Towners and Invicta move up, Dockers and Yellows win again, and Hill take Sussex bragging rights

We didn’t quite have a full programme of fixtures today, but there was still rather a lot of football available to take you away from the terrible Christmas TV. Let’s start our round up of the action in the Premier Division.

First place Haringey Borough and second place Kingstonian didn’t play today, which gave third place Lewes the chance to leap over the K’s and reduce Borough’s lead to three points. To do so, the Rooks would have to beat the Rocks, and Bognor’s recent form turned around at the weekend as they defeated Worthing in their first Sussex derby of the festive season. In front of 731 at Nyewood Lane the home side suffered a blow before the kick off, as Gary Charman injured himself in the warm up, and they suffered a second blow just eleven minutes in as an own goal put Lewes ahead.

The first significant action of the second half was a red card, Dayshonne Golding getting his marching orders for- so speculation on social media suggested- kicking out at an opponent with the ball out of play, and that was decisive, as the eleven men were soon back in the game, full back Joe Tomlinson smashing the ball home. A few minutes later and Tomlinson was in dream land, sticking the ball in the net once more for 2-1- but he wasn’t dreaming for long, as Keiron Pamment controlled the ball and planted it into the net to level.

Both sides were down to ten men after 85 minutes, as Ed Sanders- not to be confused with Ned Flanders- saw a second yellow and then a red for a foul on Jonte Smith. Would there be time for a winner? Lewes tried. Smith hit the bar, Freeman found the side netting, but the match ended all square. The point was enough to send the Rooks second, but Haringey are five points clear.

A four point gap had opened up between fourth place Dorking Wanderers and former league leaders Tonbridge Angels in fifth place, and Angels, with new signings D'Sean Theobalds and Tom Murphy in the starting line up were looking to close that gap with victory over Folkestone Invicta. Neil Cugley’s men travelled to Longmead having lost only one of their previous six, and went ahead after only eight minutes through Ian Draycott, who finished from close range after a pass from Adam Yusuff. Their lead lasted until almost half time, Murphy marking his debut with the equaliser to the delight of most of the 606 present. Invicta had the chance to go ahead once more, but Jonathan Henly saved Yusuff’s penalty- but they did go ahead eleven minutes from time, Scott Heard finding the Angels net after a run that started at the half way line. Alfie Paxman got a third for Invicta just before the end, and the stripes go above the Angels into seventh.

Enfield Town were looking to leap back into the top five in front of a crowd of 444, as they hosted Wingate & Finchley in a London derby. The Towners came into the match on the back of two straight victories, and looked to have turned their form around after losing the previous four; whilst Wingate & Finchley were still looking for consistency, as so far this season they had either been brilliant or awful, with very little in between. Enfield took the lead in the tenth minute, Muhammadu Faal with his first goal for the club- and he had his second eleven minutes later, converting a cross from Bricknell. Four minutes after the break the Blues pulled a goal back through David Manu, but any hope that gave the away side didn’t last long, Bricknell restoring the two goal cushion from the spot within two minutes after a foul on Faal. Seven minutes from time Town made entirely sure as Junior Mubiayi made it four. The three points see Town up to fifth place.

Burgess Hill Town were unlikely to leap out of the bottom three had they taken all three points from Worthing, given their goal difference at the start of the day was a full nineteen worse than that of fourth bottom AFC Hornchurch, but victory over Carshalton Athletic in their last match at the Green Elephants Stadium following three successive defeats had given Simon Wormull’s men hope that things were on an upward trend. Worthing came into this match in surprisingly poor form, having lost three of their previous four- including the worst cut of all, defeat in front of their own fans against fierce rivals Bognor at the weekend. With more Sussex bragging rights up for auction it was the Mackerel Men who got their noses in front, David Ajiboye finding the net, before former Worthing boss Gary Elphick, these days a mainstay of the Hillians defence, found an equaliser- and shortly afterwards the Green Elephants Stadium erupted in delight, as Aaron Smith-Joseph put the home side in front. Five hundred and thirty nine watched the match, and most of them would have been happy at full time, as there were no further goals.

Bishop’s Stortford seemed to have lost momentum coming into today’s match with Harlow Town, having lost their last three- whilst the Hawks form was going in the opposite direction, with only one defeat in six. Twelve points and twelve places separated the two at kick off, but by full time it was fifteen points. The match kicked off late due to one of the officials being taken ill, and it took only ten minutes for the 687 crowd at the ProKit Stadium to be given something to cheer about, Ryan Henshaw turning home an Alfie Mason corner. Pressure at both ends failed to add to the scoreline, and Bishop’s held on for victory, ending the day in sixth place.

