A day when it rained goals…sadly not always at the right end

The magic of the cup! Well for some of our clubs yesterday the magic was truly apparent, but others found themselves being sawn in half. Let’s start with the winners and leave the bad news until last.

The last time Worthing reached the First Round Proper we were worrying about the millennium computer bug that…eventually made not a jot of difference to the world. They are now on the cusp of doing it all again, after a 3-2 win at Moneyfields. Aaran Racine gave them the lead, and after Moneyfields got one back David Ajoboye and Ollie Pearce made it safe despite another for the home side, 3-2 the final score.

Haringey Borough came from behind to defeat AFC Sudbury, and indeed scored all of the goals, an own goal giving the Bostik North side the lead before a double from Chinedu McKenzie hit back twice for the home side. This is the second year in a row that Borough have reached the 4th Qualifying Round- or, if you like, the second time in a lifetime. Congratulations to all at Coles Park.

We then had a number of draws. You can read about the game between Horsham and Poole Town HERE, as it was our #bostikmatchday feature, whilst at Fetcham Grove Leatherhead and Hanwell Town managed a goal each and will do it all again midweek, Alfie Cue getting a last gasp equaliser for the Tanners after Ibrahim Olutade had given Hanwell a lead they’d held for most of the match. Dorking Wanderers came from behind to lead in a pulsating tie at Gloucester City- the match ended 3-3, with a Jason Prior double and Jason Lavery finding the net for Wanderers.

And now the bad news. We’ll start with the worst of the lot, as Whitehawk travelled to Essex for a reunion with their former favourites Jake Robinson and Sam Deering, and their current side Billericay Town. Sadly neither went easy on the Hawks, as Billericay ran in nine goals, Robinson and Deering getting three between them. Jason Williams got a last minute consolation- but it wasn’t, really.

Lewes fell 3-0 at Bath City, whilst Brightlingsea Regent’s adventure at home to Torquay United ended the same way. AFC Hornchurch put up a fighting performance but went down 1-0 at Hampton & Richmond Borough all the same, whilst Ramsgate went down 5-0 at Hemel Hempstead Town and Hastings United 2-0 at Hitchin Town. Coggeshall Town’s first ever FA Cup adventure came to an end in narrow defeat at Weston Super Mare, whilst Corinthian-Casuals lost 3-0 to St Albans City at Imber Court.

Premier Division

Kingstonian finally began to look the side we all expected them to be this season, as they walloped four goals past Folkestone Invicta at King George’s Field- and they did it even without a keeper. When Rob Tolfrey was injured Sean Francis had to go in goal, and at that point K’s were one up through Louis Theophanous. Invicta equalised through Jack Evans, but Theophanous restored the lead, Elliott Buchanan extended it, and James Daly had the final word to make it 4-1.

Burgess Hill Town, who currently have manager Ian Chapman on gardening leave, came within a whisker of earning their first win of the season at Bishop’s Stortford. Pat Harding and Ben Pope scored for the visitors, but as always Jamie Cureton had the last word. He’d already got a first half equaliser, and then in stoppage time he found another and broke Hillians hearts.
Tonbridge Angels got back to winning ways- and went four points clear at the top of the table- with a hard fought win over Potters Bar Town at Longmead. All of the goals came in the second half, Tom Parkinson and Joe Turner for Angels, Eoin Casey finding the net for the Scholars.

Enfield Town and Merstham, Margate and Harlow Town couldn’t find a goal between them.

North Division

Four was the magic number in the North Division. Brentwood Town, Heybridge Swifts and Grays Athletic all managed to find the net four times in victories- although Basildon United stay top, and remain unbeaten- despite drawing a blank in a 0-0 draw with Bury Town.

Brentwood defeated Soham Town Rangers 4-1, with goals from four different scorers- Albert Levett, Connor Martin, Kojo Apenteng and Alfie Hilton. Sam Mulready got what turned out to be a consolation for Rangers. Grays Athletic also scored 4- Dennis Oli, Joao Carlos, Shomari Barnwell and Adeyinka Cole with those, but it was tight as visitors Great Wakering Rovers got three of their own, Ollie Woodhouse, Jake Gordon and Marcus Bowers finding the net for the visitors. Grays are eighth.

