Saturday January 24

 

FIRST DIVISION

AFC Greenwich Borough v Greenways

Banstead Athletic v SE Dons

Bridon Ropes v Croydon

Chessington & Hook v Rochester United

Halls AFC v Staplehurst Monarchs

Lordswood v Lydd Town

Welling Town v Lewisham Borough

 

If the pitches survive the week, we’re set for a cracking afternoon in the First Division with seven fixtures on the card, including tricky away days for the top two and a headline clash between the league’s two “Greens”.

Leaders SE Dons head to Banstead Athletic knowing momentum is firmly on their side. A 15-game unbeaten run has put them in pole position, a sequence that kicked off with a 4–1 win in the reverse fixture. Banstead, though, suddenly look like a different animal. Last week’s win hauled them out of the drop zone and confidence is finally flowing. Stopping the Dons would be some statement.

Rochester United, six points off the summit, travel to Chessington & Hook with no margin for error if they want to keep the title race honest. Last week’s surprise defeat has put pressure back on, and with Chessington still searching for their first home win — and not having played there for over ten weeks — this one has the feel of a game nobody quite knows what to expect, assuming the pitch passes inspection.

The standout fixture looks to be AFC Greenwich Borough v Greenways. Borough are right in the thick of the title race and their form is frightening — 14 wins from their last 15 league games tells its own story. Greenways sit just a point outside the play-offs but arrive slightly off-colour, with only one win in nine after a flying start. Something has to give, and this one could shape the run-in for both sides.

There’s plenty on the line at Lordswood v Lydd Town, albeit at opposite ends of the table. Lordswood sit fourth and are pushing hard to cement a play-off place. Lydd, meanwhile, are deep in trouble — seven defeats in eight have dragged them firmly into the drop zone, five points adrift of safety. These two were relegated together last season; now their paths couldn’t look more different.

Halls AFC v Staplehurst Monarchs is a classic mid-table scrap. Both sides will see this as a chance to build momentum for a strong finish and, if results elsewhere fall kindly, maybe even flirt with a late play-off push.

There’s also intrigue at Croydon v Bridon Ropes, where the visitors begin a new era. Bridon unveiled Uche Ibemere as their new manager during the week and he’ll be hoping for an immediate response as his side look to climb away from the lower reaches of the table. Croydon, meanwhile, finally stopped the rot last time out by ending a losing run and will be targeting back-to-back wins to reignite their play-off push.

And finally, Welling Town v Lewisham Borough feels huge. Welling slipped into the relegation zone last week and know home wins are non-negotiable from here on in. Neither side has tasted victory in 2026, so something — or someone — has to blink.

Seven games, plenty at stake — now all we need is the rain to take the day off.

 

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