AN ISTHMIAN North clash on the Norfolk coast this afternoon (Saturday, 24 October) illustrates the highs and lows around clubs depending on the vagaries of funding and fortune. Both hosts Lowestoft and visitors Grays Athletic have strong local support and are no strangers to success.

However, both go into this afternoon's clash in the lower reaches of the division, still with an eye on the possibility of relegation and with managerial issues.

Lowestoft's player manager is Robert Eagle, the former Norwich City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Grimsby left back who has had four spells as a player and manager with the Trawlerboys.

However, he is currently not allowed to play or manage due to an unpublished administrative/FA-related issue that arose earlier this month and which the club says it is working to resolve.

Grays also have a managerial issue to resolve. Who will be the next boss following the departure in the past week of manager Mitch Hahn and his assistant Ash Miller? In midweek the temporary management team of Lewis Clark, Sam Walker, Nick Strizovic and Mitch Baldock put Grays back on the winning track with a 3-1 home win against Walthamstow.

Like Grays, Lowestoft have in the past suffered funding issues after reaching significant highs in the non-League pyramid. Grays got as high as the National League and a Football league play-off, while Lowestoft had two seasons of significant travelling in National North.

Both eras proved costly in the long run. Grays collapsed and was reborn under a fans' initiative, while last month, after slipping down the leagues, Lowestoft confirmed it is in debt to the tune of around £100,000. An appeal to rebuild Lowestoft Town by raising that sum is underway, but it is clear that the club had had to cut its cloth.

Heavy defeats since the middle of September to Little Oakley, Brightlingsea Regent and Concord (all 5-0), Hashtag United (8-0) and Walthamstow (9-0) have seen the Trawlerboys dredged the lower regions where they sit second bottom, one place above new boys, Fakenham Town.

Hopes will be raised of better things with the return of former fan favourite Chris Henderson, who joins the Trawlerboys for his third spell after previously notching up 352 appearances across his two previous spells at Crown Meadow, between 2011–2017 and 2021–2023.

The game is on following a pitch inspection at 9am today.

Tilbury will play host to Brightlingsea Regent having been buoyed by a fine midweek win against high-flying Hashtag United in what was the club's 1,300th league win since becoming a senior ranked club in 1927.

Regent have just two league wins from 13 outings and sit fourth from bottom, while Tuesday's win against Hashtag has lifted Tilbury into the top half of the table.

Aveley will play host to fellow Isthmian Premier Carshalton Athletic in the FA Trophy first round, hoping to bounce back from the disappointment of Monday's defeat at home to Maldon.

It will not be a be easy task and manager Alex Akofi says his side will have to be 'bang at it' from the kick-off after being critical of their slow-starting approach to Monday's defeat.

"Carshalton are a really good side who play on the front foot and they will be at us. I like the way they play and our boys will need to match them in every way," said the Millers boss.

The Robins are seventh in the table and have shown good form on the road, while Millers languish in 16^th and they have shown an unusual frailty at Parkside this season.

Last night East Thurrock Community FC's six match winning streak in the Thurrock Nunn Eastern Counties South Division came to an end at Barkingside's Oakside Stadium at the hands of Lymore Gardensm who won 3-0.

Rocks will remain in third place regardless of results elsewhere today and they are next in action at Southend Manor on Saturday, 31 October.