Maldon back on top

James Robinson headed the visitors into a third-minute lead but the Marketmen, still seeking their first home win of the season, hit back through Kieran Leabon in the seventh minute. Their delight was short-lived: Jamie Guy restored Maldon’s lead within 30 seconds. The action slowed after that and Johnathan Glowacki completed the scoring in the 36th minute.

Previous leaders Grays, who were in FA Trophy action, were handed a bonus. They fell only to second place as the next two sides in the table both dropped points.

Potters Bar boss Adam Lee, for whom it was the 200th game in charge of the Scholars, was unhappy to see his side held to a 2-2 home draw by bottom club Ware. The visitors, the only club in the league without a win, grabbed an early lead through Tony Martin and held it until seven minutes before half-time, when Danny Johnson equalised. Chris Doyle put the Scholars ahead with 20 minutes left but Wes Beckles deflected a shot from Ross Clemo into his own net to square it again.

Two long-range shots by Corey Whitely ended fourth-placed Aveley’s six-match winning run in all competitions. Whitely launched his rockets about 20 minutes into each half for hosts Waltham Forest, who held on to win 2-1 after Jay Leader replied with 11 minutes left.

Heybridge moved up to fifth and piled on the pain for the Sudbury defence with their 4-2 home win. Sudbury, who have conceded 14 goals in the past week, were two down in 12 minutes thanks to a Michael Cheek penalty and a Luke Callander strike. Callander was on target again before the half-hour, becoming the first player in any division to reach 11 league goals this season, and Russell Malton made it 4-0 with 20 minutes left. Tom Webb and Lee Boylan, with a penalty, provided a little consolation.

Thamesmead, now sixth, could be a real threat. They have a 100 per cent home record and chalked up their first away win with a lone goal at Tilbury, knocking their hosts out of the top five. Enoch Adjei was the scorer after 21 minutes.

Romford picked up their fourth away win and inflicted Harlow’s fifth home defeat, though such an outcome looked very unlikely as the game went into its 45th minute. Harlow had completely dominated and might have led by more than the two goals netted in quick succession midway through the half by Gary Bowes and Tom Davie.

Yet a penalty by Hussain Isa and a goal in added time by Nick Reynolds meant that it was all square at the interval, and Paul Clayton’s last-minute goal completed a 3-2 Romford victory which takes them to 19 points, just one short of manager Paul Martin’s original pre-Christmas target.

Redbridge landed their first home points of the season at the sixth attempt with a 2-1 win over slumping Cheshunt, a result that leaves Ware four points adrift at the bottom. Visiting keeper Glenn Williamson punched Joe Bricknell’s corner into his own net to give the Motormen a first-half lead and Glenn O’Hanlon made it 2-0 with 20 minutes left. Danny Gudgeon replied as time ran out.

It was a game of two halves at Wroxham, where James Peagram and Clark Akers gave Waltham Abbey a well-deserved 2-0 half-time lead. The Yachtsmen hit back strongly after the break: Ross Durrant pulled one back on 57 minutes and supplied the cross from which Remi Gordon headed the point-saver with 14 minutes to go.