THE PITCHING IN ISTHMIAN PREMIER DIVISION MIDWEEK PREVIEW

It's a full fixture list for The Pitching In Isthmian Premier Division over three nights this midweek. Here's a preview of all the games taking place.

Monday 23rd October 

Carshalton Athletic v Lewes 

The Robins are without a win in seven league and cup games. In last two games they have conceded late goals against Chatham Town (88th min 2-2) and Horsham (87th min ended 1-2). Former Enfield Town player Andre Coker started both of those games - He has joined on loan from Folkestone Invicta where he head played 11 games and scored twice. 

The visitors won big at the weekend winning 4-0 at home to Lewes. Striker Tommy Wood has scored in the last three consecutive games - He netted 12 goals in 33 games for Vanarama South side Tonbridge Angels last season. 

Hashtag United v Chatham Town 

The 2023 North Division Champions v The 2023 South-East Division Champions. 

The Tag are currently the draw specialists of the Premier Division with 6 draws from 11 league games. Jay Deveraux's side have only been beaten once which came against table topper's Hornchurch on August Bank Holiday Monday. They were 0-1 up at Margate on Saturday only to concede a 93rd minute equaliser to end the game 1-1. Seventeen year old goalkeeper Ted Curd, on loan from Premier League side Chelesa, has impressed for the home side this season. He was recently started England u18s in their game against Belgium u18s. 

The Chats have made an excellent start to their season losing just 2 league games in 11 played. They lost at Margate last midweek and then got back to winning ways at Concord Rangers at the weekend. Former Eastbourne Borough and Cray Wanderers striker Jamie Yila has 8 goals for them so far. 

Tuesday 24th October

Billericay Town v Enfield Town 

A healthy rivalry has been built between these two clubs in recent seasons. Back in February Town recorded a memorable 0-4 victory at New Lodge in front of 1,071 people - Andre Coker (see above), Chez Isaac (no longer with club), Jake Cass (out with a long term injury) and Lewis Taffe (currently at Welwyn GC on loan) scored the goals for Town. 

Both clubs have changed management over the summer. The Towners, under Gavin MacPherson, made a good start to the season but have been conceding goals at an alarming rate in recent games letting in 15 in their last 4 games. 

The Essex side with former Hampton & Richmond and Hendon boss Gary McCann were knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup on penalty kicks at Sheppey United last midweek which saw them miss out on money spinning home tie against League Two side Walsall. They got back to winning ways on Saturday with a 2-0 home win over Hastings United with former Enfield Town midfielder Matt Johnson scoring both goals.

Canvey Island v Cray Wanderers 

The battle of the play-off semi-final losers from last season. 

After a poor star to the season losing five league games in a row it wasn't a surprise to see The Wands with their quality squad eventually win at the sixth time of asking - It was a surprise 1-5 victory at Chatham Town which was followed by a 2-1 win over Cheshunt. Since then they have one win in four league games with the victory coming against Concord Rangers. Ellis Brown, who joined from Hornchurch in September, scored their equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Potters Bar Town at the weekend. 

Canvey's form has been up and down all season and their last couple of results indicate this - An excellent 0-3 at Carshalton Athletic last Monday followed by a 6-2 defeat at Wingate on Saturday. 

Haringey Borough v Concord Rangers 

Huge game at the bottom of the table. 

Borough, as I wrote last week, have been very unlucky in many of their games this season conceding late goals to lose or draw. They finally won a game at the tenth time of asking on Saturday with a good 0-2 win at Cheshunt so they'll go into this game in a confident mood. 

The Beachboys away league results so far read 3-0, 3-0, 2-0, 2-0 and 2-0. Former Braintree Town and Eastbourne Borough midfielder Simo Mbonkwi scored on his debut for the club on Saturday in their 1-3 home defeat against Chatham Town which they apparently played well in and it was only a last goal from the visitors which made it 1-3.  

Hornchurch v Folkestone Invicta 

Will The Urchins lose a league game this season? 

11 games, 9 wins and 2 draws for Steve Morrison's team so far in the league this season with an impressive 32 goals scored. They have won their last 3 league games 4-1 with Liam Nash in excellent scoring form netting 5 goals. The Essex side added to their fire power up front recently with the acquisition of Femi Akinwande who had scored 8 goals in 14 games for Hastings United - He was sub in the 1-4 win at Cray Wanderers and them scored in the 4-1 win over Bognor Regis Town on his first start for The Urchins. 

