RIDGEONS PREMIER DIVISION PREVIEW SATURDAY 14th JANUARY 2012

welshwatcher Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:33 pm

BRANTHAM ATHLETIC V NEWMARKET TOWN
Second in the table Brantham need to get on another winning run if they are to retain their second place, they now have Ely level on points with them having played one game less. They collected three points last week at the seaside after two defeats against lowly opposition and this will be no certainty, although they should have the firepower. The Jockeys have now gone six games without a win, although they did record to goal-less draws in that sequences and another here would suit them but they need at least three wins if they are to escape from the bottom two.

DEREHAM TOWN V HADLEIGH UNITED
The Magpies lie 6th in the table but have just two league victories to their credit since October having won ten in the first two and a half months of the season. They have now lost four times at Aldiss Park and their visitors will be looking to make that five. Unpredictable Hadleigh have won five times on the road and scored 15 times on their last six away days with just one defeat in that run and that against the current league leaders. A home win could see Dereham back in the top four so this will be a keenly fought affair.

DISS TOWN V MILDENHALL TOWN
The Tangerines home record isn’t impressive, having lost five times at Brewers Green Lane while winning just three times against The ‘Halls record of six wins and a draw from their fourteen away days. The visitors have slipped out of the top half of the table after starting the season as one of the fancied sides and they will be looking for their first win of 2012 here. Diss are not safe from relegation worries yet and need to put more daylight between themselves and the five sides below them so a share of the spoils would look a fair return at present.

FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED V NORWICH UNITED
The Seasiders are one of the sides below Diss in the table and they have the games in hand to climb away from trouble, but of course they have to win those games. They face a difficult afternoon here against The Planters who sit in fourth place. The home side have lost their last two by a single goal in close games and beat their visitors by a single goal in the FA Cup in August. The Planters have a good league record on the road with six maximum returns and start the day with just one defeat in their last eight games.

GT. YARMOUTH TOWN V STANWAY ROVERS
There will be relief off the field at The Wellesley and it will be interesting to see the attendance for this game as The Bloaters look to have escaped going out of business this week with a sponsor being found to keep them financially sound in the immediate future. On the field they look doomed to a return to First Division football unless there is a remarkable recovery very quickly. They are now 15 points adrift of the third from bottom side and will receive no sympathy from Stanway who could climb into the top six with a win.

HAVERHILL ROVERS V WROXHAM
A tough afternoon for The Rovers but it will be a game they will be looking forward to against the current league leaders. Wroxham confirmed their intent to take promotion should they finish at the top of the table and providing their ground passes muster so they will be determined to make sure there are no slip ups. They had an eleven match unbeaten run halted by Walsham to start the New Year and will not want a repeat here. Rovers have had a successful Christmas and New year and a good result here would stretch their unbeaten run to four games.

KIRKLEY & PAKEFIELD V ELY CITY
The visitors are on a four match winning run; lie third in the table with just three league defeats to date this season. The home side have a better record at Walmer Road than away and are on a current six match unbeaten run. The reverse fixture saw the sides share six goals and the points so manager Paul Tong will see this as a real challenge for his emerging side. All three defeats suffered by The Robins this season have come away from The Unwin Ground but they have become formidable opposition this season and this will be a tough ask for The Royals.

WALSHAM Le WILLOWS V FC CLACTON
The home side will be eager for this encounter having beaten the league’s top two in consecutive matches and losing out narrowly to the third placed side and will be hoping for a larger than average crowd following their mini-run. Their visitors are never an easy side to overcome and have a good record on the road this season, they have won three and drawn one of their last five so they too will be looking forward to this encounter and both may be happy to share the spoils come Saturday evening.

WISBECH TOWN V GORLESTON
The Fenmen are one of the two sides who have applied for promotion this season but they will have to improve their current record if they are to achieve their ambitions. Currently lying in 5th place they have lost three of their last four and a defeat here could spell the end of their ambitions for this season. Their visitors have produced the best results from the promoted sides and have proved capable of taking the points of anyone in the division on their day. Half of their ten wins have come away from Emerald Park while Wisbech have lost four times at Fenland Park. If I had to choose this would definitely be my ‘Match of the Day’

WOODBRIDGE TOWN V CRC
The Woodpeckers have gone about their business without too much fuss or big headlines this season but they sit in 8th place with just one defeat in their last nine games and a month since their last loss at third placed Ely so they are no easy target. CRC start the day just one point ahead of their hosts having both played the same amount of games and a goal difference of four between them so this will be a real tight affair. The scholars away record is superior to that of The Woodpeckers at Notcutts Park but the home side may just have the experience to come out on top here.