Urchins, Rooks and Robins on the verge of glory!

As the excitement in the North and South Divisions reaches fever-pitch, we’re going to do our round up in reverse today.

AFC Hornchurch have one hand- and perhaps another two fingers- on the North Division Trophy after winning yesterdays heavyweight battle with 6th place Heybridge Swifts to remain ten points clear at the top of the table; but perhaps more importantly fifteen points clear of third place Bowers & Pitsea, who have only six matches left to play. In a match which turned out to be a midfield battle a glorious goal from Connor Hogan gave Jim McFarlane’s men the points twelve minutes from half time.

The Urchins now have an exceptional 92 points- a total matched by Lewes in the South Division after their victory at Corinthian-Casuals. The Rooks went ahead on nine minutes when Frankie Chappell headed home a corner, and three minutes later another corner brought another goal, this one from Lloyd Cotton. Josh Uzun halved the arrears midway through the second half, but the gap was soon extended once more through Leon Redwood- a result which puts the Rooks mathematically only four points from promotion. They’ll have competition for the title, however, as Carshalton Athletic are two points behind with a game in hand after grabbing a hard-fought victory at sixth place Walton Casuals, Ola Sogbanmu scoring the only goal in the second minute of the match. The Robins could go above the Rooks with victory at Herne Bay on Tuesday night.

Elsewhere in the North Division, Potters Bar Town maintained their excellent form with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bury Town at the Pakex. Ben Ward-Cochrane opened the scoring in the seventh minute, and it was two-nil on the half hour through Sandra Costa Dias Fernandes. Eoin Casey wrapped up the victory fifteen minutes from time. Bowers & Pitsea are five points behind the Scholars in the battle for second place, but have two matches in hand. Yesterday they came from behind to grab a 2-2 draw at Maldon & Tiptree, in a match which the Jammers had been leading 2-0 at half time. Lee Barnard and George Brown gave them that lead, but Callum Leahy and Adam Vyse saw the ten men- Jamie Dicks saw red in the first half- come back to snatch what could be an important point.

The battle between fourth and fifth saw victory for Haringey Borough over Canvey Island, a goal in each half from Ralston Gabriel and Lauren Luke keeping the points at Coles Park, whilst four points outside the playoff places the Magpies of Dereham Town went goal crazy at Grays, scoring six against a side who were previously seven matches unbeaten. Rossi Jarvis gave Dereham the lead, Kieron Bishop equalising for Grays, but then it all went wrong for the home side, Ryan Crisp, Ashley Jarvis (2), Karol Wengrzik and Jamie Forshaw rubbing salt in the wound.

There was big news at the bottom of the table, too. Romford celebrated the news that their groundshare with East Thurrock United for next season has been approved by travelling to Ware and winning 2-0, goals from Carlos Djalo Oso and a thunderbolt from Danny Cossington moving them to within three points of second bottom Norwich United, who lost 3-0 at home to Aveley due to a Tom Richardson double and another from Calvin Ekpiteta. Third bottom Cheshunt moved up to 37 points, six ahead of Boro and three ahead of United, but they have played a game more than both. Yesterday they defeated Mildenhall Town 2-1 at Recreation Way. Nick Symons gave Craig Edwards’ side the lead before Andrew Ofusu equalised, but Jack Lampe gave the away side a late victory.

The other matches saw 1-0 away victories for AFC Sudbury and Witham Town over Hertford Town and Soham Town Rangers respectively, whilst Waltham Abbey won 2-1 at Tilbury and Brentwood Town beat Barking 1-0 at the Arena.

Back in the South Division, Cray Wanderers and Greenwich Borough completed a poor to average day for the sides in the playoff positions, Cray being held to a 0-0 draw at VCD Athletic whilst Borough fell 2-1 at home to Hythe Town. Hythe moved to within one point of sixth place Walton Casuals and continued their recent impressive run with their eighth victory in their last ten matches- the other two were draws- a Zak Ansah double cancelling out an equaliser from Jack Barham. Whyteleafe are eighth, but surely too far away to trouble the playoff chase now after a 1-1 draw with Ashford United. Dean Grant gave the Nuts and Bolts a first minute lead, but Sam Clayton cancelled it out with eleven minutes left.

Hastings United are ninth, following up last Monday’s crushing victory at East Grinstead Town with a 3-1 win at Chipstead. They had to come back from conceding an early goal, Matthew Warren with it, but Davide Rodari- just before half time- and two second half goals from Sam Adams and Jamie Fielding sent the points back to Pilot Field. Phoenix Sports are tenth, a Jeff Duah-Kessie double defeating East Grinstead Town, for whom Stephane Bombelenga scored.

Herne Bay are eleventh, and you can read about their hard-fought victory over Shoreham HERE as it was our Bostik Matchday feature, whilst Thamesmead Town in twelfth were held 0-0 at Faversham Town.

Horsham recorded a 3-1 victory at South Park despite falling behind to an early Jack Mazzone goal, a double from Shane Cojocarel and a third from Charlie Farmer doing the damage, whilst in the other match Molesey fell to a last minute defeat at Sittingbourne, Seyfeitin Ardeniz finding the net at Woodstock Park.

The Premier Division saw both Billericay Town and Dulwich Hamlet drop points- or perhaps it might be better to say that Enfield Town and Burgess Hill Town earned them, coming from behind to take 1-1 draws. Billericay remain two points clear at the top, and took a first half lead through Adam Cunnington at Donkey Lane, but Town never gave up and were able to grab a last gasp equaliser through Ryan Blake, whilst at the Green Elephants Stadium Nyren Clunis gave Hamlet a first half lead only for a Connor Tighe thunderbolt to keep the Hillians off the bottom of the table.

Folkestone Invicta separate Town and Hamlet, sitting in second place courtesy of another impressive victory, 2-0 over Leiston. Sam Hassler and Adam Yusuff got the goals either side of the break. Invicta are two points behind Billericay, one ahead of Hamlet, but have played two games more than both their rivals.

Hendon, in fourth, won a seven goal thriller over Worthing at Silver Jubilee Park- in a game which saw seven different scorers. Niko Muir and Zak Joseph gave the Greens an early lead only for Reece Myles-Meekums to halve the arrears before half time. Josh Walker restored the two goal advantage just before the hour, but Worthing weren’t downhearted and two goals in two minutes from Ben Pope and George Barker drew them level before Ashley Nathaniel-George hit the winner for Hendon in the last minute. Margate take the final playoff place, six points ahead on Staines Town, but they did it the hard way, coming from 2-0 down at home to Harlow Town to win 4-2. A Matt Foy double gave the Hawks a lead to take into the break, but in the second half a double from Jay May was added to by Frannie Collin and Jordan Chiedozie to give the home side a victory which even their most loyal supporters may have doubted at half time.

The Swans fell 2-0 to the Tanners of Leatherhead- but they do have three matches in hand over Margate so their playoff aspirations remain in their hands. A goal in each half from Nana Boakye-Yiadom and Tom Richards gave Sammy Moore’s side the points, which find them in eighth- and given they are seven points from Margate with three matches in hand they will also still have playoff aspirations.

Wingate & Finchley, in ninth, fell 1-0 to Kingstonian, for whom Muhammadu Faal got the goal, whilst two very late goals gave Needham Market victory over Dorking Wanderers, strikes from Jamie Griffiths and Tyler Rose the difference, whilst Brightlingsea Regent and Harrow Borough drew 1-1, two George’s, Keys and Moore, finding the net.

The matches between Tooting and Mitcham United and Tonbridge Angels and Thurrock and Metropolitan Police ended goalless.