Invicta have been up and down so far with 4wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats so far. They are currently in mid-table and do have some impressive players including striker Ibrahim Olutade (7 goals including a hat-trick against Wingate & Finchley on the opening day of the season) but they lost 3-0 at Kingstonian on Saturday. 

Margate v Hastings United

It's been an eventful season for Hastings United already. Former Dulwich Hamlet Manager Paul Barnes took over as boss in May and they made a good start to the season being undefeated in their first eight league and cup games. A run of six defeats in seven games saw his departure from Pilot Field - His Assistant Craig Stone has also stepped down but will remain as a player at the club. 

Dominic Vose (13 appearances), Bailey Akehurst (15), Tyler Christian-Law (14) and Arthur LeBlond have also departed The Us along with a very recent signing in centre-forward Kareem Isiaka, who started the season with Welling United, have also left the club. 

No announcement has been made yet about a new boss. 

The Gate are another up and down team form wise which in league and cup reads - WLWLLWWDWLLLLWD. 

Steve Cawley has been in good form for The Gate after his summer signing from Southern League Premier Central side Hitchin Town - The centre-forward has scored 8 times including 2 in the last 2 games. 

Potters Bar Town v Cheshunt 

It's local derby day at The Lantern Stadium. The Scholars are in good form and currently unbeaten in ten league and cup games but only have two league wins. Temi Babalola has recently joined Max Mitchell's squad - He made two sub appearances for The Ambers last season 

This game may also see two on loan Stevenage FC players face each other - 17 year old midfielder David Hicks has scored twice for The Scholars in four games since joining in early October. 18 year old striker Theo Alexandrou recently joined Cheshunt and has scored once in their 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet.  

Craig Edward's team have just one win in six away league and cup games. Since the 1-2 win at Margate they have lost 1-0 in the Emirates FA Cup at Royston Town followed by league defeats at Horsham, Cray Wanderers and Folkestone Invicta.   

Whitehawk v Bognor Regis Town 

Two teams who like a draw. The Hawks have five from ten league games with The Rocks on five from eleven league games. Bognor were well beaten at Hornchurch on Saturday but were reduced to 10 men on 26 minutes following Matt Burgess's red card - the score was 1-0 at the time and it was 2-0 just a few minutes after the sending off with Ryan Scott scoring a header for The Urchins. I don't think many sides leave Hornchurch with points this season so the defeat doesn't make Bognor Regis a bad side. 

Charlie Walker, who re-joined The Hawks in the summer after a six year spell with Eastbourne Borough, has scored 10 league and cup goals so far. He was born in Brighton and began his career for Orb360 in the Brighton and District Football League. He made 10 league and cup appearances for The Hawks in their Isthmian Premier title campaign in the 12/13 season. He went on to play for Peacehaven & Telscombe and then got a move to Luton Town who were at the time in League Two. He only made 3 appearances for The Hatters but went on to play for Boreham Wood, Aldershot Town and St Albans City before his move to Eastbourne. 

The Hawks are unbeaten at home in league and cup games with six wins and four draws in ten games played. Imran Kayani, a recent signing from Vanarama South side Dover Athletic, has also been in good form for The Hawks scoring 4 goals in the last 3 games.  

Wingate & Finchley v Dulwich Hamlet

I think this could be titled The overachievers v The underachievers. Many fans predicted The North London side would be battling relegation this season but instead their impressive 6-2 home against Canvey Island put them up to the lofty heights of 4th in the table. Elliot Long who recently made his 50th appearance for the club scored twice on Saturday which put him on 7 goals for the season. 

Hamlet were expected to be amongst the front runners this season after their relegation from Step Two but have only won 3 league games in 11 so far. They were 0-1 up at Whitehawk on Saturday but conceded a late equaliser. Hakan Hayrettin's side have only one clean sheet so far which came at home to Concord Rangers (who as stated haven't scored away from home yet) but they have only failed to score once which came in the recent 3-0 defeat at Billericay Town. 

Wednesday 25th October

Kingstonian v Horsham 

It's all building up to Saturday 4th November for Horsham and their Emirates FA Cup First Round game at League One side Barnsley. It's the second time in three seasons The Hornets have got to this stage of the competition. Until then it's a midweek trip to Imperial Fields followed by a Isuzu FA Trophy away game in Somerset on Saturday to play Southern League D1 Central side Larkhall Athletic

The K's will go into this game full of confidence following their 3-0 win over Folkestone Invicta on Saturday which lifted them out of the drop zone. In their last three home games they have scored eight goals.