The Isthmian League Premier: 8 players to improve your club.

Players for promotion chasers, Step 2 Newbies and too good to go downs.

Okay, this one is a bit of a mish-mash, so let me explain. As you hopefully know, I’ve watched a lot of the Isthmian Premier this season. The season's finale weekend was exceptional. Horsham won the league by a single goal. A SINGLE GOAL. Brilliant stuff, far more exciting than the Premier League.

I’ve seen most clubs live, and all of them via video. That’s a lot of players, so I’ve tried to condense it down to 8 players that I think your club should look at signing. Now, I’ve tried to mix it up: players who have been relegated and should be looking to stay at step 3, some who would be perfect for next year’s promotion chasers, and one or two who should definitely look to make the step up and challenge themselves next season at steps 1 and 2. I’ll be looking to do another one of these, there are many more players to highlight, so hopefully there will be something for everyone.

So let’s kick off, I’d hate to post this and some of the players have already moved. This is Non-League though, so you never know.

1. Darion Dowrich - Cray Wanderers

Position: LB

Age: 21

After Wanderers’ final home game of the season (a 2-2 draw against title-challenging Dartford), they had their end-of-season award ceremony. Dowrich won probably the most important award of the night, the Player’s Player of the Year. The clubs’ Mr reliable, a virtually ever-present in the side and his peers clearly agreed that without him, they’d have a gaping hole down their left flank. Being only 21 he also picked up the Young Player of the Year award, capping a productive night for the young fullback.

Cray had a pretty average season. After a slow start, they eventually got going, and their final position saw them sit in a respectable 10th position. Their campaign has been built on a solid defence. Only 4 clubs conceded less than them this season and all 4 of them were in the top 5.

Dowrich is possibly the standard out player in that defence. A tremendous athlete, he is the perfect mix of pace, agility and power. He has also been ultra reliable, he has played in all 48 league games this season. Combining all these physical attributes also makes him a formidable 1 v 1 defender. I’ve seen him in the flesh 3 times this season, on no occasion do I remember him being dribbled past. He times his tackles well, is composed in defence and looks to dominate the opposition by getting touch tight early. Receiving only 3 bookings in 48 games is a testament to this.

Sure, his offensive output could be improved; he registered no goals this season etc, but for any club looking for an ultra reliable defender who will (bare minimum) give you a 7/10 each week and who will not only lock down a whole flank but give your forward wide players less defensive responsibility then Dowrich would be a good bet.

Certainly equipped for the jump to step 2 or potentially even 1, it will be interesting to see if he is ready for the test. I would be surprised if we don’t see him in a different league next season.

2. Ike Orji - Cray Wanderers

Position: RB

Age: 21

Okay, I might be being harsh on Cray Wanderers here, suggesting both their fullbacks should maybe be looking at challenging themselves elsewhere. Unfortunalty for them, this is the result of an excellent defensive campaign. I won’t bore you with the club stats, It’s obviously all the same as Darion Dowrich.

The side was making their debut campaign at their new ground, Flamingo Park this season. During which Orji has made the RB position his own. A solid defender with an aggressive edge, he has given wingers a bruising battle for 39 games this season. Only really missing games through suspension, rather than any injury issues.

Orji loves a battle and clearly enjoys 1 v 1 defending. A tough operator who likes to overpower his opposition wingers, he boasts good strength and acceleration, which often makes him first to any 50/50s or loose balls. Although he is occasionally guilty of overdoing it, accumulating 11 bookings this season.

Perhaps more so than his Dowrich on the opposite flank, Orji likes to get forward and be part of the attack. He isn’t exactly a creative outlet, but he is more comfortable pressing high up the pitch and picking out a pass to his more creative teammates. I was fortunate to see his only goal this season, a fierce drive across the keeper from the edge of the area. Perhaps a great indicator of an untapped offensive technique.

His ceiling is potentially not as high as his counterpart's (I’d love to be proved wrong) but I’d expect him to be looking for a new challenge this summer. I feel he’d be a perfect fit for a London/South East-based Step 2 side or an Isthmian side expected to be pushing for the title/promotion next season.

3. Ogo Obi - Wingate & Finchley

Position: ST

Age: 26

Wingate and Finchley’s Ogo Obi might be a name a fair few of you already know. A product of Watford’s youth system, he has turned out for a host of clubs and is experienced at both step 2 and step 3 levels. Previously, he has turned out for the likes of Chesham, Slough Town and Maidstone. Never really settling and having mixed campaigns in terms of goals, this season though, he appears to be enjoying his football and has excelled with Ahmet Rifad’s side.

Wingate have had a safe season, never looking down towards relegation, but never looking to threaten the play-offs, finishing an unspectacular 11th. They simply leaked too many goals to be a credible threat this year. The other end of the pitch is a different story; they have had no issues finding the net. Their 76 goals scored put them 6th in the goalscoring charts, the only club outside the play-offs to score more were Hashtag United on 81.

