MALDON AND TIPTREE assistant manager Mark Levey expects this season's Ryman League division north title race to be a tight affair.

The Jammers, who are sixth, head to play league leaders Phoenix Sports tonight, hoping to close ground on their hosts.

Maldon are eight points off top spot after nine matches and Levey sees their next two matches as an opportunity to gain ground on the teams above them in the table.

Levey said: “It’ll be a very difficult game but we’re going into the Phoenix game and our match against AFC Hornchurch on Saturday thinking that if we’re at our best, we can get six points and push towards the play-off places.

“I don’t think there’s really a stand-out team in the division, this year - I think it will be really tight.

“We went into the season thinking that we could probably only lose five games all season if we were going to win the title.

"But we’ve lost four already and we’re not the only team to lose games.

“I think it’s possible for a side to lose as many as eight games and still win it.

“I expect us to be up there come the end of the season, along with the likes of Hornchurch, Thurrock, Cheshunt, Brightlingsea Regent, Tilbury and VCD.

“We’ll be looking for our experienced players to make a difference for us at Phoenix."

Maldon will check on the fitness of Billy Roast, after he suffered a rib injury in their 3-2 defeat at Tilbury.

Defender Curtis Haynes-Brown could making his injury comeback as a substitute, last weekend.

Both HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS and BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT will be in confident mood ahead of tonight’s matches after outstanding results on Saturday.

Jody Brown’s Swifts, who ended an eight-game run without victory by beating Cheshunt 3-1, have another tricky home game against high-flying Bury Town.

Regent, meanwhile, travel to Norwich United on the back of a stunning 3-0 success at division north leaders Phoenix Sports.

WITHAM TOWN have a date with Dereham Town, at the Village Glass Stadium.

Adam Flint’s side were leading with just five minutes left before being pegged back and held to a 2-2 draw at home to Aveley on Saturday.

However, the point did end a run of three straight defeats.