Towners go top- as our last perfect top flight record departs

Bank Holiday Monday saw the end of our only one hundred percent record in Pitching In Isthmian Premier; and indeed our only unbeaten record, as Enfield Town took advantage of a Carshalton slip to take top spot. 

Cheshunt were at home to St Albans City. The Ambers defeated the Saints on the road in League and Velocity Cup last season, and drew at their own Theobalds Lane in February, so they’ll have gone into the match with some confidence- but that was blunted a little when Ollie Knight put the Saints ahead in the very first minute, putting away a cross from Kai Brown. The hosts began to get a foothold in the match after the break, and a few minutes after a header hit the bar they drew level, Sam Granville tucking the ball home and earning his side a point. 

Cray Wanderers welcomed Welling United to Flamingo Park, the hosts hoping for a home win- both matches between the sides last season had ended in away wins. It looked like things might go that way again when Ade Azeez put Wings ahead seven minutes before the break, but Rob Strachan quickly levelled for the hosts before a rather action-packed second half and a frantic end to the match. Welling went down to ten men when Lekan Majoyebe saw a second yellow ten minutes after the break, and with eighteen minutes to go the hosts looked as if they’d received a rather larger handicap when keeper Henry Molyneux went the same way, ten versus ten for the rest of the match. It was Cray, however, who took control. A foul on Alex Hernandez gave Ade Yusuff the chance to put the hosts ahead from the spot, and he took it- and five minutes later Ola Ogunwamide made it three, this one a cracker from distance. Three minutes from time Hernandez added a fourth, and the majority of the one thousand, five hundred and twenty eight watching on were able to end their afternoon delighted.

Dartford hosted Chatham Town in a battle of our promotion hopefuls. The sides had previously met four times since they were reunited in our top flight, and the Darts had won four out of four- and now it’s five out of five, although this one looked as if it was going to end goalless. The opening- and only- goal arrived in added time, and it came from the spot, Dan Smith converting after a foul on Louie Atkins. One thousand, five hundred and twenty crammed into Princes Park, and they saw the Darts go fifth. 

Leatherhead brought Dulwich Hamlet to Fetcham Grove for a League match for the first time since 2018- although the sides did meet in the FA Cup two years ago, The Tanners eventually progressing after a replay. This one went the way of Hamlet- eventually- after twists and turns galore. The visitors went ahead from the spot on twenty five minutes, Lonit Talla putting that away, but the hosts drew level ten minutes into the second half through Nathan Hogan curling home a free kick- and within three minutes they were ahead, Kofi Anokye-Boadi completing the turnaround. Hamlet didn’t give up, and with nineteen minutes remaining Ogo Obi drew them level- and in added time Danny Mills grabbed a winner, two-three the final score. The attendance was eight hundred and twenty four, and Hamlet are sixth. 

Another match which had been anticipated for quite a number of years saw Lewes host Eastbourne Borough. How many years? Seventeen! Two thousand, one hundred and twelve packed the Pan, but they were to see only one goal- a beauty from Noel Fisher on fifty one minutes which gave the Rooks another three points, a fourth win in a row, third place, and a derby victory too. Borough have lost three in a row and find themselves in fifteenth. 

Ramsgate welcome AFC Whyteleafe to the seaside, however- on the pitch at least- they weren’t very welcoming. They went ahead on twenty three minutes, Alfie Paxman scoring from the spot, and ten minutes later added a second, Rowan Liburd putting away a curling effort from distance. Ten minutes into the second half there was more delight for the one thousand, one hundred and thirty one in attendance, Paxman scoring a third after good work from Callum Jones and Liburd, and Jones then got one of his own to make it four. Almost immediately Leafe got one back, Ade Cole getting onto the scoresheet, but the last word went to the hosts, Solomon Ogunwomuju making it five-one five minutes from time. Ramsgate are up to tenth, their visitors still looking for a first top flight win. 

Another club looking for a first top flight victory were Stanway Rovers, who hosted an Essex derby, Aveley making the trip. Sadly for Rovers fans that wait for three points continues, a goal in each half giving the Millers the points. Toby Aromolaran got the opener on twenty two minutes, Jayden Gipson the second on sixty nine, and that was quite enough to send Aveley up to seventh. 

Another newly-promoted club, Three Bridges, welcomed the side topping the table, Carshalton Athletic. The Robins headed down the A23 with a perfect record, whilst their hosts had taken only one point from their first five matches- but Bridges were to end this one with a first Step Three win and three valuable points. The hosts started at top speed, Kevin Rivera on three minutes and Noel Leighton on eleven giving them an early lead, only for Tope Fadahunsi to quickly get one back for the Robins. Early in the second half a foul from Renedi Masumpu gave the hosts a spot kick which Charlie Bennett put away for three-one, and soon afterwards the visitors went down to ten men as Masumpu saw red. Bridges soon joined them with depleted numbers, Ade Adeyinka also taking an early shower, and right at the end Nathan Young-Coobes brought it back to three-two from the spot, but there wasn’t time for the Robins to get anything from the match. Bridges climb out of the bottom four, whilst Athletic slip to second. 

Whitehawk and Burgess Hill Town renewed acquaintances at the Enclosed Ground. The Hillians don’t tend to have much success in this fixture- indeed they had defeated the Hawks only once in their previous nine attempts- and that’s now once in ten, but they did leave with a point after the very latest of late levellers. Rhys Murphy put the Hawks- still looking for a first win- ahead on thirteen minutes, but with the very last kick of the match, in the tenth minute of added time, George Vorster gave the travelling fans some joy.

Wingate and Finchley met Enfield Town for the first time since a Play Off Semi-Final in May 2024, a match which the Towners won one-nil on the way to promotion. Wingate went into the match having won only one of the previous ten meetings between the sides, and that record was to only get worse after the Towners left them with nothing. The visitors went aheads on three minutes, Amrit Bansal-McNulty with his second of the season- and the same player quickly added another to make it two-nil Towners. Anointed Chukwu got one back for Wingate just before half time, but just after the hour Bansal-McNulty turned provider, setting up Shiloh Remy for a third. Thirteen minutes from time Thomas Avgoustidis scored his fourth goal in six matches to make it four-one, and that secured three points and sent Town to the top of the table, five wins from six. 

The seven hundred and forty nine who watched on gave Wingate a record attendance. Image from Michael Michalia.