It's looking good for Grays

They fell behind in the 17th minute when Nick Reynolds headed home a cross from Abs Seymour. Jamie Dicks turned Lee Flynn’s free-kick into his own net to level it 12 minutes later and Danny Bunce netted the winner soon after the interval (pictured by Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo).

Maldon, who seemed to have the title in their pockets only a few weeks ago, lost further ground with a 3-2 defeat at Witham. Rob Whitnell gave the hosts an early lead which James Stevens doubled with a free-kick in the 18th minute.

The visitors had Ben Bradbury sent off just before half-time and fell further behind when Danny Lopes made it 3-0 in the 50th minute. James Robinson and Kevin McLeod scored late goals to make the scoreline more respectable.

Fourth entertained third at Aveley and it finished all square, with Chris Edwards scrambling a goal two minutes into added time to earn Thamesmead a 1-1 draw.

The visitors, who had four reasonable penalty appeals turned down, dominated the first half, which finished in a raging blizzard, and part of the second without breaking through.

Aveley gained the upper hand in the closing stages and went ahead in the 85th minute when Paul Burnett’s driven cross was fired into his own net by Lewis Tozer. They almost won it even after the equaliser with a shot by Alex Read that was touched on to the bar by keeper Rob Budd.

Millers forfeited fourth place to Heybridge, the league’s top scorers after their 5-1 romp at Waltham Abbey took their tally to 94. They also have the top individual scorer in Luke Callander, who has found the net 29 times.

Michael Cheek took his own total to 21 when his 26th-minute free-kick opened the scoring and Callander made it 2-0 before half-time.

Swifts doubled their lead with around 20 minutes left with a long-range free-kick by Danny Barber and, almost immediately, a Solomon Ofori lob.

James Peagram pulled one back before Callander became the third visiting player to fire in a free-kick as the game went into added time.

Soham, in sixth place, maintained their distant play-off hopes with a 3-2 home win over Needham Market. They are six points behind Aveley and have played two more games.

Robbie Mason gave them a 19th-minute lead with his 22nd league goal and Buster Harradine restored their afdvantage nine minutes later, after Elliott Crowe had put Needham on terms.

The visitors drew level again in the 72nd minute through Matt Poxon, but defender Lewis McDonald grabbed the winner two minutes later.

Bottom club Redbridge picked up a useful point in their fight for survival with a 1-1 draw at Brentwood. Alex Akrofi’s header put the hosts in front after 58 minutes but Jacob Cleaver replied with a penalty 11 minutes later.

Cleaver has a chance of achieving the very rare feat of scoring half his club’s goals in a season: he has 13 out of 29 so far. Sibu Muwanua, who scored twice on the first day of the season but never added to his total, is the only other Motorman with more than a single goal to his credit.

Redbridge are now two points behind neighbours Ilford with two games in hand. Ilford themselves suffered a 3-1 ‘away’ defeat against tenants Waltham Forest, for whom skipper Adrian Clifton netted a hat-trick with goals in the 16th, 21st and 88th minutes after Warren Mfula had given Ilford an early lead.

Ware, in 20th place, are not quite safe but their seven-point advantage over Redbridge should be enough. They had Spencer Knight sent off early in their 2-1 home defeat by Cheshunt, who went ahead in the 24th minute through Corey Whitely.

Cheshunt conceded two penalties in quick succession around the hour mark but Elliott King, having converted the first, missed the second and the relieved visitors won it with a 71st-minute David Hicks strike.

A missed penalty also proved costly for Sudbury, who suffered their fifth successive defeat, 4-2 at home to Wroxham.

Ben Jones struck for the Yachtsmen after 15 minutes and, although James Baker levelled for Sudbury in the 43rd minute, Ben Thompson restored Wroxham’s lead before the break.

Matt Daniels made it 3-1 in the 54th minute, Nathan Clarke replied five minutes later and Sudbury then had the chance to draw level from the spot. But Baker’s kick was saved and the Yachtsmen clinched it through Jamie Speller with 17 minutes to go.

A Tom Wraight double, including a last-minute winner, gave Tilbury the points at Chatham. Wraight put Dockers ahead in the 71st minute but Chats thought they had saved a point when Rodrigue N’Diane made it 1-1 with three minutes to go.

Potters Bar’s home game against Harlow looked destined to finish scoreless from an early stage and it did, with neither side offering much of a threat.