BOROUGH Isthmian North sides Grays Athletic and Tilbury start their FA Trophy campaigns today (Saturday, 7 September).

Grays have the toughest task on paper, travelling to Brickfield Lane to play Hadley of the Southern Football League Division One Central.

While Grays have struggled at the start of the season, with just one win and a draw from four league outings and an early FA Cup exit, Hadley are unbeaten in their division with three wins and a draw, though they also made an early FA Cup exit, beaten by Grays' league rivals Basildon United.

Tilbury, buoyed by a midweek FA Cup win, play host to Welwyn Garden City, also of the Southern League Central Division One where they have had three wins and two defeats.

In the Vanarama National League South, after their first win of the season on Monday, Aveley travel to Chesham with hopes of extending their unbeaten run to three matches, though that is also a target for the 12th-placed hosts who have won their last two. 

After five consecutive Essex and Suffolk Border League defeats, East Thurrock Community FC will have some optimism going into today's home match with Stanway Pegasus Reserves, who sit fourth from bottom with four points from six outings.