Maldon's perfect home record ends

Maldon dropped their first home points of the season, after ten successive wins, as Louis Bristow led a determined Waltham Abbey rearguard action.

Neighbours Heybridge, meanwhile, drew a blank at Witham where the hosts had the better of the first half and Swifts were on top in the second.

So Maldon maintained their 13-point lead while Heybridge held on to second place only on goal difference from Grays, for whom Jeff Hammond’s 20th-minute header was enough for three points at Needham Market.

The Marketmen are still without a home victory after 11 attempts and it would have been worse for them if Jack West had converted a second-half penalty.

The five clubs behind Grays all won as well, headed by Aveley who thrashed Chatham 5-1 at the Mill Field. It was 2-0 after only ten minutes thanks to Matt Newman’s own goal and a Junior Dadson strike, though Lee Hales quickly pulled one back and only a goalline clearance denied Kes Metitiri an equaliser before half-time.

It was the 75th minute before Dadson stretched Aveley’s lead again (pictured by Mikey Cartwright) and their top scorer Jordan Cox added two more in the last eight minutes.

Potters Bar stayed in fifth place. seeing off ten-man visitors Sudbury 4-1. Ashley Shloots was sent off as early as the 12th minute but Cole Penny missed the penalty that followed and Daniel Ailey’s 21st-minute strike was all that separated the sides at the interval.

Cole made amends with a goal soon after the restart and Danny Johnson wrapped it up with two in five minutes midway through the half, leaving Sudbury the slim consolation of a last-minute Leon Antoine reply.

Soham are a point behind the Scholars with a game in hand after a late rally to snatch a 3-2 victory at Cheshunt. Courtney White put the Ambers ahead after 18 minutes and repeated the trick just before half-time, after Robbie Mason had equalised. Matt Robinson made it 2-2 in the 75th minute and Luke Stanley grabbed the winner with two minutes left.

Thamesmead trail Soham only on goal difference and have played two fewer games. They had no trouble seeing off bottom club Ilford with four unanswered goals at Bayliss Avenue. Stuart Zanone opened the scoring after 20 minutes and Ashley Probets added a penalty and a free-kick in the last three minutes of the first half. Lea Dawson made it four with a late header.

Tilbury, who chalked up a 3-2 home win over Wroxham, have played the same number of games as Thamesmead and are one point behind them. Danny Francis earned a penalty which Aaron Waters converted in the 23rd minute, and scored himself six minutes later.

Emiel Aiken made it 3-0 with 20 minutes left. Ben Thompson pulled one back for the Yachtsmen soon afterwards but their second, from Jamie Forshaw, did not arrive until the last minute.

There was no change at the bottom, where Ilford remain one point behind Redbridge and Ware. Harlow’s 1-0 win over visiting Redbridge means there is now a 14-point gap between 19th place and the three strugglers. The Hawks dominated the game but managed to score only on the hour when Mitchell Das sunk his old club by heading in Hector Mackie’s cross.

Ware were beaten 4-1 at Romford. It was 3-0 at half-time after Matt Toms set up the 13th-minute opener for Nick Reynolds, who returned the favour for Toms to get the second just before the half-hour. Reynolds struck again in added time. Charlie Moxom gave Ware a glimmer of hope in the 70th minute but Jack Barry soon restored the three-goal margin.

Brentwood have high hopes of using their numerous games in hand to get into the play-off battle but lost ground with a 1-0 defeat at Waltham Forest. Arian Retkoceri fired a long-range winner with five minutes to go.