Julian Dicks watched his first match as Heybridge Swifts boss, and his charges- who conceded four last weekend- got four of their own this time, two on his debut for Dan Walker whilst Matt Price and Nicholas Brown got the others. But the former hardman defender will want to his defence to be more in his own image, as opponents Mildenhall Town managed three of their own, Thomas Boxer (2) and Luke Butcher finding the Swifts net.

Aveley are second- albeit seven points shy of Basildon- after a 1-0 win at now fourth place Maldon & Tiptree, Alex Akrofi making the difference from the spot, whilst Bowers & Pitsea sit third, courtesy of a Simon Thomas double at Witham Town. The Bowers boys are shown in the image above, with the Witham Town mascot Liam Priday.

Barking defeated Dereham Town 1-0, Ben O’Brien with the finish, whilst Canvey Island (Martin Tuohy) and Tilbury (Abdus Salami) drew 1-1, both goals coming in the last five minutes.

South Central Division

Having watched both Hayes and Yeading United and Ashford Town in recent weeks for #bostikmatchday features, we predicted a high scoring match at the Skyex yesterday. Well we got eight goals, but we didn’t expect United to get seven of them! They were helped by the sending off of Town goalkeeper Brannon Daly, but were only one-nil up at the time (Scott Bridges). Bridges had another before the break and completed his hat trick in the second half, with the other four home goals coming from Toby Little, Josh Chamberlain, Duncan Cullet and Scott Donnelly. Tom Howard got the consolation for Ashford. Hayes are fourth in the table.

Waltham Abbey are top, taking advantage of the end of Bracknell Town’s winning run with a victory of their own, 3-0 at home to Uxbridge. Ellis Brown notched a double, and Ibrahim Kehinde got the other. Bracknell had to come from behind to snatch a point at home to Bedfont Sports, for whom Scott Harris snatched the opener just before half time. Liam Ferdinand equalised for the Robins right at the end.

Chalfont St Peter were one of two other big winners, walloping five goals without reply past sorry South Park at Whitehall Lane. Adam Morris, Frankie Jones and Jack Mulan made it three before the break, whilst the gloriously named Keaton August and Blue Gallagher scored the other two after the break. Chipstead also got five, their goals coming at FC Romania- a hat trick from Daniel Moody whilst Izzy Bademosi and Sam Bell got the others.

Tooting & Mitcham United (Lexus Beeden, Razzaq Coleman and Danny Bassett) won 3-1 at home to Hertford Town (Charlie Ruff), whilst Northwood defeated Westfield 2-1 in Woking, Hakim Nyariki with a double earning the points despite a penalty from Karle Carder-Andrews for the home side. Goals from Gareth Madden, Louis Rose and David Cowley gave Ware a 3-1 win over Egham Town (Kezie Ibe), whilst Cheshunt are third after a 1-0 win at bottom side Molesey, Thomas Wade with the goal.

South East Division

Cray Wanderers went NINE points clear at the top of the South East Division after walloping seven goals past Faversham Town. It was four-nil by half time, Barney Williams, Junior Dadson, Freddie Parker and Dadson once more, and Parker managed two more in the second half to complete his hat trick whilst Ben Mundele got the other. Faversham’s goals came from Michael Jenner and Ashley Miller.

Hythe Town are second, a double from Zak Ansah and another from Jack Sammoutis giving them a 3-0 win over VCD Athletic, whilst Phoenix Sports and Whyteleafe are third and fifth after a 2-2 draw- Sports grabbing a last-gasp equaliser through Jack Barry after Eddie Dsane and Dan Hector had given Leafe the lead. Zak Byron got the opener for the home side just before half time.

Whitstable Town are sixth, and they defeated Greenwich Borough 2-0 with goals from Stuart West and Stephen Smith, whilst the fine recent form of Haywards Heath Town continued as they defeated Sittingbourne 2-0 at Hanbury Park, Melford Simpson and Karl Akehurst with a goal in each half. Heath are ninth, the Brickies eighth.

Ashford United’s recent downward spiral continued in a rather unexpected way, as they conceded four goals at home to Three Bridges. Ibby Akanbi got two, Mason Doughty another, and an own goal made up the four as the Homelands crowd were stunned- although Sam Corne twice gave them something to cheer about.

Thamesmead Town put three past Guernsey in the early kick off, moving above their visitors with goals from Tariq Ossai, Trey Williams and Richard Pacquette, whilst in the other match the points were shared at College Lane, East Grinstead Town (George Landais) and Sevenoaks Town (William Johnson-Cole) playing out a 1-1 draw.