THE COASTERS ON THE HUNT FOR A NEW BOSS
Vanarama National League North Champion's AFC Fylde were expected by many people to do well in this season's Vanarama National League. The Coasters were one step away from the football league in the 18/19 season when they lost to Salford City in the play-off final at Wembley. After relegation in 19/20 they spent three seasons in the North Division and on their return to non-league's top table they have only two wins so far which have come against Kidderminster Harriers (2-1 at home) who were promoted with them via the play-offs last season and by the same score line at Southend United. The poor start to the season has seen Head Coach Adam Murray part company with the club recently at the beginning of October - He had been in charge since November 2022. Director of Football Chris Beech was in charge of their 3-1 Emirates FA Cup 3-1 win over Leek Town on Saturday.
MANAGERIAL CHANGES ALREADY
Murray is not the only manager to part company with a club this season with York City replacing Michael Morton with former Solihull Moors, Notts County and AFC Wimbledon boss Neil Ardley in early September. Eastleigh now have Richard Hill in his third spell in charge after Lee Bradbury left after a 2-0 defeat to Southend United in August and former Fleetwood Town, Shrewsbury Town, Tranmere Rovers and Dundee United boss Micky Mellon after the departure of former Everton centre-back David Unsworth in September - He had been in charge at Boundary Park since September 2022.
KIDDY GOOD IN DEFENCE JUST NEED TO SCORE SOME MORE GOALS
23rd placed Kidderminster Harriers have a better defensive record than both 1st placed Chesterfield and 2nd placed Barnet. Kiddy have conceded just 18 goals in 15 games which amounts to 1.2 goals let in per game compared to 21 in 15 for The Spireites (1.4) and 19 in 15 for The Bees (1.26).
Their problems seemingly lie at the other end of the pitch as they have only scored 9 goals (0.6 goals per game) so far but on the plus side they have won their last 2 league games 1-0 at Dorking Wanderers and at home to Wealdstone. Harriers scored twice in a gem for the first time this season in their 2-0 Emirates FA Cup win over Ashton United on Saturday with Ashley Hemmings netting both goals.
THE SPIREITES FAVOURITES FOR THE TITLE
The Bookmakers currently rate Chesterfield odd's on for the title at 4/11 followed by Barnet at 11/4 and Gateshead at 10/1. Solihull Moors are next at 40/1 with Altrincham at 50/1.
(odds currently on skybet.com)
WEALDSTONE AND OXFORD CITY STILL AWAITING A WIN ON THE ROAD
Wealdstone are yet to win a league game away from home - There next games come at home against Boreham Wood and Oxford City with their next game on the road against high flyer's Solihull Moors Saturday 28th October. Oxford City are the only other team without an away win at present.
DINANGA TOP SCORER SO FAR
Macus Dinanga currently tops the scoring charts with 12 goals scored so far for Gateshead. He signed for The Heed for an 'undisclosed fee' from league rival's Altrincham in Ferbruary 2023. The 25 year old striker started his career with football league side Burton Albion spending time on loan with Mickleover Sports, Matlock Town, AFC Telford United and Hartlepool United before a permanent move to The Bucks in 2019 - He went on to Stevenage in 2020 where he made 6 football league appearances scoring in a 3-1 defeat at Colchester United. He spent time on loan with Chesterfield for the second half of the 20/21 season before moving full time to Altrincham where he also spent time on loan with Dartford and Kidderminster Harriers. He scored 7 goals in 18 games in the second half of last season.
Diangra is followed by Harry Cardwell of Southend United on 11 goals which is an impressive total for The Shrimpers who have finally and hopefully put all their off the field problems behind them with new ownership incoming. Cardwell. now 26, has been capped by Scotland at u19 and u21 in his career came through the academy at Hull City and then Reading. The 23/24 season is most certainly his most prolific scoring wise in his career so far.
Former Kilmarnock and Hartlepool United striker Nicke Kabamba is also on 11 goals for Barnet with the with former Leyton Orient and Dagenham & Redbridge player Paul McCallum on 10 goals for Eastleigh.
DAGGERS ON A EIGHT GAME RUN WITHOUT A LEAGUE WIN
The Daggers are without a win in eight league games of which they have drawn three and lost five. Ben Strevens was appointed as Manager in March 2023 and his side won three in a row against Barnet, Wealdstone and AFC Fylde after a draw and three defeat in the first four games of the season. They were knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup by Southern League Bracknell Town at the weekend so their next games which come at home to Woking and Boreham Wood are very important ones.
