Towners hit four to maintain their lead

Pitching In Isthmian Premier leaders Enfield Town started the evening one point clear at the top, and hoped to at least maintain that margin as they welcomed eighth place Chatham Town. The Towners were in fine form, with only one defeat from ten, whilst the Chats were finally looking like the promotion challengers we all expected them to be, with three wins from four- and had scored seven goals in winning their last two matches. 

The opening goal arrived just after the quarter hour, and it went to the hosts, Tariq Al Sadi scoring for the third match in a row- and within four minutes Sam Youngs had added a second, Al Sadi the provider this time. The Al-Sadi show continued when Tariq made it three just before the hour, and three minutes from time Daniel Efobi added a fourth- his third in two matches- to put even more gloss on a superb performance for the hosts. 

Town remain a point clear at the summit. 

Second place Welling United were at home to Leatherhead- the Tanners down in thirteenth but with one, two or three games in hand over almost everyone ahead of them due to their Cup exploits. United were hoping to bounce back from defeat in Chatham at the weekend, whilst their visitors were playing their first League match in seventeen days- a defeat against Chatham. Leatherhead didn’t lose on the road in the League all last season, and so far were unbeaten on their travels this season, too, but they were behind on nine minutes, Chris Harris opening the scoring. Despite their best efforts the visitors couldn’t find an equaliser, and that long unbeaten away run came to an end- with the Wings stills second. 

Eastbourne Borough started the evening six points behind the leaders, albeit with a game in hand, but were looking for a sixth League win in a row as they travelled to Maldon and Tiptree, the Jammers three unbeaten and hoping to pull further clear of the bottom four. Borough have looked every inch our title favourites of late, and were ahead after only five minutes courtesy of Kai Corbett- his sixth League goal of the campaign. Two minutes later an own goal made it two, but the Jammers were back in the match in first half added time, Fatih Mustafa halving the deficit. The equaliser didn’t arrive for the hosts, and Borough climb to fourth. 

St Albans City had been so busy with FA Cup and FA Trophy action that their match against Burgess Hill Town was- astonishingly- their first League action since Tuesday 15th September. The Saints started the evening in twelfth, albeit with games in hand- sometimes as many as four- over all the sides above them, their visitors three points better off after playing three games more. Hill had lost only one of their previous ten so looked unlikely to be pushovers, but they were down to the bare bones due to injuries and behind early on, Kai Brown taking only five minutes to score his fourth League goal in ten matches. An injury to Ben Pope midway through the first half saw Charlie Lambert- Hill’s only senior substitute- introduced, and the visitors suffered another blow when Zak Sowden-Fletcher made it two-nil just before half time. 

An own goal midway through the second half gave the Hillians hope, and that hope grew when the Saints saw Darion Furlong dismissed and a penalty awarded- but Chris Whelpdale couldn’t find a way past home keeper Sam Donkin and the ten men added a third ten minutes from time, Sowden-Fletcher striking again. That was that- City up to tenth. 

Dulwich Hamlet hit the road to take on a Whitehawk side rooted to the bottom and six points from safety, but who had remembered how to win when knocking St Albans City out of the FA Trophy on Saturday. Hamlet were five League matches without a win, six in all competitions, but they were ahead midway through the first half as Danny Mills, who used to delight the Enclosed Ground faithful, instead made them miserable. Ogo Obi made it two seven minutes before half time, Mills the provider on this occasion, but the hosts had late hope when Rhys Murphy pulled a goal back from the spot two minutes from time. Unfortunately, however, there were no more key moments for the hosts, and Hamlet took the points back to South London- and moved to tenth. 

Brentwood Town welcomed Cheshunt, aware that victory would take them out of the bottom four and above their visitors. The Blues had three wins from four in the League and given their Cup heroics were now a memory had only a climb up the table to concentrate on, whilst their visitors were four unbeaten prior to their loss at Stanway Rovers on Saturday. 

The Blues went ahead four minutes before half time, Nat Mardell with the opener, and within two minutes they had another, Alfie Cerulli delivering goal number two. Still they weren’t finished, and the Ambers somehow conceded a third before the break, scoring that one themselves- albeit at the wrong end. 

Five minutes into the second half Cheshunt struck back, Tommy Wood giving the travelling faithful hope, and it really was game on when Jakai Bascoe-Fisher brought it back to three-two with half an hour remaining. Could they? No. Three minutes into added time Freddie Sears scored a fourth for the hosts, and the win saw them climb to thirteenth. 

Stanway Rovers versus Cray Wanderers was abandoned due to floodlight failure.