Easter. The time of the season where you get a better idea of what’s ahead for your team in the closing stages of the season which could determine your season and for Kent clubs in the Isthmian League, Easter 2024 is no different.
In the Premier Division, Chatham Town’s pursuit of leaders Hornchurch will officially be over come Easter Monday if the Essex club gain maximum points against Wingate & Finchley and Canvey Island. The Chats themselves travel to face Neil Smith’s Cray Wanderers on Friday at Hayes Lane as the “home” side look to continue their impressive rise up the table. Once flirting with the bottom four, Smith has overseen a run that has taken his side with within two points of being mathematically safe after Easter.
The Chats then return home on Monday and should Kevin Hakes side get the expected three points against lowly Kingstonian, the Surrey side could be relegated.
Meanwhile, Smith takes his Cray side to Hartsdown Park to face Mark Stimson’s Margate who gave their own survival hopes a boost on Tuesday night by beating Cheshunt, the side the Gate have to catch to survive 1-0 in Hertfordshire. With six games left, Stimson’s side are still seven points from safety meaning that three points at mid table Potters Bar on Saturday would be another huge boost especially as Cheshunt face play-off Chasing Horsham.
Folkestone Invicta have pulled themselves away from the bottom four too and over the weekend host Lewes on Friday before facing a tough trip to play-off chasing Hastings who recently took four points in successive home games against the top two!
The top three in the South East look more or less sorted but the battle between Cray Valley PM and Ramsgate looks like going to the wire. It could be advantage Ramsgate after Friday as they are scheduled to travel to face Littlehampton before Valley put their 100 percent away record on the line against inform Broadbridge on Saturday.
The highlight of the weekend though is the meeting of Ben Smiths Rams and Ryan Maxwell’s third placed Sittingbourne at Southwood on Monday. The Brickies will go to Thanet after facing another form side Horndean on Good Friday looking to maintain their own unbeaten away record against the side with the best home record in the division having won fourteen of their sixteen home games.
It is a derby too for Cray Valley as they face Sevenoaks at Badgers with Sevenoaks now eighth but twelve points off the top five with six games to play. Oaks welcome Ashford United to Greatness Park on Friday with Alan Walker and Darren Hare looking for their first win since taking over at Homelands.
Herne Bay’s 3-1 win at Hythe on Tuesday has lifted Steve Lovell’s side back up to within three points of fifth placed Lancing and Bay welcome strugglers East Grinstead Town to Winches Field on Saturday before a trip to Homelands on Monday to face Walker and Hare and their Ashford side.
For Hythe Town, their fixture backlog looks like it might have taken its toll on their play-off hopes as Tuesday’s defeat to Herne Bay has left Steve Watt’s side twelve points short of the play-off places now with just three games in hand.
On Saturday they host Merstham before heading for the Isle of Sheppey on Monday. Sheppey have slipped of late to eleventh place and all but out of play-off contention and they go start their weekend with a trip to face Phoenix who are deep in the battle for survival at the bottom.
Sports go into the weekend with a five-point lead over Erith & Belvedere and a six-point lead over Beckenham Town. After Sheppey’s visit on Saturday, Phoenix head for Beckenham on Monday and a potentially massive six-pointer. The Becks meanwhile face the daunting task of heading to play-off chasing Three Bridges before Monday’s showdown that will go a long way to deciding their fate.
Stuck in the middle of the two, the Deres will look to close the gap between themselves and the trap door as they welcome mid table Burgess Hill Town to Park View Road on Saturday before heading to East Grinstead on Monday.
Image courtesy of Chatham Town FC