Well, this should be fun. The forecast looks… iffy, to say the least as we double cross those fingers in hope that The Enclosed Ground withstands some overnight, morning and afternoon deluges to give us an FA Trophy classic.

Yep, it’s Whitehawk hosting Lewes as the battle for the South Downs commences. It’s been a few years since these sides last met in a competitive clash, and there’s still two more games to look forward to as ‘The Rooks’ return on Boxing Day, this time in the league.

Shaun Saunders will be hoping his side are to right the wrongs of last Saturday, as a 1-0 defeat in Chatham ended a fine unbeaten run in the league that stretched back to the very first day of the season.

But this is the trophy, and anything is possible when a trip to Wembley is somewhere on the horizon…

The Opposition

What do we know of our near neighbours? Well, in terms of football there’s a good side bubbling a few miles up the A27. Defeats in their previous two league fixtures have halted their promotion charge, as they now sit in 12th, five points shy of a play-off spot.

There’s plenty of time to turn that around, but in the FA Trophy it’s win or bust as Lewes will look to put on a similar show to their 2-0 win at Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill – the result that helped set up Saturday’s local clash.

One to Watch | Tommy Wood: One of a few options for our ‘One to Watch’, yet Wood just about claims the title as the club’s leading goalscorer this season with seven. In good form, too, with six of those arriving in the past nine matches, the 24-year-old forward has certainly made his mark.

A product of Burnley’s academy, he’d later head down south as AFC Wimbledon came calling. Struggling for a starting place, he’d depart Kingsmeadow in 2020 for National League South side Tonbridge Angels, scoring 15 in 40 appearances. A brief stint at Hampton & Richmond followed, before he signed for the Rooks in August.

Recent Form – WDWLL

11/11 | Wingate & Finchley (H) | Lost 2-1

4/11 | Margate (A) | Lost 2-0 

28/10 | Dulwich Hamlet (A) | Won 2-0 (FA Trophy R1)

23/10 | Carshalton Athletic (A) | Drew 1-1

21/10 | Enfield Town (H) | Won 4-0              

Previous Meetings

You’ll have to travel back to 2019 for the last time these two closely-located sides met in a competitive fixture. And, despite the relegation doom, the Hawks mustered a fine 3-1 win at The Dripping Pan on that early March day, with the return fixture ending in a 1-0 win for Lewes.

Prior to that, the 2012/13 Ryman Premier campaign saw the sides in the same league once again, with Whitehawk completing a league double courtesy of a 3-1 home win and a 3-2 away win.

How to Follow

If you can’t make it to The Enclosed Ground on Saturday afternoon, then fear not. For you can follow the action via our X (Twitter) channel, which can be found here.

Tickets

Tickets can be bought at the gate on the day of the game, or online via this link.