25	LWDWDL
23	TOOTING & MITCHAM UTD	29	-30	25	LWLLLL
24	BURGESS HILL TOWN	25	-21	21	DLLLLL

The Hillians currently occupy bottom spot but have games in hand over their rivals which could be highly important come the end of the season. They are without a win in eleven league games (two draws and nine defeats) with their last victory coming way back on Tuesday 7th November when they won 1-2 at Tooting & Mitcham United. The Terrors (back at Step three for the first time since 2012) will have to put in some hard work in training and out on the pitch to keep off the bottom of the table as will Worthing, Needham Market and Harlow Town. 

SOME FACTS 

* Harlow Town's record away from home is pretty grim. They picked up only five points from a possible forty-five on offer so far. These have come in a 0-0 midweek draw at Leiston in September, a 0-3 win at Lowestoft Town on the weekend before Christmas and a 2-2 draw yesterday at Dorking Wanderers. 

* Tooting and Mitcham United have the worst goals conceded record letting in 70 in their 29 games played equating to 2.41 goals per game. They have improved from 3.1 g.pg (in their first 10), 1.88 g.p.g in matches 11 to 19 and 2.1 g.p.g in their last 10 games played. They will need to tighten up their defence in the final part of the season if they want to keep away from the bottom of the table. 

* Play-Off contenders Hendon have not been short of goals of late - they are top scorers in the last ten games played hitting the back of the net 28 times with the next nearest team being Billericay Town on 20 goals. 2.8 goals per game is up on the 2 goals per game they scored in their first 16 games. 

* Kingstonian are the lowest scorers in the last ten games played scoring only 8 goals (4 of which came in their victory over Enfield Town!). 

* Billericay Town only have one defeat which came in the famous home game against Kingstonian on the opening day of the season when Craig Edwards went back to his former side and pulled off a 0-1 victory. After leaving Kingstonian he is now in charge of Bostik North side Cheshunt after a very short spell with Ware. Only goalkeeper Rob Tolfrey and defender Manolis Gogonas remained in the starting XI from that victory in yesterday's 0-1 home defeat to Brightlingsea Regent. 

* Lewis Taylor, the scorer of the goal in that famous goal, is now with Dorking Wanderers and was in their starting XI for their 2-2 draw with Harlow Town yesterday. 

* The biggest victory so far came in Staines Town 0-7 victory at Tooting and Mitcham United in October. 

* The highest scoring game so far came in the Tonbridge Angels v Needham Market game played on Saturday 18th November - it ended 5-4! 

* The lowest crowd of the season so far came on Saturday 9th September when 74 people saw Wingate's 2-0 home win over Burgess Hill Town. 

* The top crowd of the season so far came on Saturday 7th October 2017 when 2,417 saw Dulwich Hamlet v Needham Market at Champion Hill. 

* Hamlet have the top average crowd of the season so far on 1,543 closely followed by Billericay Town on 1,226. 

* Wingate have the lowest average on 129 for their games played so far. 

RACE FOR THE GOLDEN BOOT

Hendon's Niko Muir is currently leading the way on 23 goals scored closely followed by  a trio of players on 19 goals who are Jake Robinson of Billericay Town, Elliott Buchanan of Staines Town and Adam Yussuff of Folkestone Invicta. 

Hendon have announced that Muir is currently having a week training with Championship side Queens Park Rangers although no formal offer has been made as yet. The R's are one of a number of Championship and League One clubs to express an interest in the 25 year old striker who spent the second half of last season with Leiston before returning to Hendon in the summer. 

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES 

Tuesday 23rd January 

Burgess Hill Town v Harlow Town 
Dorking Wanderers v Billericay Town 
Dulwich Hamlet v Wingate & Finchley 
Lowestoft Town v Hendon 
Margate v Thurrock 
Metropolitan Police v Tonbridge Angels 

Saturday 27th January
Brightlingsea Regent v Dorking Wanderers
Enfield Town v Needham Market 
Harlow Town v Kingstonian 
Harrow Borough v Margate 
Hendon v Folkestone Invicta 
Leatherhead v Dulwich Hamlet 
Lowestoft Town v Staines Town 
Merstham v Thurrock 
Metropolitan Police v Leiston 
Tonbridge Angels v Burgess Hill Town 
Tooting & Mitcham United v Billericay Town 
Worthing v Wingate & Finchley 

Monday 29th January 
Kingstonian v Margate 

Tuesday 30th January 
Billericay Town v Worthing 
Dorking Wanderers v Tooting & Mitcham United 
Harlow Town v Merstham 
Hendon v Leatherhead 
Wingate & Finchley v Lowestoft Town

MIDWEEK MATCH OF THE DAY 
This mid-weeks MOTD has to come at The Green Elephant Stadium in a 'relegation six pointer' as Burgess Hill Town (looking for their first win in eleven games) take on Harlow Town looking for only their second win on their travels this season. A three point haul for either side would be highly important in the battle to stay off of the bottom spot.