Obi has been the clubs most important weapon. He has plundered an impressive 27 goals in all competitions this season, 24 in the league (a league second best) and 20 more than anyone else at the club.

Obi is an old-school number 9. He leads the line and occupies the opposition CBs. What I especially like about him is his ability to mix it up. He has the stocky broad frame to hold the ball up and bring others into play, whilst also having enough speed and agility to dribble past players on the occasion he does pull into wider areas.

Clearly, his best attribute is his ability to finish chances. For the level, he is a very clinical finisher. He takes minimal touches before getting his shots away early, often favouring low hard strikes which he dispatches with both precision and power. He can also finish from range. I recommend anyone interested to look up his second goal in the 6-1 win at Hendon. Where he nonchalantly bends a strike into the far top corner from the opposite corner of the box.

He has previously struggled to find the net with regularity at Step 2, but any newly promoted side could definitely do worse when looking for a reliable finisher whose confidence is high and form is great. Otherwise, he’s a proven goal machine at Step 3, any club looking at promotion or a serious title challenge next season (Billericay, Dartford etc) should be taking a long, hard look.

4. Jasper Mather - Bognor Regis

Position: LM/LW

Age: 25

2024-2025 has been a tough season for all concerned at the South Coast side. They amassed a disappointing 32 points and shipped exactly 100 goals, the leakiest defence in the league. Sadly, this destroyed any good work done by their forward players. Tommy-Lee Higgs has had an outstanding season (See my in-depth report on him), topping their goalscorer charts with 24, but its Jasper Mather in second with 15 who stands out.

Mather started out at Eastleigh before moving to the Met Police. He spent two seasons at Imber Court, a 2023 move to Bognor followed where has spent the last two seasons.

A rangy, fast, wide player, Mather combines a large stride with high energy to cover large areas of ground quickly. His combinations with Higgs this season has seen him revel in making powerful runs beyond his striker, without the pair Bognor would have been doomed by Christmas. He isn’t a technical dribbler, he prefers hard running and a direct style over fakes and tricks. This isn’t a slight on his technical abilities, his efficient playstyle has meant he has been able to maximise the limited chances the side have managed to create. Alongside his intelligent runs, he also had a knack of being in the right place at the right time; several of his goals this season have been finishing scrappy moments in the penalty box.

Mather announced that he had left Bognor on May the 3rd. With no further announcement, I can only assume that he is currently a free agent. Presumably working on his next move. Having performed so well in a poor side this season, he has proven he is too good for the drop. I assume several Step 3 clubs will already being chasing his signature, including several in the Isthmian Premier looking to keep him in the league.

5. Luke May Parrott - Hashtag United

Position: ST/LW

Age: 22

I’ve spoken about Hashtag a fair bit on this blog. Back in the new year, I did two pieces on their speedy wingers Saka Hassan and Josh Osude. Both have seen new opportunities, Hassan lining up in the new Baller League (I don’t see the appeal but it’s a platform to show off his skills) and Osude making the jump up two divisions to National League side Woking Town. Today I’m highlighting Hashtag’s exciting young forward Luke May-Parrott.

Signed halfway through the 2023-24 season after finding the back of the net regularly for step 5 Woodford town. 16 goals and 8 assists later saw him win the young player of the year. This has been his first full season at Step 3 with the Tags, an 8th place finish saw the side miss out on the play-offs by a decent margin. The defensive structure obviously played second fiddle, they conceded a huge 71 goals. Their attacking prowess was there for all to see; they scored 82 goals, the same as champions Horsham. Parrot matched his previous tally with another impressive 16 goals in all competitions, including two hat-tricks, ending the season as the side’s second top scorer.

A clever, mobile forward who can hassle defenders alongside linking play with midfield goal machine Misha Djemaili. His mixture of pace and agility has proven troublesome for defenders, often seeing him do well in tight areas and dragging the opposition out, thus making room for his teammates. This is evident in how the side have spread the goals around this season. Despite his slight build, he has been combative when I’ve seen him in the flesh, happy to mix it up against much larger opposition.

Although he does well in deeper positions and out wide, rotating comfortably with his forward teammates, his finest work is done in the penalty area. He is a predatory finisher who is capable of dispatching half-chances. He also anticipates play well who often finds himself in the right place at the right time.

Hashtag will have aspirations to get a promotion next season, but no doubt several sides more likely to compete for the title will be taking a look. He’s already made the jump from step 5 to 3, and at 22 there is plenty of room for him to develop.

6. Davide Rodari - Hastings

Position: ST

Age: 25

Hastings were relegated this season, scoring a measly 37 goals. Rodari scored 19 of them. Without him, they would have been toast a lot earlier. He grabbed 25 in all competitions, the next highest was 6. I never like calling clubs a one-man team, but this season Hastings has been pretty close to it.

