AFTER a difficult week following the departure of manager Darren Manning, Grays Athletic have it all to do this afternoon (Saturday, 21 February) at Capershotts, home of Waltham Abbey who sit third in the Isthmian North table.  

The stand-in management team of Paul Joynes and Mitch Hahn took training on Thursday and will be at the helm this afternoon, working alongside Sam Walker, Nik Strizovic, Mitch Baldock, Luke Edmonds, Sim Madgewick and club captain Lewis Clark who will step up as first team coach for the game.

Grays' record against the Abbots, particularly in the league, is not good. They have lost the last six successive matches against them, including the latest encounter at Chadfields in late November when a close affair was decided by Ellis Brown's second half goal for the visitors. 

Grays say a further announcement will be made on the managerial situation after the weekend.

Also in the Isthmian North, Tilbury will play host to Takeley who are in the relegation zone. 

Dockers' recent improved, though still inconsistent form and a number of personal changes has seen them rise to ninth place, a season's high other than the second matchday of the season when a win over Concord put them eighth and in an optimistic frame of mind.

Their form since then has fluctuated but the arrival of Takeley, who are fourth from bottom and have just 13 points from 15 away days, offers the opportunity for them to put back-to-back league winners since November, when Takeley were among their two successes thanks to a 3-2 win at Station Road - where Kieran Jones got a winner in the 95th minute.

After the disappointment of a midweek home draw with Chichester, Aveley will be looking to bounce back to winning ways with another home Isthmian Premier match at Parkside today.

The visitors are Potters Bar who are in the relegation zone. Catch Millers manager Brett Munyard's pre-match discussion here.

East Thurrock Community FC haven't played since 24th January when they won what they hoped would be a pivotal match against Essex and Suffolk Border League Premier Division rivals Sudbury Sports. 

And today's trip to lowly Gas Recreation became another casualty of the weather.

During Rocks absence from action, Sudbury have moved four points clear of ETC and they top the table ahead of Great Bentley by two points, with Rocks in third- two points further back. Great Bentley and Rocks both have two matches in hand.