A North Trophy Saturday

Biggleswade hit eight without reply against Maldon & Tiptree in the FA Cup last weekend, and defeated another North Division side, Stowmarket Town, in the Trophy. Scott Sloots put Town ahead on twelve minutes, but the hosts were level just before the break and added two more in the last seven minutes for a three-one win.

Not too far away Biggleswade Town welcomed Bury Town, but with a rather different outcome. Home victory looked certain when the hosts went two-nil up just after the break, but the Suffolk side thought otherwise, Luke Brown pulling one back just after the hour, Cemal Ramadan equalising with five minutes left and Josh Curry getting an away winner deep into added time.

Felixstowe & Walton United welcomed fellow Pitching In Isthmian North side Brentwood Town, and continued their unbeaten start with a two-nil win. Joe Whight opened the scoring from the spot just before the break, Noel Aitkens added a second nine minutes later, and that was that.

Hertford Town were the next obstacle in the way of Grays Athletic’s hunt for a first win of the season, and that obstacle proved too big to climb. Town went into the break one goal up, but returning Sam Bantick quickly levelled for Athletic and when Aron Gordon made it two-one to the visitors with fifteen minutes to go, it looked like an away win was likely. Sadly the hosts quickly levelled, and clinched a three-two win with six minutes remaining.

Heybridge Swifts, top of Pitching In Isthmian North, bounced back from last weekend’s defeat- their first of the season- by defeating Barton Rovers of Pitching In Southern Division One Central. Sam Park opened the scoring for Swifts on seventeen minutes, only for Rovers to level just after the half hour. Quba Gordon sent the hosts in ahead at half time, and Kieran Jones made it three just before the hour, but Rovers quickly pulled it back to three-two. The visitors then picked up a red card, and the ten men couldn’t find another equaliser.

Lowestoft Town welcomed New Salamis to the seaside, and the Trawler Boys triumphed in an eight goal thriller. Town were three-nil up within sixteen minutes, A Sam Johnson double sandwiching a goal from Jake Reed, but the visitors then awoke and Derek Asamoah and Pan Boxer reduced the arrears to three-two. Adam Hipperson made it four two, and Asamoah scored again just before the break to leave us at four-three at half time. After that performance the second half was something of an anticlimax, but Harvey Sayer did get a fifth for Lowestoft, who march on. Image courtesy of Shirley Whitlow.

Redbridge welcomed Stotfold of Pitching In Southern Division One Central, and the match had only one goal. It went to Joseph Elliot of the hosts after twenty minutes, and the Motormen march on.

Our old friends Waltham Abbey played host to Ipswich Wanderers, but they weren’t all that friendly on the pitch, winning six-two. Kai Fletcher scored for Wanderers on sixty minutes, and Joel Glover added another on sixty eight.

Welwyn Garden City of Pitching In Southern Division One Central welcomed our North Division Bees, Basildon United. City went ahead just after the half hour but a Kai Brown double put the Bees ahead at the break, and Clyde Semazzi made it three-one on fifty seven minutes. City quickly got a goal back, but Ben Allen made it four-two with fifteen minutes remaining. The visitors then saw Jamie Bennett dismissed, but that didn’t stop Brown clinching a hat trick soon afterwards and another City goal was just a consolation, five-three the final score.

Witham Town and Maldon and Tiptree met in an all-North clash. The Jammers were hit for eight in the cup last weekend and conceded three more, Town triumphing by three goals to nil. All of the goals came after the break, Jeffrey Cobblah with the first and third and Ronnie Bates with the one in between. That’s five goals for Cobblah so far this season.

Wroxham and Brightlingsea Regent were thrown together in another all-North Division clash. Both sides would have been full of confidence, the Yachtsmen five unbeaten, Regent with a one hundred percent record in all competitions- and the visitors kept that record in a four-two win. Zack Littlejohn put Regent ahead on thirteen minutes, but the hosts turned the match on its head, a Ryan Hawkins double on the half hour and just after the break putting them ahead. The equaliser arrived on fifty seven minutes, Andre Embalo with the goal, and just when it looked as if it would take a shootout to separate the sides, Olly Sotoyinbo decided otherwise, scoring in the eighty eighth and ninetieth minutes to send his side through.

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