The Swiss-born Forward started his career with youth football at some major Italian sides, before moving to England and getting involved with Eastbourne Borough’s step up. Then a successful period at Hastings between 2017-2021, which earned him a move to League Two side Crawley. A selection of loans followed at various levels. After his Crawley Contract expired, he returned to Hastings to play in the 2024-2025 Isthmian Premier.

A clinical finisher, Rodari has excelled this season at dispatching the limited amount of chances that have come his way. A good all-round finisher, he is adept with both feet, he has finished several chances with powerful first-time strikers and even chipped in with the odd header. Highly technically proficient, he relies on his control, dribbling and finishing ability over physicality. Although he possesses great balance and agility in tight spaces.

Although Hastings struggled this season, the Rodari signing was clearly a success over the last two years. Really a player of his level is too good to drop down to step 4, having played in league 2 and steps 1 and 2. At 25, he is now hitting his prime years and having scored so many goals in a struggling team, he can easily stay at step 3 or any lower step 2 teams. Any club in the Isthmian Premier, or a step 2 side who is looking for a reliable goal scorer should be looking at him.

7. Alfie Evans - Bowers & Pitsea

Position: RB/CM

Age: ???

I've looked long and hard for the midfielder's age and have had to admit defeat. Without searching through old birthday snaps, I’ve had to give up. What I will say is he is much nearer the start of his career than the end. If I had to guess, I’d say early 20s. He is a product of the Dartford youth system and has since had spells at Phoenix Sports and Cray Wanderers. He actually started the campaign there, before making the switch to Bowers & Pitsea.

Bowers have been pretty woeful this year, an ill-fated move, the season ending in relegation and disappointment. I’ve seen them on 3 occasions, defeated 3 times, each time though, Evans caught my eye as someone who tried to make things happen and despite overwhelming odds, remained positive in possession. He also displayed good leadership skills, often encouraging his frustrated teammates when they were under the cosh.

Originally a central midfielder but converted at times to a RB he has gone where he has been needed this season. Only one player has made more appearances then him this season, his 40 matches shows his reliability and versatility. His 6 goals also made him the sides top scorer, considering he’s played a large chunk of the season in defence, that makes that figure slightly more impressive.

Despite not being the biggest, he is an all-action player who is good at a little bit of everything. I think its this versatility that will make him desirable to a host of clubs at step 3. Happy to defend and mix it with tricky wingers at RB, happy to go up and down the wing at RM, or go box-to-box at CM whilst trying to fight the fires going on around him. Versatility can be a stick to beat people with, good but not great at anything, but in his case, I feel in a better team he would be able to show his more technical qualities. His best role for me would be in the centre of the park, where he can use his energy and passing range to get the ball moving around.

After relegation, he would be a no-brainer pick-up for the clubs that remain in the division.

8. Isaac Bello - Chichester City

Position: LW/RW

Age: 19

I reckon Issac Bello’s name will be one bandied around a number of transfer meetings this summer. The young wide player has been a dynamic threat this season, contributing some important goals and being a key chance creator for Chichester City.

The side had a good season, taking the race for the play-offs right down to the wire. They went into their final game of the season against play-off rivals Dover, who sat one position above them in 5th, knowing a win would secure the play-off spot. Sadly, they couldn’t make it happen and missed out on the chance to make it back-to-back promotions. Having come up this season, they would have grabbed 6th with both hands if offered it back in August.

An explosive wide player, Bello has turned out on both wings this season (and also occasionally at LB). Possessing a low centre of gravity, great pace, and high levels of ball control, he looks to be direct against opposition fullbacks and positive in creating chances. What I especially like is his ability to play on both sides; he is unpredictable and doesn’t just come inside like most modern wingers. His chemistry with the division’s top scorer Jimmy Wild (25 goals), has seen them link up to devastating effect this campaign. Although Bello isn’t just a creator, he has scored some brilliant goals this season. I’d encourage you to seek out his whipped strike from distance in the Dover defeat earlier in the season, which perfectly highlights the high levels of technique he possesses.

Bello has had two great seasons, doing well at both steps 4 & 3. Still only 19 (turning 20 this month) he is yet to find a level he has struggled at and clearly has the potential to be given a chance at National League N/S level. Chichester will do their utmost to keep him, but I’d expect them to be already fending off interest.

All pictures sourced from the club’s websites and socials. Links below

https://www.cray-wanderers.com/

https://www.wingatefinchley.com/

https://bognorregistownfc.co.uk/?z=250512

https://hashtagunited.co.uk/

https://www.hastingsunited.com/

https://www.bowerspitseafc.co.uk/

https://chichestercityfc.co.uk/