Redbridge close the gap- as Stow force Tags into their first defeat

Leaders Hashtag United were at home to Walthamstow. A draw at Felixstowe ended the Tags one hundred percent record on Saturday, whilst Stow had won only one of their first seven matches and found themselves in the bottom four- so this one looked a home certainly, but the visitors had other ideas, James Collins putting them ahead on twenty seven minutes. It was nil-two three minutes later courtesy of Joden Trickett, and although the Tags got a very late goal back courtesy of Ellis Devereux the points headed to E17. 

Redbridge have been in fine form, and they were ahead in Takeley on twelve minutes, Louie Remi scoring his fifth League goal of the season in his seventh match. Ayo Olukoga added a second nine minutes before half time, but early in the second half Charlie Heatley gave the hosts hope, halving the arrears. Takeley drew level just after the hour, George Pullen with the equaliser, but the Motormen struck again twenty one minutes from time, Karl Kayembe making it two-three. A Jack Chawner spot kick made it two-four and points safe, the Motormen a point behind the leaders in third place. 

Cambridge City have had a rather positive start to the campaign, and they had a rather positive start to their match against Witham Town, too, delighting the home crowd with a Fletcher Toll goal on four minutes. Charlie Norman made it two midway through the first half, and another Charlie, Royle, made it three just before half time. Alex Warman added a fourth seventeen minutes from time, and still City weren’t finished torturing their opponents, Freddie Hockey making it five seven minutes from time. City are sixth. 

Wroxham and Gorleston couldn’t manage to find a goal in the first half, but they had one early in the second, and it went to the Greens, Ryan Curtis sticking it away. Harley Black made it two from the spot with a quarter of an hour left, and a late red card for the Yachtsmen’s Sammy Johnson finally ended their chances of a comeback. Wroxham stay second, whilst Gorleston are fifth. 

Felixstowe and Walton United have started to look more like their old selves, and they were ahead against AFC Sudbury on seven minutes, Tom Warren with the early strike. Warren added a second three minutes before half time, but the Seasiders were left hanging on after a Reuben Chinnery spot kick gave the yellows a lifeline seven minutes from time, and as it turned out, their resilience was undermined again, Chinnery delivering an equaliser- also from the spot- three minutes into added time. Two-two was the final score, the sides in thirteenth and fourteenth in the table. 

Image from Stefan Peck. 

Concord Rangers put their unbeaten record on the line again as Buckhurst Hill came to call, but Hill looked like they were going to make the Beachboys suffer as Shane Temple put them ahead eight minutes before half time. The points seemed to be heading to the London suburbs, but in added time right at the end Mekhi McKenzie continued his fine start to his Rangers career by delivering an equaliser, surely saving a point? Sadly for the home fans they will hardly have finished celebrating when, with five added minutes played, Harvey Brown restored Hill’s lead- and this time they held onto it to climb out of the bottom four. 

Canvey Island striker Mitchell May took only six minutes to put the Gulls ahead at Tilbury, but the Dockers were level midway through the half, Joe Elliott scoring from the spot. That was where the scoring stopped; Tilbury are twelfth, Canvey twentieth. 

Newmarket Town went ahead against Brightlingsea Regent on nine minutes, Efraim Romanos opening the scoring, and Ryan Cole quickly made it two on his return to the club. Daniel Rowe quickly got a goal back for the visitors, but they were soon reduced to ten men, Harry McDonald seeing red with sixty five minutes left to play. A red card for Ben Robinson levelled the sides if not the score, but seventeen minutes from time Regent decided to take the lead in the card count, scorer Rowe the second of their players to see red. The red card count was three-one to the visitors just before the end, Thomas Cottle-Wood the latest to be dismissed, but the only score that mattered was two-one in favour of Newmarket. 

Mulbarton Wanderers and Fakenham Town have had rather different starts to their North Division lives, and Wanderers travelled to take on Town in confident mood- and went ahead on twelve minutes courtesy of Charlie Barber. Ashley Jarvis made it two just before the half hour mark, and eight minutes from time Nathan Stone added a third. They still weren’t finished, and right at the end Sam Cox added a fourth. Wanderers are eleventh, two points outside the top seven.

Little Oakley were in the Town of Lowestoft, and they went ahead on twenty six minutes, Tobias Braney opening the scoring. Seven minutes later Luke Mayhew made it two, and in first half added time it was three-nil, Daniel Keeble delivering delight for the travelling faithful. Still they hadn’t finished, and just before the hour Josh McFaull added a fourth- his third goal in five league matches. Still they weren’t finished, and if Oakley were Little the margin of victory certainly wasn’t,  George Davis adding a fifth with twenty minutes left. Little Oakley go eighth, their sorry hosts down in seventeenth. 

Bowers and Pitsea and Grays Athletic were goalless at the break, but they weren’t goalless for much longer, Kojo Apenteng putting the hosts ahead eight minutes into the second half. A red card for Athletic’s Tyler Brampton hardly made their task easier, and Bowers held on to the points- and are seventh.