A good day for the chasing pack as the Urchins slip up

Leaders Hornchurch had the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Pitching In Isthmian Premier to six points with victory over Canvey Island, as their two nearest challengers, Cray Wanderers and Bishop’s Stortford, meet on Sunday at Hayes Lane. The Gulls, who won the first meeting between the sides back in August by two goals to one, seemed to have other ideas, however, and went ahead on twenty six minutes, Evans Kouassi with the opener. Just before the break they made it two, Bradley Sach scoring against the Urchins for the second time this season.

The hosts hit back just after the hour, Sam Higgins scoring from the spot after Canvey were penalised for handball, but if their fans got excited at the thought of a comeback it soon appeared to be a false dawn, as within five minutes Conor Hubble had restored the Gulls two goal advantage, converting a fabulous free kick. That was that, and Canvey are up to fourth- and have done the double over our leaders.

Elsewhere in Essex, third bottom Bowers and Pitsea played host to fourth place Enfield Town. The Towners had lost only two of their last ten- both one-nil defeats- and were quickly ahead at the Len Salmon, Andre Coker opening the scoring in the first minute. Sam Youngs doubled their lead from the spot eleven minutes before the break after he was on the wrong end of a foul, and Youngs made sure of the points when adding a third on the hour. Five minutes later James Richmond made even more sure with a fourth. An own goal got Bowers on the scoresheet with fourteen minutes remaining, but it made no difference to the outcome- and the Towners jump to third.

Aveley welcomed Wingate & Finchley to Parkside. Neither side were in the best of form, each having won only three of their previous ten matches, but the visitors were undoubtedly buoyed by the thumping they gave to Dulwich Hamlet in the London Senior Cup in midweek. The Millers took the lead six minutes before the break, Harry Gibbs with the goal, and as it turned out that was enough for three points. The Millers are fifth, the third of three clubs on forty two points- and have completed a double over their visitors.

Carshalton Athletic were hammered in the Velocity Cup in midweek, but given they sent out a team crammed full of youth players that perhaps wasn’t a surprise. They travelled to Haringey Borough looking to extend their seven match unbeaten league run, but fell behind fifteen minutes from time, Alphonso Kennedy with the opening goal. That turned out to be the only goal of the game- the Robins seven match unbeaten run in the league ended, and Borough doing the double.

Two of our form sides met on the Kent coast, as Folkestone Invicta opened the doors to Billericay Town. The last time the Blues travelled to Invicta was during their promotion season, and they lost that one in a campaign when they swept almost all before them- but they went ahead in this one on the stroke of half time, Bradley Stevenson with the opener. The equaliser arrived with twenty minutes left, Ibrahim Olutade with it, and that turned out to be that. Six hundred and eighty two watched on- and congratulations to Ronnie Dolan on his three hundredth appearance in stripes.

Hastings United were on the road- indeed, a number of roads, all rather long- to the Essex coast as they travelled to Brightlingsea Regent. Their hosts were two unbeaten- victory over Bishop’s Stortford followed by so nearly another at Margate last weekend- and they went ahead from the spot on twenty seven minutes, Suleyman Zuhdu opening the scoring. When United fell behind in the first fixture between the sides this season, they hit back by scoring four- but the next goal took only a minute to arrive and went to the hosts, Dominic Locke making it two. The visitors returned to the field after the break fired up, and got one back on forty nine minutes through Kane Penn. Before the hour mark Penn wrote his name on the scoresheet for a second time and drew his side level, and the turnaround was complete six minutes from time, Jack Dixon making it three-two to the visitors. That was that, and Regent must be sick of the sight of United.

Lewes hosted Corinthian-Casuals at the Dripping Pan, and were quickly ahead, Joe Taylor scoring his twenty first goal of the season. Taylor delighted most of the six hundred and sixty watching on by adding a second from the spot just before the hour, and the result sees the Rooks close to within four points of the top five with two games in hand over three of its occupants. Casuals stay fourth from bottom, but will be heartened by the fact that all of their relegation rivals also lost. Our image comes from Stuart Tree- more here.

Horsham’s Camping World Community Stadium saw the arrival of the travelling hordes of Margate. The Hornets, who hammered the Blues in last season’s Velocity Trophy Final- were five matches unbeaten, whilst their visitors were six without a win, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when Jack Strange opened the scoring for the hosts on sixteen minutes. The lead was doubled seventeen minutes from time, Tom Richards making the Hornets more comfortable and delighting the majority of the eight hundred and nine watching on after finishing a cross from substitute Lucas Rodrigues. There was still time for a third, Rodrigues with that one right at the end- and a fourth in added time, Jack Mazzone making it a truly miserable trip home for the visiting faithful and helping Rodrigues to a second assist of the afternoon.

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