TILBURY and Grays Athletic will be looking to breathe life into their Isthmian North promotion campaigns in their last matches of 2024.

The promotion prospects of both borough clubs have slipped in recent weeks, though Tilbury's narrow Boxing Day win over their closest rivals will have been a festive fillip.

Today (Saturday, 28 December) sees seventh-placed Tilbury travel to bottom club Ipswich Wanderers. On the opening weekend of this season Dockers were stunned to succumb to a 1-0 defeat by the Suffolk side at Chadfields, with Iuri Fernandes scoring the only goal, so they will have a double incentive to get a positive result.

Wanderers have only won one other league match since that August encounter, which also saw Dockers' Sam Bantick sent off, so the odds will surely favour a balancing of the books by the borough side.

Despite this week's derby defeat, Grays will also fancy their chances of reinvigorating their promotion campaign as they entertain struggling Mildenhall Town, who are just above the drop zone. The two sides drew 2-2 in August.

Aveley have a free weekend but will renew their Vanarama National League South campaign on Wednesday (1 January) at Chelmsford City.

Tilbury and Grays will also be in action on New Year's Day, against Haringey Borough (away) and Basildon United (home) respectively.

East Thurrock Community FC do have a weekend fixture, travelling to Belle Vue Social Club (2pm) in the Essex and Suffolk Border League Premier Division.