Advantage Urchins as rivals slip up

Leaders Hornchurch had what looked to be a tricky trip, as they headed to the Sussex seaside to take on Hastings United. The Pilot Field side were on their best run of the campaign, seven matches unbeaten-a run which had seen them keep three clean sheets and concede only four goals- but they had no answer to The Urchins, and silenced much of the eight hundred and fifteen watching on by scoring two first half goals and adding a third after the break. Tom Wraight was prolific in front of goal last season but got only his fourth of the campaign when finishing a cross from Sam Higgins on seventeen minutes. Liam Nash has been prolific this season, and doubled his sides advantage with his sixteenth goal six minutes before the break, and with eighteen minutes to go any chance of a United comeback was ended by Rickie Hayles. The Urchins open up a three point gap at the top.

Cray Wanderers extended their unbeaten run to nine, but couldn’t extend their winning run to five. They did, however, stave off the Manager of the Month curse, taking a point in a hard-fought match at Canvey Island. The Gulls went ahead on nineteen minutes, a wind assisted Connor Hubble corner forced home by Elliot Johnson (although it was also described as an own goal so who knows?), with Wands levelling eleven minutes after the break, Yahaya Bamba heading home a free kick.

Third place Bishop’s Stortford suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Brightlingsea Regent last time out, and suffered a second defeat in a row as Lewes came to call. Stortford were unbeaten at home, but the Rooks scoffed at any idea that the R&D Advisors Stadium was a fortress and crashed home three goals without reply. The opener came to Joe Taylor, the striker hitting his twentieth of the campaign after a defensive mix up, and a second goal in two matches from Ryan Gondoh made it two, seven minutes after the break. With nineteen minutes to go Ayo Olukoga fired home from thirty yards and that was that.

Enfield Town had been in fine form, welcoming Kingstonian on the back of a run which had seen them lose only one match from their last nine. It’s now two defeats from ten as the K’s, who had previously taken only one point from the last twenty one available, got the only goal of the game. It came to Great Evans, and it arrived in the twenty fourth minute- and it gives the K’s a four point cushion over the bottom four.

Aveley hoped to get back to winning ways against a side who had gone six matches without a win, Bognor Regis Town. The last time they had met, at Parkside in August, Bognor delivered their best performance of the season, winning by six goals to one- but we had none of that excitement at Nyewood Lane, both sides having to be satisfied with one goal and one point. Nathan Odokonyero scored the opener for the Rocks four minutes before the break, his nineteenth of the campaign- whilst Kenny Aileru got the equaliser for the visitors nineteen minutes from time.

Potters Bar Town, who had fallen out of the top five after taking only one point from their last five matches, made it one point from six matches as hosts Billericay Town eased to victory. Eze Ebuzoeme opened the scoring just after the restart, and a goal from Marvin Ekpiteta midway through the second half wrapped up a victory which lifted the Blues to ninth- only two points behind fifth place Aveley.

Carshalton Athletic are our form side at present, and welcomed Horsham to Colston Avenue with only one defeat from their previous ten matches. That run continued, but both sides had to settle for a point. Femi Akinwande gave the Robins an early lead, but the Hornets equalised on the stroke of half time, Jack Mazzone’s fifteenth of the season earning them a point. Horsham have only one win from their last thirteen meetings with the Robins.

Folkestone Invicta took a three match winning streak to Wingate & Finchley and extended it to four. A goal in each half did the damage, Ade Yusuff getting his twenty fourth of the season- this one from the spot- and scoring for the sixth successive match, whilst Ira Jackson finished off the Blues just before the hour. Invicta climb to within four points of the top five, whilst Wingate lose against Invicta for the sixth time in succession.

Corinthian-Casuals, much improved and with three wins and two defeats from their previous five, welcomed Haringey Borough, who had won only one of their last seven. The last two meetings between the clubs had ended in draws- two-two back in August as Casuals relinquished a two goal lead at Coles Park- but Borough controlled this one with a goal in each half. Bobson Bawling opened the scoring for the visitors on the half hour, and despite Casuals best efforts Borough got a second with nine minutes left, Stefanos Georgiou with that one. By the way, as our image shows, it was a bit damp! Thanks to Stuart Tree for the photograph- more here.

Managerless Margate welcomed second bottom Brightlingsea Regent. Regent, boosted by their win over Bishop’s Stortford, nevertheless fell quickly behind at Hartsdown park, Matty Macarthur scoring after just two minutes- and it was two-nil on sixteen, caretaker boss Ben Greenhalgh doubling the hosts advantage. At this point Regent roused themselves and quickly got a goal back, Zack Littlejohn halving the arrears, and they equalised just after the half hour, Suleymen Zudhu making it two-two. Six minutes after the break the comeback was complete, Dominic Locke making it three-two to the visitors, and it looked like they’d claimed a valuable three points only for the hosts to level deep into added time, Emmanuel Oke getting them out of jail.

Bottom side Herne Bay welcome Bowers & Pitsea, who were two places and six points above them. Bowers remain two places better off, but the gap has narrowed to three points as Bay picked up their first league win in three months. Rory Smith gave the hosts a perfect start after just three minutes, and two minutes later it was two-nil, Yannis Drais with that one. Billy Crook got one back from the spot just after the half hour, so the next goal was all-important, and it went to the hosts, Marcel Barrington making it three-one just after the hour. That was that- Bay stay bottom, but now they have hope.

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