Weather for ducks doesn't hamper Swifts on Thursday...

Given the weather we’ve had of late, there have been many jokes about football pitches being more suitable for ducks. Well yesterday Heybridge Swifts found that gag had been made real, as you can see from the attached images. Luckily some magnificent work from the groundstaff meant that Donald was left without his own private pool long before kick off, and once the action got under way the home side completed their eighth match in sixteen days with yet another victory- one which saw them leap over neighbours Maldon & Tiptree into the North Division playoff places.

Swifts took the lead in the 19th minute, Harrison Chatting scoring his twelfth goal of the season- and before long it was two, the ubiquitous Matthew Price adding one more. Price, who has had a magnificent season at Swifts and at Brentwood Town, added two more in the second half to put his side 4-0 up, and although visitors Canvey Island got one back through Martin Tuohy with twenty minutes to go that was no more than a consolation.

We started today with five scheduled matches, but before lunchtime that had been reduced to two- games at Burgess Hill Town, Tonbridge Angels and Sittingbourne being washed out. In the big game of the day league leaders Dulwich Hamlet were entertaining Dorking Wanderers at Imperial Fields, Tooting, whilst at the wrong end of the North Division Norwich United were hosting a Maldon & Tiptree side desperate to get local bragging rights back. Sadly the match at Imperial Fields lasted only seventeen minutes before being abandoned (and looking at video taken by Lewes FC chair Stuart Fuller we’re surprised it got that far), so then there was one.

The Planters, who started the match second bottom but five points clear of Romford, took the lead two minutes before the break through Ben Jones. The Jammers equalised three minutes later- although nearer twenty if you take into account half time- through Lee Barnard, before the same player fired them ahead from twenty-five yards in the 58th minute. Six minutes later and the ex Crawley Town, Southampton and Southend United striker had his hat trick, Maldon & Tiptree were well on their way back to the top six, and the match was as good as over- or was it? Liam Jackson thought otherwise, reducing the arrears with sixteen minutes to go, and with two minutes left on the clock the Jammers Dam broke once more, Matt Blake finding the net for the third time in three matches since his loan return from Leiston to earn United a point.

Maldon & Tiptree remain in seventh place, behind Swifts on goal difference and having played three games more.

Images courtesy of Chris Daines at Heybridge Swifts