Play-off pursuers close the gap

Consolation for Aveley is that they have two games in hand on Soham, but their recent form has not been good and their Easter Monday derby with leaders Grays brought them a 3-1 defeat.

Joao Carlos scored twice in the first half-hour and Jack West added a penalty before Junior Baker’s own goal gave Millers slight hope at the change of ends. West was sent off midway through the second half but Aveley could still not find a way back.

Soham, meanwhile, romped to a 3-0 victory at Wroxham. Robbie Mason scored after eight minutes and again on the half-hour, his 24th goal in the league. Neil Andrews added the third.

Witham did not find it so easy at bottom club Redbridge but a goal 11 minutes from time by Sam Taylor broke the deadlock and earned a 1-0 win.

Grays’ victory kept them six points clear of second-placed Maldon with a game in hand. Maldon were 1-0 home winners over local rivals Heybridge, the goal coming on the stoke of half-time from Michael Toner.

So Maldon retained their unbeaten home record and avenged their 1-0 Boxing Day defeat at Heybridge, their first setback of the season. Strange that the league’s two top scorers – Heybridge have 94 goals, Maldon 93 – should have stifled each other when they met.

Heybridge stayed fourth, a point above Aveley and nine behind Thamesmead who took an iron grip on third spot with a 4-0 victory at home to Chatham.

A Chris Edwards free-kick and a Ryan Laker own goal made it 2-0 by the 15th minute and the scoring was complete by half-time thanks to Rob Carter and a Stuart Zanone penalty.

Redbridge’s defeat leaves them still two points behind Ilford, who also lost 1-0 at home. Brentwood beat them with a 36th-minute goal from Steve Butterworth.

Lanky forward Leon Simpson scored twice in the second half, a header and a 25-yard shot, as Ware won 2-0 at Harlow to move above them into 19th place. Both are well clear of the bottom two.

Sudbury ended their losing run with a 3-1 success at Needham Market. Sam Newson replied to Leon Antoine’s early goal for the visitors, whose lead was restored by Luke Ingram’s 26th-minute penalty. A late goal by Antoine made sure.

Seven of the 11 games in the division ended in victory for the visitors. Romford finished 2-1 up at Tilbury, with weekend signing Andre Gumbs, 18, netting the 86th-minute winner moments after Aaron Matthews had equalised for Tilbury. Boro had led from the 17th minute, when Kurt Smith was on target.

Waltham Forest completed the list of happy travellers with their win by the same score at Waltham Abbey. Tim Monsheju scored after nine minutes for Forest, James Peagram levelled for the Abbotts before half-time and Chris Taylor’s overhead kick decided it with time running out.

The fourth and final home winners were Cheshunt, for whom Corey Whitely struck after 20 minutes as Potters Bar were beaten 1-0.