Friday 25 August 2023

PITCHING IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PREVIEW


Friday 25th August
Margate v Cheshunt 

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AT HARTSDOWN PARK
It's Friday night football down on the Kent coast as The Ambers travel to Hartsdown Park to play Margate. Craig Edwards side have started the season with a draw and two defeats scoring two goals through James Meehan and George Morrell. The Gate have had two wins both by a score of 2-1 versus Concord Rangers and Whitehawk along with a heavy 4-1 defeat at Hornchurch.  I'm sure some of the Cheshunt fans will be down at the seaside already taking in the sights and possibly walking along the Town's famous Harbour arm pictured above. 

Saturday 26th August
Billericay Town v Whitehawk
Canvey Island v Bognor Regis Town 
Carshalton Athletic v Haringey Borough 
Chatham Town v Potters Bar Town
Enfield Town v Cray Wanderers 
Hashtag United v Folkestone Invicta 
Hastings United v Concord Rangers 
Horsham v Dulwich Hamlet 
Lewes v Hornchurch 
Wingate & Finchley v Kingstonian 

FOUR TEAMS ARE LEFT WITHOUT A POINT SO FAR
Potters Bar Town have a tough looking away trip to Chatham Town who have won all three of the their games but The Scholars attack will be bolstered by former Cheshunt and Bishops Stortford striker Brandon Adams who has recently signed from Step Four side Ware. He was on the score sheet in last weekend's 1-2 home defeat to Lewes. 


Concord Rangers lost at home to Margate and are on the road to Hastings United who have one win and two draws so far. Rangers have had three different goalkeepers in each of their games played - Lamar Johnson against Enfield Town, Aaron Jones versus Hashtag United and Damien Niemczycki versus The Gate. 

Last season's play-off semi-finalist's Cray Wanderers have scored just one goal in their three games and go to Enfield Town who are one of the four teams with 100% winning records so far along with Billericay Town, Chatham Town and Lewes. Town will have their feet firmly on the ground under the new management of Gavin MacPherson who will know Cray's squad is full of quality players and they will start winning games sooner rather than later.

Marcus Wyllie who was used mostly from the sub's bench last season by former Towner's boss Andy Leese last season has started this campaign with three goals in as many games. The fan's favourite at Donkey Lane netted 35 goals in 49 games for Step Five side Risborough Rangers in the 21/22 season. 
 
Haringey Borough had a fantastic first 45 minutes of the 23/24 season racing into a 0-2 lead at Canvey Island with goals from Matthew Young and Kasim Aidoo - they ended up losing 3-2 with The Gull's making a remarkable comeback. They followed this up with two home defeats against Wingate and Finchley (who scored the winner in the 90th miunte) and Horsham. They travel to free scoring Carshalton Athletic who have one win and two draws so far. Former Ramsgate, Kingstonian and Truro City midfielder Aaron Lamont netted late equalisers (88th minute and 86th minute) in their two draws at Bognor Regis Town and Hornchurch. 

BILLERICAY TOWN ARE THE 1-0 WIN EXPERTS 
The Blues have won all three of their games by 1-0 through goals from Ade Azeez, Frankie Merrifield and Moses Emmanuel. Merrifield netted 25 goals for champion's Bishops Stortford last season with the experienced 34 year old Moses Emmanuel being a regular scorer throughout his career with Woking, Bromley and Hayes and Yeading United to name a few clubs as well as 22 goals in 49 National League South games in a previous spell for Billericay between 2018 to 2020. The Hawks conceded three goals in their recent draw at home to Wingate and Finchley so their defence could be in for a busy day in Essex? 


WINGATE & FINCHLEY UNBEATEN SINCE OPENING DAY DEFEAT 
There is an interesting game in prospect at The Maurice Rebak Stadium as Wingate & Finchley host Kingstonian. BET365.COM rated both teams at the bottom of the list for the championship odds prior to the season kick off at 150/1 and 200/1. Wingate were well beaten 4-0 at Folkstone Invicta on the opening day of the season but have since won 1-2 at Haringey Borough coming back from 1-0 down and then drew 3-3 at Whitehawk last weekend with the home side coming back from being 0-3 down with goals scored on 62m, 76m and 90m. Former Horsham and Cheshunt player Zack Newton has scored 2 goals along with another former Amber Anointed Chukwu who also have 2 goals. He scored 11 times for Grays Athletic last season and also played for Harrow Borough. 

Kingstonian lost 0-1 at Billericay Town on the opening day and another defeat followed  1-3 at home to Lewes. They then got a good 2-1 win over Canvey Island last weekend with former Barking, Waltham Abbey, Hemel Hempstead Town and Bracknell Town Darnell Goather-Braithwaite scoring the winner well into added time. He will be playing against one of his former clubs as he spent the early part of the 21/22 season with Wingate netting 3 goals in 15 games. 

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