Acorns go fifth -as Gulls beat Tags and Ghosts frighten Dockers

Tilbury delivered our first Pitching In Isthmian North goal of the night, Ben Allen taking three minutes to put them in front at bottom side Fakenham Town, but the Ghosts drew level just before the half hour courtesy of Valter Da Rocha. The Dockers reestablished their dominance just before the break, Rasheed Salau restoring their lead, but again the hosts hit back to level, Finley Whiteley scoring the fourth goal of the contest on the hour- and then they went ahead for the first time, Jake Watts heading home the fifth goal of the evening seventeen minutes from time. The scoring ended there, Town winning for only the second time this season- and moving to within five points of safety. 

Little Oakley, just outside the top seven, were at home to Takeley. After a goalless first half it looked as if we’d get a goalless second half, too, but three minutes from time Josh McFaull struck for the Acorns - and they climb to fifth as a result. That’s five wins from their last six- only Newmarket Town have taken more points of late. 

Cambridge City, in fifth and with only two defeats from ten, were visiting a Bowers and Pitsea side who were looking to bounce back from Saturday’s hammering against Witham- but it didn’t look good for the Len Salmon faithful when City went ahead on twenty minutes, Fletcher Toll opening the scoring. They hit back immediately after the second half kicked off, however, Manny Shana with the equaliser, and just before the end the visitors were reduced to ten men, Jayden Randell seeing red. There were no more goals, City slipping to sixth, Bowers in eleventh. 

Canvey Island, three unbeaten, had new signing Sam Bantick in their starting lineup, and he was on the scoresheet within nineteen minutes as the Gulls welcomed Hashtag United- the visitors needing a win to return to the summit. Ten minutes later the same player struck again, but the Tags tried to deliver a late revival, Harrison Day getting a goal back in second half added time. Sadly for the travelling faithful, that was as good as it got- another positive result for the Gulls, who climb to twelfth. 

Mulbarton Wanderers were the hosts for Concord Rangers, and the first goal of the match went to the hosts just before half time, Ashley Jarvis putting them ahead with his seventh of the season- but the Beachboys weren’t downhearted and levelled midway through the second half, Beau Masters-Macdonald with the equaliser ten minutes after arriving from the bench. The match had no more goals, and Wanderers ended the night in seventeenth, Rangers ninth. 

Walthamstow were the hosts for Witham Town, and neither side could manage a goal in East London. Stow are tenth, Town fourteenth.