Sixth-placed Chelmsfordians will also be motivated to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat, having lost 1-0 to Harold Wood Athletic in their previous outing.

Preview by Freddie Facey

Match news and form

Catholic will be keen to bring their difficult run of form to an end, with consecutive defeats against ACD United and Corinthians seeing the Essex Bhoys slip to 13th in the Essex Premier Division.

The last time Catholic suffered back-to-back league defeats came at the end of last season, when the Bhoys were beaten by Hashtag United and Old Southendian.

Eamonn Kearney also remains without several senior players, with Patrick Kearney, Ben Burrows and Tom Elliott among the list of green and white shirts currently unavailable.

After scoring seven goals in the opening two matches and conceding just twice, consecutive defeats against Bishop’s Stortford Swifts and Harold Wood Athletic have stalled Old Chelmsfordians’ momentum.

Ahead of this Saturday’s fixture, the O’s face their fifth consecutive away match of the season. Playing on Catholic’s artificial 3G surface will test their fitness and defensive discipline heavily after a gruelling month on the road.

Head-to-Head

Catholic United have won two of the previous four Premier Division meetings between the sides, including a 2-1 victory at the Memorial Sports Ground last season.
Old Chelmsfordians’ most recent league victory against the Bhoys came at the Len Forge Centre in September 2024, when the O’s secured a narrow 2-1 win.

Players to Watch

Midfielder Thomas Kearney provides the technical foundation for the hosts in the centre of the pitch. Dom O'Kane has enjoyed a sharp opening to the campaign, providing technical ability on the flanks to help carve open spaces in the opposition defence.
For the visitors, the defensive partnership of Ryan Batchford and Jordan Boden forms the spine of the backline. Both players have started every fixture during a demanding opening month on the road, providing defensive stability behind forward Louie Vosper, who enters the weekend with four goals in three appearances.