Greenie's Friday Preview (17th March 2006)

And so after finally coming out of mid season hibernation (house moves; job moves; trying to get a new computer to work properly, SYKO CHALLENGE planning and most importantly of all wedding planning) the FRIDAY PREVIEW is back to track the season’s Final Countdown all the way to its conclusion.

And what a great deal has happened since we’ve been away. It  just proves though what a truly wonderful game we all know and love and that’s before the World Cup starts!  

Before the on course (and I won't apologise for mentioning every week between now and the end of the season), Kent football will congregate at Hartsdown Park in Margate on Sunday April 30^th,  the day after the Non League regular season comes to an end for the SYKO CHALLENGE (web site address www.sykochallenge.margate-fc.com 

It will be a fantastic day and for the very latest news stay logged on right here on the Challenges Official web site partner – www.kentishfootball.co.uk

And so to this week, and I’ll be at Stonebridge Road for what must be Gravesend and Northfleet’s last chance of making the Conference Play Off’s!  

With ten games left they’re twelve points off the play off places, and if they display the sort of form that they showed in the second half at York last week they’ve got half a chance.  

But the truth is that they should have been so far behind at half time that York could have declared at the break, and against better teams another 6-1 pasting like the one they took at Grays in the opening week of the season would have been repeated.  

With relegation threatened Tamworth heading our way tomorrow, Liam Daish will know that his side won't have an easy ride of it, but with the imminent return of leading scorer Charlie MacDonald, the Fleet should be more or less back at full strength and so here’s hoping for that home win.  

In Conference South, Welling United are just about hanging on in the Play Off hunt, although Adrian Pennock will not have been happy to drop two points last week against Maidenhead especially as he warned his side beforehand about taking their lowly visitors lightly!  

Tomorrow, the Wings head for the South coast and a game that could really shape the rest of their season  they’re away to Havant and Waterlooville  and with Pennock’s side one place outside the Play Off zone and their hosts level on points but behind on goal difference with two games in hand, it shows just how important an afternoon it could prove to be!  

Indeed it’s the start of a huge week for the Wings as on Tuesday they’re back to Hampshire to play Farnborough who are 5th before welcoming leaders Weymouth to Park View Road next weekend!  With strikers Che Stadhart and Danny Kedwell both netting five in their last six, Pennock will hope that Hampshire proves to be a happy hunting ground.

In the Ryman Premier, Bromley should take three points from their tip to second bottom Windsor & Eton, whilst Neil Cugley’s Folkestone Invicta last weekend earned all the plaudits as they held leaders Braintree to a draw at Cheriton Road.  

Tomorrow they welcome Harrow Borough to Cheriton Road an interesting fixture this one given that just this week, Folkestone have been charged by the FA over incidents in last season’s corresponding fixture (see Monday’s story in this websites News section).

Lousy timing I feel considering the fixtures this weekend but knowing the Folkestone camp as I do, I’m sure they’ll use it as the spur they need to put some more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone six places below them.  

Our third team in this League Margate had their game last weekend rained off late and tomorrow they welcome Play Off hunting Walton and Hersham to Hartsdown Park.  

The next couple of days will be a good test for Chris Kinnear’s ever strengthening squad as after Walton, they go to Stonebridge Road on Tuesday for a Kent Cup Semi Final with the Fleet.  

And talking of that game, there’s been a lot of talk this week of player moves between the two clubs. Interesting times then coming at Hartsdown as the season draws to its conclusion, especially when the Gate still have to be wary about being sucked into a relegation battle at the tables foot as just five points separates them from the bottom four although they do have a game in hand.

Before focusing on the division that no one wants to win (aka Ryman One) lets pop over to Division One East of the Southern League and the Chats, the Darts and the Bourne.

Beginning with Sittingbourne, who after winning just one of their last eight could rise up four places if they can get past Enfield at Bourne Park tomorrow afternoon.  

The Brickies still have a six point cushion between themselves and the relegation places (although with only one definitely going down, the second from bottom side faces a battle with the calculator as much as with other sides).  And so you can bet that boss Steve Lovell will be looking for revenge as their visitors tomorrow won the corresponding game 4-3 back in September.

Chatham, meanwhile have slipped to tenth recently after a run of indifferent results although with eight games left they are just five points off the Play Off zone.  

And after beating leaders Boreham Wood in their last home game Steve Binks’ side tomorrow welcome second placed Enfield Town to Maidstone Road and Binks will know that its his side’s home form that is just about keeping the Chats in touch as they’ve taken just two points from their last seven road games!

For Tony Burman’s Dartford, however, they have slipped out of the Play Off picture because of their home form!  They’ve lost five of their last six (of which four have been at home) and dropped to eighth although they still are only two points off of a top six place and so realistically are the best placed.

Tomorrow they visit a Wingate and Finchley side who themselves still harbour hopes of a Play Off berth!

And so we come to Ryman One and the continuing success story from Southwood.  Jimmy Ward’s side still head the way even if their lead at the top has now been cut to three points from Horsham, with the Sussex side having a game in hand. The Rams goal difference though is so significantly better that at this stage of the season its worth an extra point in the bag!

Tomorrow whilst Horsham entertain sixth placed Kingstonian on the Division’s game of the day, Ward’s side make the long trip to the New Forest to face a Bashley side that themselves are something of an enigma.  With a trip to Horsham due in a fortnights time, the Rams must keep their noses in front.

On the other hand, Tony Dolby’s Tonbridge are reeling from their worst run of the season at arguably the worst time of the season as one win in the last nine has seen the Angels slip from almost promotion certaintees to Play Off hopefuls.  

Clinging to fifth place they welcome Lymington and New Milton tomorrow knowing that this is one they dare not lose!  Early team news from Longmead sees the welcome return to the Angels squad of Luke Piscina.

Dover have had a terrible start to 2006 and they go into tomorrow in eighth slap bang in the midst of the log jam the race that is the clubs seeking the Play Offs.  

With boss Clive Walker confirmed in charge until the season's end, the Whites must be one of he favourites for the post season.  But the problem they have is getting there in the first place, as since the turn of the year their form has been nothing short of dreadful.

Tomorrow they go overseas, well across the Solent anyway to face Newport Isle of Wight, It’s a game they’ll be expected to win, but for some reason our sides don’t have that good a record generally across the water!

Cray Wanderers are just about still in the Play Off hunt despite their 1-0 defeat to the leaders last weekend.  Ian Jenkins side have been flying of late winning five of seven prior to last weekend.  They’re still only 12th but such is the tightness of the division that they’re still only five points off the Play Off zone.  

Tomorrow Jenkin's side face another tough home game as Croydon Athletic (who recently ended Ramsgate’s 18 game unbeaten run) visit Hayes Lane for realistically a game that the Wanderers dare not lose.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table its looking increasingly likely that its two from three for the drop and with Corinthian Casuals three points adrift of Newport Isle of Wight and Ashford, things do indeed begin to look depressing and a repeat of last year where Tim Thorogood’s side escaped relegation on the last day of the season after losing their last four and netting just once in the last five.  

Tomorrow they face a real test as they head for South West London to face Tooting and Mitcham United who are arguably one of the best teams in the division.

So there you go another fascinating Non league weekend ahead of us. Don’t forget, I’m at Stonebridge Road but to keep up with all the important goals as they go in tune into Matt Davison’s Saturday Sport from 2:00pm till 6:00pm and I’ll be back next week.

Cheers for now.
Mike Green