A clash at the top of the table sees Catholic United face Shenfield, which looks to be a real six-pointer for both sides. Catholic United will know that a win will take the league leaders ten points clear. Meanwhile, a win for the Shenfield will close the lead at the top to just four points.

Match News and Form
Catholic United will be full of confidence welcoming Shenfield to the Len Forge, where they boast a flawless home record, 12 wins from 12 in all competitions. Since Eamonn Kearney’s arrival at the club, he has turned Len Forge into a fortress, proving to be extremely difficult for away teams to break down a stubborn defence.

However, United will be aware of their opposition, as their last match against Shenfield ended in a 2-1 loss in the reverse fixture at St Martin’s School. Catholic United bounced back incredibly well with a 2-0 win against Aveley U23s to progress the Essex Bhoys to the semi-final of the Premier Cup.

Since losing 3-1 at home to Shenfield in February 2022, Catholic United have secured three consecutive wins out of their last four home matches against Shenfield and will be making sure that record is protected ahead of this match.

Shenfield enter the match with strong momentum, as a 1-0 win against Leigh Ramblers now makes it three consecutive away wins and five wins out of six in the Essex Premier Division has increased the pressure on Catholic United. Shenfield’s earlier visits at the Len Forge have seen them pick up one win out of four. Their last away win at the Len Forge ended in Shenfield winning 3-1, which was on the 5th of February 2022.

Head-to-Head History
The last time these two sides faced each other was the 31st of January at St Martin’s School, as a strike from Jack Panon and an own goal secured Shenfield a 2-1 win against Catholic, making it back-to-back wins.

Key Players
Frank Craik poses a challenge, scoring four goals in three matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Premier Division top goalscorer, Mike Clark, will be hungry to continue a good run of form, scoring four in his last 5 appearances.

Jack Panon of Shenfield has been a threat going forward, as in his recent performances scoring against against Catholic and Herongate in his last two games. Meanwhile, Luke Williamson’s combative style has seen him booked in his last three appearances, showing that Williamson can disrupt play, which will be key, but he will need to be cautious to stay disciplined in a huge encounter.