DANNY Bowers is convinced Moneyfields are the team to beat in the Sydenhams Premier Division title race.

Bowers’ seventh-placed Folland Sports side could draw level with the Moneymen by winning their four games in hand, but the Planemakers boss suspects the Portsmouth outfit will take some catching.

“Every year I’ve tipped Moneyfields to be there or thereabouts but, come February or March, they’ve tended to fall away,” he said.

“But they’re four points clear at the top now and I don’t think they’ve been in this sort of position for long time. They definitely look like the team to stop.

“They’ve got their noses in front and only time will tell if the chasing pack can catch them.

“We’ve got games in hand on everyone, but I’d rather be in Moneyfields’ position with points on the board.

“But this is the best league there’s been in five or ten years because no one knows who’s going to win it.

“We’ve not lost a league game since September 23 and we’re going along nicely. We’ve just got to keep it going.”

Having flushed away the disappointment of their FA Vase exit with a 3-0 home league win over Fareham Town on Saturday, Follands aim to start closing the gap on Moneyfields with victory at Andover Town tonight.

But they will be without Saturday’s two-goal hero Ryan Long due to midweek work commitments, while fellow scorer Nathan Lynch is touch and go with groin trouble.

Recent signing Lynch broke the deadlock against Fareham with a second-half header and then flicked the ball on for Long to chip the ’keeper for 2-0.

New arrival Wayne Boud sprang off the bench to earn a penalty against his old club and Long – who had missed from the spot in the first-half after Lynch had been taken down – this time proved deadly from 12 yards.

“It was a scrappy first half, but when we got the ball down and played we were too strong for Fareham. We thoroughly deserved the three points,” said Bowers.

“The only down side is that Lynch, Long and Ashley Jarvis looked strong together up front but we can only keep the three together on a Saturday because of Ryan’s work commitments.

“Wayne Boud looks a real good acquisition, though, and he will make his full debut at Andover tonight.”

Follands will travel north with revenge in mind having lost 3-2 at home to Andover on a catastrophic opening night of the season when they had Jake Long and Will Harris sent off.

“It’s going to be another really tough game tonight, but there are quite a few of us looking forward to going back to the Portway,” said Bowers. “I was Mick Catlin’s No2 up there, Dave Lewis (coach) was there and so were Monkey (James Roden), Ashley Jarvis and Jamie Barron.”