Saturday 5th September
The FA Cup takes centre stage for four SCEFL Premier Division clubs this weekend, leaving a reduced programme of five league fixtures on Saturday afternoon.
League leaders AFC Greenwich Borough, second-placed Snodland Town, SE Dons and Petts Wood & Holmesdale are all on FA Cup duty, giving the rest of the division an opportunity to make some ground.
Beckenham Town v Larkfield & New Hythe
Beckenham Town will be looking to build on their Bank Holiday Monday victory when they welcome Larkfield & New Hythe.
The Becks responded well to their 5-0 defeat at Phoenix Sports by beating Chislehurst Glebe 2-0, with Adekunle Ajagbe scoring both goals. Seven points from four games leaves them sixth and within three points of the summit.
Larkfield’s season has taken a very different turn. After opening with two victories, the Larks have now suffered four consecutive defeats, the latest a 3-0 home loss against Snodland Town on Monday.
They head to Eden Park Avenue looking to stop that run and rediscover the form which saw them make such a promising start.
Faversham Strike Force v Chislehurst Glebe
Faversham Strike Force return home with renewed confidence following an impressive 2-1 victory at previously unbeaten Kennington.
Goals from Ali Wren and Mefose Esumobi secured their second league victory and moved Strike Force onto seven points from five games.
Chislehurst Glebe have four points from five and make the trip looking for their first victory since beating Snodland earlier in August. They picked up a point against Fisher last Saturday before losing 2-0 at Beckenham on Bank Holiday Monday.
Hollands & Blair v Phoenix Sports
Hollands & Blair produced one of Monday’s standout results when they became the first side to beat Bearsted this season.
Trailing at half-time, a Reece Gillies penalty and Drew Briffitt goal within two minutes turned the game around as Blair claimed a 2-1 victory at the then league leaders.
They now have six points from four games and return home to face a Phoenix Sports side who experienced an extraordinary Bank Holiday weekend.
Phoenix thrashed Beckenham Town 5-0 on Friday to collect their first points, only to suffer a 4-1 home defeat against Sutton Athletic three days later. They sit 17th with three points from five matches.
Rusthall v Kennington
Kennington make the trip to Rusthall looking for an immediate response to their first defeat of the season.
An unbeaten opening four matches had taken Kennington up to second, but Monday’s 2-1 home loss against Faversham Strike Force saw them slip to fourth on eight points.
Rusthall have played only three league matches so far, collecting three points, with postponements restricting their early programme. A home victory would move them level with several clubs in a congested middle section of the table.
With the top two both occupied by the FA Cup, Kennington also have an opportunity to move back into the leading positions.
Sutton Athletic v Fisher
Sutton Athletic finally got their season up and running in emphatic fashion on Monday and will now look to follow it up against Fisher.
After defeats in their opening two matches, Sutton went to Phoenix Sports and returned with a 4-1 victory, with Ashdon Day scoring twice.
Fisher have five points from four matches and have certainly provided entertainment so far, scoring 11 goals and conceding eight. They also showed their resilience last weekend when Euan Mutale’s stoppage-time goal earned a 2-2 draw at Chislehurst Glebe.
With Greenwich Borough, Snodland Town, SE Dons and Petts Wood & Holmesdale all turning their attention to the FA Cup, Saturday provides an opportunity for those remaining on league duty to improve their positions before a full Premier Division programme returns.