Eight for Hayes, six for Cray and six for Dorking- and eight with no winner at Haringey!

The Premier Division was the only Division to end up unscathed by the weather- and thank goodness as we had goals, goals and more goals.

Haringey Borough knew that a win at home to Burgess Hill Town would send them back to the summit if Dorking Wanderers failed to defeat Folkestone Invicta, and the Coles Park faithful had four home goals to cheer- yet got only one point. Wanderers, however, turned on the style in front of five hundred and eighteen at Meadowbank, scoring six times- two for Jason Prior, two for James McShane, and one each for Tom Richards and Lewis Taylor giving them an incredible six-nil victory over Neil Cugley’s side.

Wanderers are three points clear courtesy of an incredible game at Coles Park. Burgess Hill Town fell two goals behind, both coming from Ralston Gabriel, only for Burgess Hill to look anything other than relegation candidates as they stormed back to lead 4-2, a double from Aaron Smith-Joseph and goals from Ben Pope and Steven Sargent- all four coming within fifteen minutes. With only a minute to go it seemed as if Hill were destined to climb out of the bottom three, but penalties in the 89th and 90th minutes- both converted by Gabriel- earned Borough an unlikely point.

Merstham remain third but tasted defeat for the first time since the last time they played Bishop’s Stortford- although this time Bishop’s didn’t need a penalty shootout to triumph, goals from Benjamin Worman and Olly Miles in the last thirteen minutes enough to end the Moatsiders ten match unbeaten run. A win for Lewes would have taken them above Merstham, but the four hundred and fourteen at the Dripping Pan were the only Premier Division crowd not to see a goal.

Elsewhere in Sussex, Bognor Regis Town’s Nyewood Lane got the goals that the Dripping Pan were missing, but the home crowd would probably rather have had fewer, as they saw the continuation of the Tonbridge Angels resurgence in a topsy-turvy game. Jack Parter put Angels ahead in the very first minute, only for two goals in two minutes to reverse the advantage, Brad Lethbridge and Jimmy Muitt turning the match in favour of the Rocks. Alex Read equalised in the 28th minute, and in the second half a penalty for Joe Turner sent Angels back to Kent and up to fifth.

Enfield Town entertained Margate, and most of the four hundred and three at Donkey Lane, Bily Bricknell, Mickey Parcell, Marc Weatherstone and new signing- on loan from Hampton & Richmond Borough- Karl Oliyide scoring on his second Towners debut to make it four-nil. Town go sixth.

Worthing got back to winning ways at Kingstonian. After a goalless first half King George’s Field went goal crazy after the break, Joe Clarke, Isaac Newton and Ollie Pearce putting the Mackerel Men three up. Scott Davies, on his K’s debut after signing from Slough Town, and Louie Theophanous set up a frantic last few minutes but Worthing held out and went seventh.

Brightlingsea Regent got back to winning ways after a loss and a draw, walloping three goals past bottom side Whitehawk- all coming in the second half. A Billy Jones goal was followed by two from Billy Hunt, and Regent climb above Kingstonian into tenth- still only three points off a playoff spot.

Leatherhead are up to thirteenth after victory over Wingate & Finchley, an own goal giving them the points after Shaun Okojie and Charlie Cole had cancelled each other out. The away side fall to second bottom.

Finally, AFC Hornchurch recorded a comprehensive win over Corinthian-Casuals to climb to sixteenth. Brightlingsea saw three goals from Billy’s, and the Urchins saw three from George’s, one from Saunders and two from Purcell keeping the points at Bridge Avenue.

North Division

Leaders Bowers & Pitsea weren’t playing, and the matches at Barking and Brentwood Town were postponed, but what was left was certainly worth getting excited about.

Maldon and Tiptree closed to within three points of Bowers with a comprehensive victory over Bury Town. Matthew Briggs, Jorome Slew and Billy Roast found the net, the last goal coming nine minutes from time to finally end Bury resistance. The Ram Meadow side remain sixth, but are seven points from a playoff place.

Aveley, in third place, are also on fifty points- but they left it late and had to come from behind to win at Canvey Island. James White put the Gulls ahead as early as the sixth minute, nut Alex Akrofi levelled for the Millers midway through the half- and the same player was on hand to get the winner three minutes from the end.

Fourth place Heybridge Swifts could have made it three clubs on fifty points had they won at Felixstowe and Walton United- but they did anything but, the Seasiders running out impressive winners in front of a crowd of four hundred. Jordan Matthews and Josh Kerridge made it two-nil at half time, and Rhys Henry made it three midway through the second half. The Seasiders climb to twelfth.

Coggeshall Town occupy the final Playoff place, and they travelled to Grays Athletic and won by the only goal of the game, Michael Gyasi getting that on the stroke of half time.

Tilbury got back to winning ways after two defeats and climbed to ninth, a goal in each half from Tom Anderson and Kris Newby enough to take the points at Witham Town. Town slip to sixteenth.

