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Looking forward to the Bostik – 4

The penultimate part of the look forward to the teams will face upon our return to the Isthmian League.

Lewes

2017/18 – 2nd 99pts/46 games

k1A trip to Lewes on Easter Saturday (nicely placed in late April) looks to be one of the highlights of the season for the travelling Blues’ fans. Having said that, no one particularly enjoyed last year’s 2-0 FA Trophy loss at the Dripping Pan. We last met in league action in the 2010/11 season and a pair of narrow wins for the Blues helped send Lewes down from Conference South. Five seasons in Isthmian Premier were ended when they went down in 2016 but after a ninth place finish the following year they finished as runners-up last season, scoring 93 goals and taking 99 points. Their FA Trophy run ended the round after beating Blues as they lost 3-1 at home against Truro City, while their FA Cup campaign saw a replay win against Newhaven before losing 3-0 at Thamesmead Town.

 

Margate

2017/18 – 7th 77pts/46 games

margateAnother side we have plenty of experience playing against in Conference South, with the Gate piping Blues to bottom spot in Conference South two years ago. Both sides won on their opponents’ ground that season, with Margate making the trip back to Kent with a 2-0 victory before we gained revenge with a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Greg Cundle , Phil Walsh (who managed to do his boots up) and Emmanuel Adebowale. Margate managed a promotion challenge last season, finishing seventh in the Bostik table, and they reached the final qualifying round of the FA Cup before falling to Leatherhead and also progressed through two Trophy ties before losing on penalties against Bath City.

 

mertshamMerstham

2017/18 – 18th 56pts/46 games

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 season 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. Our trip to Moatside in October will be the first meeting between the clubs.

 

Potters Bar Town

2017/18 – 2nd Bostik North 90pts/46 games

PottersBarTownFCA year after losing to the Scholars in the FA Cup, we find ourselves in the same divisions as them for the first time. In retrospect, that loss against them wasn’t as disappointing as it first seemed as Town sealed promotion from Ryman North by finishing second despite being deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player. Their FA Cup run ended the round after they defeated Blues, losing a home replay against Hampton & Richmond Borough, while they won through a couple of rounds in the FA Trophy before going out – again in a home replay – against Southern League champions Hereford. Their success saw average crowds at Parkfield grow to 131.