Six-hit Maldon ten points clear

Draws at Aveley and Potters Bar are the only blemishes on their unbeaten record, they are the first team in the league to reach the 50-goal mark and this was their eighth win out of eight at home. So it must have been with acute frustration that they totted up the takings from a crowd of just 51.

Maldon were without top scorers Jamie Guy and James Robinson, so Cheshunt must have had high hopes of an upset as they held out for most of the first half. But Joe Gardner made the breakthrough four minutes before the interval and struck again five minutes after it.

Chris Bryan’s 63rd-minute penalty was followed by a quickfire double from Aaron Best and Ben Bradbury. Liam Foster managed a consolation goal in the 87th minute but there was still time for Dave Wareham to complete the six-hit with that 50th of the season.

Local rivals Heybridge moved into second place in equally convincing style, hitting five unanswered goals at Romford. In fairness to the hosts, there was little between the teams for more than an hour with Solomon Ofori’s 30th-minute goal all that separated them.

Ofori nabbed his second on 65 minutes (pictured by Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo) and Swifts then flew away with it. New signing James Bunn made it 3-0 and Michael Cheek added two late goals. He should have had a hat-trick, but missed an even later penalty.

Thamesmead moved into the top five with a 2-1 home win over Waltham Forest, though it threatened to be much more decisive. Sean Roberts scored in the first minute and set up the second for Rob Carter in the 20th. Forest refused to be overrun and debutant Kery Kedze netted after 65 minutes to make it an edgy finish for their hosts.

Potters Bar had a day to forget as they went down 3-0 at Soham, who are up to eighth. Luke Stanley scored after 19 minutes and Rob Mason added another on the stroke of half-time.

If it could go wrong for the visitors in the closing stages, it did. They lost new keeper Yilmaz Aksoy to injury, Wes Beckles put through his own net and Jack Friend was sent off.

Brentwood led for 90 minutes at Needham Market and came away with just a 1-1 draw. Darren Blewitt’s third-minute header gave Blues the advantage and it was deep into injury time when Kieran Leabon rescued the Marketmen, who are still seeking a three-point haul on home turf after eight attempts.