THE MAGPIES ARE TWELVE GAMES WITHOUT A LEAGUE WIN
Since promotion from Step Two in 2017 Maidenhead United have always been in many pundit's predictions to be relegated but Alan Devonshire who has been in charge since 2015 has always got his team fighting and finishing above the drop zone. The Magpies have finished in 12th, 19th, 21st, 13th, 17th and 20th. The 21st finish came in the 19/20 season which was curtailed by the pandemic where they reprieved from relegation by the narrowest of margins on a Points Per Game basis.
This season is no different of the Berkshire side who have 2 wins (away at Dorking and at home against Dagenham & Redbridge) from 15 games so far. They are on a run of 11 games without a win but have proved themselves to be difficult to beat in recent games with impressive draws against Chesterfield, Oldham Athletic and Rochdale. After a good 0-3 win at Vanarama South side Weston-Super-Mare in which Tobi Sho-Silva netted a hat-trick they have a tough away trip to title challenger's Barnet next weekend before a home midweek game against Aldershot Town. Sho-Silva made 8 football league appearances for Carlisle United last season.
WANDERERS NEED MORE GOALS
Dorking Wanderers were one of National League teams who suffered shock defeats in the Emirates FA Cup at the weekend losing 2-0 at Pitching In Isthmian Premier Division side Horsham. The Wanderers, promoted from Step Two in 2022, flirted with relegation last season but a good run of results towards the end of the campaign saw them finish comfortably in 16th place.
As you can see from the below form comparison they are currently three points worse off than they were at this stage of the 21/22 campaign. They have tightened up their defence (last season they'd conceded 2.26 goals per game but this season it's 1.4 goals per game) but now now are having problems at the other end of the pitch with 17 goals scored comparted to 30 last season.
DORKING WANDERER'S FORM COMPARISON
| SEASON |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
PTS |
| 21/22 |
15 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
30 |
34 |
-4 |
21 |
| 22/23 |
15 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
17 |
21 |
-4 |
18 |
LOCAL DERBY DAY NEXT WEEKEND FOR ROCHDALE AND OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Just six miles separate these two former football league rivals so there will be a huge crowd at Spotland for this game. They last played each other in the 21/22 League Two season when 5,234 saw Oldham Athletic win 0-1 with a goal from Davis Keillor-Dunn (now with Mansfield Town). The return game at Boundary Park ended 0-0 with 8,199 watching on. The Dale's top home crowd so far this season has been 3,491 versus FC Halifax Town - I'm sure this will be broken next weekend with a large support present for both clubs.
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAMS OUT OF THE FA CUP
ALTRINCHAM lost at home to Oldham Athletic (0-1) - Step 1
DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE lost at Bracknell Town (1-0) - Step 3
DORKING WANDERERS lost at Horsham (2-0) - Step 3
FC HALIFAX TOWN lost at home to Marine (0-1) - Step 3
HARTLEPOOL UNITED lost at home to Chester (0-2) - Step 2
ROCHDALE lost at Hereford (1-0) - Step 2
SOUTHEND UNITED lost at Yeovil Town (2-0) - Step 2
WEALDSTONE lost at Bromley (3-2) - Step 1
MIDWEEK REPLAYS
BARNET replay at home v Aveley after 2-2 draw - Step 2
EBBSFLEET UNITED replay at Slough Town after 2-2 draw - Step 2
OXFORD CITY replay at home v Scarborough Athletic after 2-2 draw - Step 2
WOKING replay at home v Hemel Hempstead Town after 0-0 draw - Step 2
YORK CITY replay at Needham Market after 0-0 draw - Step 3
FORTHCOMING LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday 21st OctoberAFC Fylde v Ebbsfleet United
Aldershot Town v Hartlepool United
Altrincham v Dorking Wanderers
Barnet v Maidenhead United
Bromley v Oxford City
Chesterfield v Gateshead
Dagenham & Redbridge v Woking
Eastleigh v York City
FC Halifax Town v Kidderminster Harriers
Rochdale v Oldham Athletic
Southend United v Solihull Moors
Wealdstone v Boreham Wood - 5.30pm - Live on BT Sport
Tuesday 24th October
AFC Fylde v Oldham Athletic
Aldershot Town v Maidenhead United
Altrincham v Kidderminster Harriers
Barnet v Solihull Moors
Bromley v Dorking Wanderers
Chesterfield v York City
Dagenham & Redbridge v Boreham Wood
Eastleigh v Woking
FC Halifax Town v Hartlepool United
Rochdale v Gateshead
Southend United v Ebbsfleet United
Wealdstone v Oxford City
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