Dereham Town, who started the day in last place, hadn’t managed a win since the start of November- but they made that statistic ancient history at Basildon United. Two from Ryan Crisp before the break- and two more from Adam Smith and Rhys Logan after it- gave them a four-nil victory that also saw them climb off the bottom, to be replaced by Romford who didn’t play today. Basildon are eleventh.

Our last North Division match saw Mildenhall Town and Soham Town Rangers share the points at Recreation Way, Sam Mulready putting Rangers ahead only for Abouhadje Kouassi to equalise from the spot five minutes before the break. The match saw returning midfielder Lewis Clayton- back after half a season in Wales- make his second debut for Rangers.

South Central Division

Hayes and Yeading United had managed to score one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and nine goals in matches this season, but hadn’t managed an eight. Well now they have, as they went twelve points clear and put Hertford Town firmly to the sword at the Skyex. It took them fifteen minutes to open their account through Scott Donnelly, and then waited until the last two minutes of the half to score their second and third, Lee Barney and then Josh Chamberlain finding the Hertford net. After the break Toby Little made it four, Duncan Culley scored number five- and then Donnelly tried to give the away side hope by getting sent off.

It made no difference. Culley got his second and his side’s sixth, and although Charlie Edwards got one back for Town Barney got his second and then Culley his hat trick- not bad for a substitute- to make the final score eight-one.

The rest of the top five saw their matches postponed, which gave sixth place Waltham Abbey the opportunity to climb back into the playoff places; but Chipstead had something to say about that, three second half goals from Sam Clayton, Ibitayo Oyebola and an own goal giving the Chips a comfortable victory and lifting them to thirteenth.

Tooting & Mitcham United have one player on loan with Charlton Athletic and another on trial at Middlesbrough, but depleted or not they had far too much for bottom side Egham Town at Imperial Fields, Jordan Wilson, Dominic Morgan-Griffiths and Wilson once more making it three nil and seeing the Terrors up to seventh, four points off a playoff place.

Ware and Hanwell Town cancelled themselves out at Wodson Park. Brandon Adams put the home side ahead only for the Geordies to turn the match on its head after the break, Harry Rush and Harvey Killeen putting the away side ahead. The lead lasted only three minutes before Dave Cowley found an equaliser, and although Dan Julienne was sent off for the away side with sixteen minutes remaining there were no further goals. Ware are eighth, Hanwell tenth.

South East Division

Herne Bay had been in superb form of late, and had done today’s opponents Cray Wanderers a big favour recently by defeating Hastings United- but they didn’t return the favour to United today, as Wanderers went thirteen points clear with a six-nil hammering. It was only 1-0 at half time, Junior Dadson with the opener- and Dadson added three more after the break to take his tally to four, whilst Jerome Frederico and Daniel Uchechi scoring the others- apparently assisted by Dadson, if social media is to be believed.

United kicked off early at home to Guernsey, and lost their second place when they could take only a point from the Green Lions. In a match which saw four yellow cards for the away side and two red cards for Hastings, Daniel Ajakaiye gave the Pilot Field faithful an early celebration, putting his side ahead in only the fourth minute, but Matt Loaring equalised from the spot just after the half hour- and that’s how it stayed. Ollie Black and Jack Dixon were the players to take an early bath.

Ashford United are now in second, and the Nuts and Bolts defeated their big rivals Sevenoaks Town at Homelands. It looked as if a comprehensive victory might have been on the cards as Sam Corne and Trey Williams made it two-nil within nine minutes, but Frankie Sawyer halved the arrears in the second half and made Tommy Warrilow’s men sweat for half an hour- but they did enough to hold on and climb above Hastings.

An Elliot Capel goal was the only one of the game as Hythe Town defeated Three Bridges to go seventh, and Ramsgate climbed to ninth with victory over Greenwich Borough. Greenwich took the lead at the Southwood Stadium, Matt Neary putting them ahead in the thirteenth minute, but Oliver Gray, Jake McKenzie and Gil Carvalho turned the match around in favour of the Rams, making it 3-1.

Sittingbourne hadn’t won a league match since 15th December as they travelled to Phoenix Sports, but the Brickies emerged victorious in a seven goal thriller. Tommie Fagg and Roman Campbell gave the away side a two goal advantage before Jack Hopkins halved that five minutes before the break, but there was still time to Campbell to restore the two goal cushion before the referee ended the first period. An own goal gave Sports hope five minutes after the restart, and when Solomon Taiwo equalised you might have thought that the home side would go on and win- but Sittingbourne had other ideas, and Johan Caney-Bryan made it four-three with thirteen minutes remaining. The Brickies climb to sixteenth.

FA Trophy

Finally for the day, we had a massive match at Colston Avenue, as Carshalton Athletic took on Barnet in the last sixteen of the FA Trophy. Barnet have been cup giant killers themselves this season, but could they be the giants killed on this occasion?

Not quite- but they were given a fright, and will have to do it all again at the Hive!

Barnet were two up in front of a crowd of nine hundred and thirty eight by half time, before Ola Sogbanmu got one back after the break. They then went 3-1 up, but an own goal made it 3-2 and then, right at the death, a Bobby Price penalty made it 3-3 and gave the Robins another chance to make it through. You can hear the Carshalton match report here.