RIDGEONS PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW - SATURDAY 10th DECEMBER 2011

welshwatcher Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:45 pm

Three sides are without a fixture this weekend, Brantham Athletic, Dereham Town & Wivenhoe Town.

CRC V HADLEIGH UNITED
The home side have hit a run of form with three straight wins and 13 goals scored including victories over two of the potential title chasers although they were away from the Abbey Stadium. Their home record has improved recently having won their last two but they have lost half their games at The Abbey and conceded 22 times. There visitors are more unpredictable than inconsistent, they lost at the league leaders last time out having smashed six without reply against the second placed side four days earlier. The reverse fixture ended with CRC hitting six without reply at The Millfield.

DISS TOWN V FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED
It is difficult to assess the home side’s league form as it is almost a month since their last fixture, having been involved in cup football for the last three weeks with mixed success. They will not be too unhappy with their progress since returning to the top flight or their current mid-table position. The two sides sit next to each other in the table separated by four points with the visitors having four games in hand so this is a big game for both. The reverse fixture saw The Tangerines win 4-1 at The Goldstar Ground but The Seasiders have lost just once in their last five.

ELY CITY V WOODBRIDGE TOWN
The Robins long unbeaten league run finally ended last Saturday at Plantation Park as the home side leap-frogged them in the table. Will they be pleased to get the unbeaten tag off their back, probably not but they still have an unbeaten at home record to protect. Are Woodbridge the side to end that record, they have won five times on their travels scoring 25 goals at over two per game and have won their last three, two of those away from Notcutts Park and have lost just once in their last five away days, this could be a very tight affair.

FC CLACTON V STANWAY ROVERS
There is little these two won’t know about each other, separated by less than twenty miles and one point in the table, the visitor’s manager moving across from the home side and a good mix of players between the two. Stanway have the advantage in terms of league position and points while Clacton have a healthy three games in hand. The visitors drew last week to halt a three match losing run but the home side have lost their last two at The Rush Green Bowl. Not one for the pundits to predict other than it is likely to be a feisty affair with both sides fully committed.

GT YARMOUTH TOWN V KIRKLEY & PAKEFIELD
Have the home side resigned themselves to relegation already, they refused the managers resignation at the weekend as a commitment to the future but their position looks dire with just four points from a possible 27 at The Wellesley and just two goals scored while conceding 23 in a run of five straight defeats. Paul Tong who started the season at The Wellesley returns with his K & P side who still hover to close for comfort to the relegation zone and he will feel this fixture offers a maximum point return that could lift them at least one place with Wivenhoe being idle.

HAVERHILL ROVERS V NORWICH UNITED
The home side have been inconsistent or should it be consistent in their inconsistency, alternating between wins and defeats in their last six league fixtures, they lost last time out so are they due for a win. Their visitors are riding high and moved into third place last week, climbing above Ely after ending The Robins unbeaten run. They have won three and drawn one of their last four and have a good record on the road with five wins and two draws from their nine away days. The reverse fixture ended as a 2-2 draw just a month ago at Plantation Park, could this be a similar result.

MILDENHALL TOWN V GORLESTON
The home side promised much early season with just one defeat in their opening eight games but they have slipped down the table since, they have won just one of their last five in all competitions, have lost their last two league games and lost at home in the league cup in midweek. Their visitors are on a three match unbeaten league run and have a respectable away record, they did lose at Wroxham in the League Cup but knocked out local rivals Gt Yarmouth in The Norfolk Senior Cup between those results. This looks like a close encounter with the home side looking to recapture some of their early season form.

WALSHAM Le WILLOWS V WISBECH TOWN
A difficult game for the home side currently stuck in the bottom three, four points adrift of the side immediately above them. Their only win in the last ten games was against the current basement club, they were last year’s draw specialists but have found it more difficult this time round. For the visitors, this is a potential banana skin, they sit in fifth place, just off the pace but with games in hand on those above them. They will be buoyant from their excellent Vase win last weekend but must halt a losing league sequence having failed to collect any points from their last two fixtures.

WROXHAM V NEWMARKET TOWN
Should it just say Wroxham to win and leave it at that as they look to make it six straight wins and eight unbeaten in the league, against a side struggling at the wrong end of the table. Oh that it were that straightforward, The Yachtsmen have learned down the years to take each game as it comes and Newmarket can be assured of the greatest respect going into this game on the back of a 6-1 win last time out, albeit against the only side below them in the table. On paper it’s a home banker with Wroxham on one defeat in ten games at home and The Jockeys one victory in ten away.