Shepherd Neame Performance of the Month, August 2025

Our congratulations for some superb performances go to the following clubs:

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Brentwood Town have had a quite magnificent start to their Premier Division lives- and perhaps the most sparkling of a collection of diamond-encrusted performances arrived on Bank Holiday Monday, when they travelled to Cray Wanderers.

This was a match between two sides in our top five- very much our match of the day. We expected a close encounter- but what we got was a rather different. 

Cray went ahead on twelve minutes, Josh Williams the scorer, but that just spurred on their visitors. Daniel Ogunleye levelled twenty minutes later, and then Brentwood ran riot after the break, Romel Royal, Benas Vaivada, Charlie Edwards and Sam Park adding goals two to five.

Victory sent the Blues to the top of the table- and it has also earned them the first Shepherd Neame Performance of the Month Award of the season. 

Pitching In Isthmian North

Stanway Rovers have had such a fabulous start to their Pitching In Isthmian North lives that they were nominated twice for this award in their first month- and our jury have chosen their victory over Lowestoft Town as the winner (although their hammering of Brightlingsea Regent must have gone close!). 

The Trawler Boys are highly fancied for an immediate return to Step Three, but they were holed beneath the waterline in the first half in front of their own fans. Connor Hubble- who you will remember from his legendary status at Canvey Island- opened the scoring on fourteen minutes, and five minutes later Nathanial Mardell made it two. George Okoye added a third just before half time to leave the hosts feeling rather seasick, and the same player added the fourth five minutes from time. 

Many congratulations to Rovers on their first award of the season- if they continue in a similar manner it is unlikely to be their last!

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

AFC Portchester started their first Step Four campaign by hosting a side who hadn’t been in Step Four since 2012, Bognor Regis Town- both sides new to our South Central Division, too. The travelling Rocks went ahead after five minutes, Tommy Scutt scoring from the spot- but were quickly pegged back, Alfie Stanley with the equaliser, and the hosts went ahead on twenty four minutes, Zak Willett giving them the lead. There was further delight for the home faithful in first half added time, Jack Lee adding a third, and there was a fourth for the hosts as Ryan Pennery got another seven minutes after the break. 

Surely that was that- the Rocks might as well board the bus home? They soon proved otherwise!

Callum Laycock quickly pulled it back to four-two, and they looked to make a match of it when Billy Allcock grabbed another- but they did more than that, indeed they completed the comeback of the day and perhaps of the season! Allcock levelled the match at four-four five minutes from time, and then deep in added time they found a winner, Simba Mlambo with that one- five-four the final score. That rather incredible comeback earns the Rocks our first Performance of the Month award of the campaign- we suspect that, if they win any more, their supporters would rather they did it in a rather more straightforward and less terrifying manner!

Pitching In Isthmian South East Division

Sheppey United welcomed a set of Sussex seasiders, Eastbourne United, in the FA Cup. The Ites were quickly ahead, Rolando Onu scoring after just four minutes, before doubling the lead only five minutes later courtesy of Jacob Lambert. It was three-nil within seventeen minutes, Danny Leonard with that one, and Lambert added a fourth just after the half hour as the home fans expressed their delight. They were even more delighted when Onu added a fifth nine minutes before the break, and the same player claimed the match ball as he made it six-nil five minutes before half time. A Lambert spot kick made it seven just before the break, rather extraordinarily. 

The Ites didn’t stop. Leonard added number eight on fifty one minutes, and right at the end Dan Bradshaw got a ninth, to seal a rather incredible nine-nil victory- which we’ve decided deserves our Performance of the Month award. Congratulations to all at the club. 

Many thanks to our sponsors, Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewers in Britain. With pubs and hotels across the country, Shepherd Neame should be your first choice for accommodation after a long away trip, or just for a refreshing drink or a nice meal before or after the game. You can find out more about what they have to offer by heading to their website- here.