Finally for the top division, we had a Surrey derby at Fetcham Grove, as Leatherhead took on Carshalton Athletic. Both sides were struggling for consistency, the Tanners losing four of their last six whilst the Robins arrived at Fetcham Grove on the back of three straight defeats, but most of the 436 who turned out were hoping for a home victory. They got one, but their side left it late, Ibrahim Olutade scoring the winner in the 89th minute.

North Division

None of the top three played today, which meant that either Heybridge Swifts or Maldon & Tiptree could go second today. Unfortunately only one of them could win, as they were playing each other, and this always-competitive local derby looked to be a close run thing, with both sides having but one defeat from their last ten matches. Both sides had chances in the first half but none were taken, however that changed after the break, Jack Cawley putting the Jammers ahead. They held that lead until the very last minute, when Matthew Price equalised from the spot, and that’s how it ended. Maldon went second, a point above Coggeshall Town and Aveley.

AFC Sudbury scored eight in their last match, victory- it was hardly likely to be otherwise- over Dereham Town on December 15th. They had to be strong favourites to continue their recent good form as their visitors were Mildenhall Town, who had lost seven of their last nine matches and changed managers last week, Ricky Cornish coming in to replace Dean Greygoose. The away side were given a boost after a quarter of an hour, as Billy Holland received his marching orders- according, to the local press, for referring to the referee as a companion of Kermit the Frog- and they took advantage, Abouhadje Kouassi putting them ahead shortly afterwards. The yellows rallied, however, and drew level through Paul Hayes only five minutes later- and five minutes before half time were in the lead, Hayes once more finding the net after a defensive error.

Four minutes after the break and Hayes had his hat trick, firing home a volley as Sudbury made having ten men seem more of a benefit than a handicap. The next forty five minutes saw no further goals, and the home side moved up to seventh.

Tilbury, in great form with four wins from their last five, were entertaining Romford, a side who recently looked unlikely to win an argument, never mind a football match. It looked a home banker, and Ollie Spooner made that look even more likely inside the first half hour, giving the Dockers the lead. That lead lasted only three minutes, however, Danny Cossington getting an equaliser- but Romford weren’t level for long, Lewis Smith putting Tilbury back in front just five minutes later. Almost immediately it was 3-1, George Sykes with the goal, and in the second half Smith made it four. The Dockers climb to eleventh.

Bottom side Soham Town Rangers knew that victory- indeed, even just one point- would take them off the bottom, so had every incentive to turn in a good performance as they hosted Bury Town. The Ram Meadow side came into the match having lost only one of their last six- the problem was, they’d only won two of them, and seemed to have become draw specialists! They certainly didn’t start like a side expecting to take only one point, and were two up just after the half hour, Ollie Fenn and Ryan Horne putting daylight between them and the home side, both goals coming from set pieces. Ryan Jolland made the match safe with Bury’s third after sixty eight minutes, moving Town up to sixth in the table.

South Central

We had but one match in the South Central Division, as Northwood took on Uxbridge. Two points and three places separated the sides at kick off, and it was the same at full time as the match ended in a draw. The Woods took the lead in the thirty fifth minute through Daniel Pett, who took a shot from outside the box which went in off a post, but they held it for hardly any time at all, Luke Joyce-Dwanka scoring his first goal for the reds to equalise.

South East

We had three matches in the South East Division, and Hastings United were looking to climb back into second place with victory over Sevenoaks Town. The last time the two sides had met, at Greatness Park on August Bank Holiday Monday, a five goal thriller had seen United leave with the points; but Town have strengthened significantly since then, whilst United, before Saturday’s victory over VCD Athletic, had been struggling for form- indeed, over the last six matches Town had taken two more points than their hosts. Five hundred and fifty seven turned out at the Pilot Field, and they had little to get excited about until half way through the second half, when Oaks centre back Jack Miles received a red card.

United almost immediately took advantage. Sam Cruttwell put them ahead only four minutes later, and that’s how it ended, with Hastings now eight points behind Cray Wanderers.

Ashford United, sitting just outside of the play-off places and with sixteen points from their last eighteen, travelled to the Shepherd Neame Stadium to take on a Faversham Town side who started the day in eighteenth place, but who looked to have turned their form around with victory over Sittingbourne and a draw with Phoenix Sports in their last two matches. The Nuts and Bolts made the breakthrough right on the stroke of half time, Usman Adenisi with the opener, and soon after the break they had a second, Ridwan Ajala doubling their advantage. Adenisi made the game safe with his second and Ashford’s third ten minutes from time, and there was still time for Danny Parish to make it four.

Finally, Whitstable Town entertained Ramsgate in a Kent coast derby, with only one place separating them in the table. Both sides came into this match after going four games without a victory, but Stephen Smith put the home side in front on the half hour, and they held on for sixty minutes more, keeping all three points at the Belmont.

Image of Bognor Regis Town v Lewes courtesy of Stuart Fuller at Lewes, thanks Stuart!