Burgess Hill Town preview

After a dramatic but ultimately disappointing loss at home to Canvey Island on Tuesday night, Wingate and Finchley will need to dig deep away at Burgess Hill if they are to restore the feel good factor felt around Summers Lane following their FA Cup win against Concord Rangers two days earlier. With just one league win in five and six of the seven goals scored in these games coming in that solitary victory, Wingates purple patch from the start of the season that saw them go on a 6 game unbeaten run is beginning to seem like a distant memory. Though the performances that have gone with these defeats have been far from poor Wingate can be accused of making their own bad luck - missed chances and some poor officiating often coming back to bite them despite regularly looking the stronger side. A cup win against Vanarama Conference South outfit Concord Rangers showed that the Blues are still a team to be feared, able to score goals from all positions of the pitch and confident in their own ability. The controversial midweek home defeat against Canvey Island means Wingate find themselves just one point but three places behind Saturdays opponents Burgess Hill, albeit with two games in hand and stronger goal difference. This season is the Hillians maiden spell in the Ryman Premier Division, a barnstorming 2014/15 season seeing them reach the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup and win the Ryman League Division One South comfortably by 11 points. High on confidence, they currently sit in 7th place with just one loss sandwiched between four wins and three draws from their last eight league games, including a 2-1 victory against Lewes which prompted the departure of the East Sussex sides manager Steve Brown. Wingate will need to nullify the threat of striker and Players Player of the Year Pat Harding who has found the net four times so far this season. His namesake Lee Harding has scored three goals from midfield since the start of the campaign but with nine other players also on their list of goalscorers for this season The Blues will need to be aware that, like themselves, goals can come from anywhere on the pitch. Though this is the highest that Burgess Hill have ever found themselves in the league pyramid, Wingate will be wise not to underestimate a team who have shown they can hold their own against tough opposition. An away win could send the Blues back above Burgess Hill and up towards the play-off spots with some breathing space between them and the teams below. Match Preview by Andy Gerlis