Blues have one hand on the title!

Leaders Brentwood Town hosted sixth place Tilbury on Friday evening hoping to steal a march on their title rivals- and they did just that, opening up an eight point lead prior to Saturday’s matches. The Blues fell behind on twelve minutes, the Dockers goal coming from a familiar source- Alex Hernandez scoring his twenty third of the season- but Brentwood have their own goals machine, Daniel Ogunleye, and twelve minutes later he levelled with a thirty ninth of the campaign. It was one-one for only four more minutes before Benas Vaivada put the hosts ahead for the first time, and it was a lead they held on to, to the delight of most of the seven hundred and thirty six in attendance. 

Brentwood ended the evening eight points clear- and the weekend with a seven point lead. Tilbury ended the night six points away from fifth spot with only three matches remaining- and that increased to seven after Saturday’s results. 

Onto Saturday, and second place Bury Town hoped to get back to winning ways as they welcomed Redbridge- but they couldn’t manage it. Nine hundred and sixty six watched on, but neither set of fans had a goal to cheer. Bury stay second, but slip to seven points behind the leaders. 

Felixstowe and Walton United picked up their first trophy of the season in midweek, winning their County Cup, and hoped to use that as inspiration as they travelled to take on Grays Athletic- their hosts in superb form. The Seasiders had won only one of their last five in the league, and had fallen to six points behind the leaders as a consequence, whilst Athletic had won seven in a row- and were hoping to do a Seasiders double after a three-one win in January.

Athletic made the breakthrough on twenty seven minutes, Louie Remi taking his total for the season into double figures, and despite the best efforts of the visitors there was no way back. Felixstowe slip to fourth, Grays are ninth. Image from Stefan Peck. 

Fourth place Waltham Abbey got back to winning ways last time out, victory at Basildon ending a three match winless run (although only one of those was a defeat). The Abbotts played host to Concord Rangers, the travelling Beachboys with only one win- and four defeats- from their previous five, but comfortably safe in fourteenth place. The Abbotts won the first meeting between the sides three goals to two but would have to play most of this one with only ten men after a thirty third minute red card for Ace’a Laurent, but it didn’t seem to matter as Kymani Thomas put them ahead in first half stoppage time. On sixty seven minutes the ten men were awarded a spot kick, Prince Domafriyie putting it away for two-nil, and five minutes from time they added a third, Aaron Eyoma the scorer. Deep in added time Sherquan Toussaint got a goal back for the visitors, but it was no more than a consolation and the Abbotts climb to third.

The race for play off home advantage sees Bury Town a point clear of the Abbotts, and two points clear of Felixstowe. 

Brightlingsea Regent kicked off in Cambridge City with a six point advantage over sixth place Tilbury, but were rather keen to get back to winning ways. Regent’s defeat against Grays last weekend ended a three match winning run, and they fell behind in this one just before the half hour, Jahkyah Ebanks-Blake giving the hosts the lead. The visitors drew level nine minutes before half time, Fin Adams with the equaliser, but City looked to have won the match when Jayden Gipson put them ahead once more twenty minutes from time. Deep, deep in added time, Regent were awarded a spot kick- and Louie Kudiabor kept his cool to grab a point for his side, and given them a seven point advantage over sixth place Tilbury. 

Witham Town knew that they could hammer a final nail into Basildon United’s survival hopes as the sides met at the Simarco Stadium. The Bees, who had gone twenty seven matches without a win, were soon behind in this one as Kamani Mcfarlane scored from the spot on seven minutes, but they levelled four minutes into the second half, Mohammed Ali getting the equaliser. The winner wouldn’t arrive for either side- and the Bees are confirmed as relegated. 

Gorleston have been in superb form. In eighth place at kick off but twelve points away from the top five, they are looking to deliver their highest ever finish- and wanted to increase their unbeaten run to a massive eighteen matches as already relegated Sporting Bengal United headed to the seaside. The Greens were ahead after only nine minutes, Alby Matthews the scorer, and made it two in the early stages of the second half, Jake Reed with that one. Matthews added a third with twenty two minutes remaining, and completed his hat trick a minute from time to seal a comfortable four-nil victory. 

Walthamstow travelled to Maldon and Tiptree, fifteenth v ninth. The Jammers had lost only one of eight, whilst Stow ended a seven match winless run with victory over Redbridge last weekend, and the two sides couldn’t manage a goal in the first half- but they delivered one within three minutes of the second, Tyrone Baker putting Stow ahead. The equaliser arrived five minutes from time, Kai Brown with his seventh goal in his last twelve matches- and that, finally, was that. 

Four points from safety at kick off with only four matches left, Haringey Borough are in danger of a second successive relegation, and very much needed a victory as Heybridge Swifts came to call. Borough were without a win in seven, but rather bizarrely had drawn their last five, and hoped for three points when they went ahead just after the hour, Derek Asamoah the scorer. The home fans could finally relax a little when Matthew Young added a second nine minutes from time, and finally Borough had that win- and they cut the gap between themselves and Newmarket Town to just two points. 

Newmarket Town played host to Mildenhall Town. The Jockeys were three unbeaten, and made it four, but ended up with one point when they really needed three after an added time equaliser for the visitors. Isaac Maynard put the hosts ahead with only fifteen minutes left, but they then went down to ten men, Ally Conway sent off six minutes later, and they couldn’t hold out. Ben Nolan’s ninety second minute equaliser earned Hall a point. The Jockeys are two poitns above the drop zone, their visitors now confirmed as safe. 

Wroxham travelled to take on already relegated Ipswich Wanderers. With three wins and three defeats from their previous six Wanderers were in their best form of the season, whilst the Yachtsmen, who were five points clear of the drop zone, were looking for a third win in a row. The opening goal took an hour to arrive and it came from the spot, Ryan Hawkins putting the visitors ahead, and that turned out to be the only goal, keeping the visitors five points clear of danger with three matches left.