All systems go at the ProKit

There’s no need for a pitch inspection as Blues prepare to face Mertsham in the Bostik League Premier Division at 3pm this afternoon.

Mertsham are the in-form team in the Bostik Premier with 26 points from their last 11 games, including a late winner against Worthing, and that run that has moved them up to third in the table with 47 points from 27 games.

But their league cup dreams were ended a couple of weeks ago when Blues travelled to the Specsavers Stadium as debutant keeper Artur Janata saved a pair of penalties in a shoot-out after Haaroon Belaid’s first goal from Stortford had sealed a 1-1 draw.

The honours were also even when Blues travelled to the same game in October as a late Isaac Nkosi goal salvaged a point for the visitors.

In common with Blues the Moorsiders made a quick exit from the FA Cup, drawing twice with Cray Valley PM before going out on penalties while in the Trophy they won 2-0 at home against East Grinstead Town before losing by the same score at Salisbury.

After 116 years in local and county football, the Moatsiders joined the Isthmian League a decade ago and are now in their fourth season in the Premier Division. A difficult 2017/18 campaign saw them slip down to 18th place, with crowds down to an average of 182. They suffered early exits in both FA competitions, losing to Tooting & Mitcham at the first stage of the Cup and Sittingbourne in the Trophy.