Non-League and Academy football writer

This season’s Thurlow Nunn League First Division South (step 6) season has so far been highly competitive, unpredictable, and interesting to follow. Marce Collington’s Newbury Forest side lead the way in the league, after 24 league matches (they are on 50 points) played. And it’s been an outstanding season for them so far, with the east London club (they finished in the relegation zone last season) being consistently very good in the league. Newbury Forest are in with a real chance of winning this league for the very first time, having been so good during the season, so far. And with a very good squad of players, they face Lymore Gardens in an east London derby match on Saturday, in what promises to be a very big game for both sides, in what is their next league game.

One place below Newbury Forest, is Hutton. Hutton have improved further from last season, and they are three points behind the league leaders, having played two games less than them in the league this season. They are a fine side, who along with Geoff Ocran’s Clapton Community side, Lymore Gardens, Stansted and Coggeshall Town, are just some of the other teams who could well be crowned league champions, come the end of this season. 

Clapton Community are without doubt the best supported team in this league. Eight points (they have played 22 matches) behind Newbury Forest, Clapton Community are another very good footballing side in this league, and they have a good squad of players, many of whom have been at the club for the last couple of seasons, at least. I’d personally be surprised if they didn’t manage to secure a play-off spot, come the end of the regular season. Because the east London side are such a good team with a lot of experience, and who on their day are very capable of beating any side at this level of non-League football.

Fourth place Lymore Gardens (they have accumulated 41 points from 20 league games played) have had a quite remarkable season, thus far. This is their first ever season at step 6, and as well as still very much being title contenders at this point of the league season, Lymore are also still in the FA Vase (round of 32), which is just as impressive, if not more, than their league positioning. They are fearless with the ball, and they’re another very good east London side who have shown that they can make that step up from step 7 football, so well.

Stansted are just behind Lymore Gardens in the league table, on 39 points. They were relegated from the Essex Senior League at the end of last season, and both themselves and sixth place Coggeshall Town (they have a number of games in hand), who are another strong side in this league, can’t be ruled out of winning the league title. A talented Brimsdown side are in seventh place in the league table, and with one of the youngest squads in the league, both they and their young manager, Emmanuel N’Daw, have achieved some really good things in the league this season. They are on course to finish in a higher place than last season in the table, and they will still believe that they can secure a play-off spot.

Rob Hodgson’s Rayleigh Town side and Burnham Ramblers are currently in eighth and ninth place in the table respectively, and they are two sides who have good chances of reaching the play-offs. Southend Manor and Matt Knight’s Basildon Town side (they are doing really well in the League Challenge Cup), are in mid-table, while Hoddesdon Town, who despite a very difficult start to the season have gone on a great run to get up to 12th place in the league standings. Cannons Wood, recently under new management, have also picked up their form recently, and they are in 13th place in the table, followed by some well respected sides in the league, in FC Romania and NW London.

May & Baker ECFC, FC Baresi and AS London (they have a number of games in hand over a lot of the clubs above them) are in the places above the bottom three/relegation zone. In the bottom three currently, are Dunmow Town (they have 20 points from 19 games), Barkingside (they have 15 points from 23 games played) and Enfield Borough (they have 13 points from 15 league games played). There’s still all to play for at both ends of the league table, and there’ll be plenty of twists and turns during the remainder of this season.

The three top goalscorers in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South, at this point of the season:

1. Eben Mbona (Newbury Forest) – 22 goals.
2. Matas Machovas (Brimsdown) – 20 goals.
3. Elliott Howson (Hutton) – 18 goals.