PRECARIOUSLY eight points adrift at the foot of National League 3, Diss need to pick up points fast.

The team have conceded almost 200 points in their last four matches and in this position are finding it hard to develop confidence. This weekend they face Staines at their Roydon Ground.

Whilst Staines are positioned safely in the middle of the table, they do not travel well having achieved only one victory away from home all season. This could be the chance Diss are looking for to regain some pride and close the gap at the bottom.

Bury St Edmunds and Colchester are both performing well in London 1 although Bury probably lost any chance of promotion after suffering a narrow defeat away to Sidcup last Saturday.

This weekend fourth-placed Colchester are on the road to Woodford with memories of hammering their opponents by a magnificent 83-point tally back in October. Bury host Brentwood also harbouring thoughts of completing a double.

In London 2, mid-table Ipswich will be looking to take the wind out of the sails of second-placed Rochford Hundred and Sudbury entertain Harlow at their Great Cornard Ground.

Sudbury will have to steady themselves after last week’s heavy defeat but they will be aware that Harlow have only managed to score 35 points away from home this season. They must grasp this opportunity to move away from the danger zone.

Beccles, without a win since October, sit forlornly at the foot of London 2. This Saturday they have a home fixture against fellow strugglers Old Streetonians. The visitors will be buoyed by their success over Sudbury last weekend by 56 unanswered points which is by far their best result of the season. However, the ‘Old Boys’ have a poor away record and Beccles might just be able to take the opportunity to creep up to the pack.

In London 3 sprightly fourth-placed Newmarket will be hoping to maintain their status at home to Basildon. Hapless Mersea Island travel to the East End of London to honour their fixture against Wanstead. The Islanders have sadly not won a game since September 18 and as a result are not expected to travel with conviction.

In Eastern Counties 1, Stowmarket sit proudly at the top, nine points ahead of the field. They are unbeaten at home and will be expected to make further progress against plucky Southwold.

A lively Holt side entertain struggling Thurston and Harwich and Dovercourt travel the width of East Anglia to the shores of the Wash to face West Norfolk in what will be a difficult encounter. Completing the league’s local line-up, bottom side Haverhill and District have an away game at Ely while Woodbridge travel to Fakenham.

League leaders Ipswich YM have got their promotion chances back on track after a wake-up call at Broadland a couple of weeks ago.

The frontrunners in Eastern Counties 2 host third-placed Dereham tomorrow knowing they can’t afford too many more slip-ups in what has been a fantastic season thus far.

Elsewhere in the league, Felixstowe host Thetford and Hadleigh have a hard game at home to second-placed Broadland. Mistley entertain Swaffham in a mid-table clash and the bottom sides Lakenham Hewett and Mildenhall Eagles will slug it out together.

All kick off times remain at 2.15pm.