ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE: Bowers & Pitsea return to league action after an extended Christmas break when they host Ilford tonight.

It has been three weeks since Bowers played a game, but they will be buoyed by their pre-Christmas form in which they scored six goals in three games.

Six goal triumphs against Greenhouse London, Sporting Bengal United and Takeley lifted Manor to eighth in the division.

But they have a staggering eight games in hand on the side only a point above them, after the first half of Bowers’ season was decimated by bad weather.

A win would see the home side club climb to sixth in the table.

Hullbridge Sports are going for back-to-back wins when they travel to Enfield 1893.

Sports won 3-1 at Sawbridgeworth Town on Saturday and will be looking to follow that up tonight, against 15th placed Enfield.

However, they will be without key striker Kurtis Clarke (dead leg), while Luke Hornsley (who scored two at the weekend) is also a doubt with a leg injury.

Goalkeeper Bobby Mason will serve the final game of his three match suspension, meaning he will return to the FA Vase Fourth Round tie at Flackwell Heath on Saturday.