Wroxham and Newmarket survive despite draws- and the Seasiders take second

The primary focus of our Pitching In Isthmian North afternoon was directed at nineteenth place, which was the place that Wroxham, Newmarket Town and Haringey Borough wanted to avoid!

Haringey Borough occupied  that final relegation spot at kick off despite being eight matches unbeaten, their longest unbeaten run of the campaign. They had a difficult match in prospect as they travelled to take on fifth place Brightlingsea Regent, and news of Wroxham’s lead against Borough can’t have been nice for the travelling faithful to hear, but it would have been nicer than what they were soon to witness as Jake Clowsley put Regent ahead on eleven minutes. The equaliser arrived five minutes into added time, Zayshaun Asamoah with it, but there wasn’t enough time left to find a winner and Borough are relegated. We’ll miss them, particularly their noisy fans, who have remained noisy all season despite not being given too much to shout about. 

Regent will travel to Felixstowe and Walton United in Tuesday’s Play Off Semi-Final.

Newmarket Town took a one point advantage to the seaside to face Concord Rangers, and had lost only one of six, whilst Rangers had seen their season crash to an end. The Beachboys had lost their previous five, and indeed seven of their last eight, and they lost a player on the half hour, Evernage Nyahunda dismissed. The ten men held out until seventeen minutes from time when Stan Leech scored for the Jockeys, but the hosts were quickly level, Steve Cawley with the equaliser. As it turned out, that was good enough for the Jockeys to stay up. 

Wroxham started the day two points clear of Haringey Borough and one ahead of Newmarket Town in the fight to avoid the drop. The Yachtsmen had a difficult task, second place Bury Town making the trip and hoping to seal that second spot and the home play off advantage that came with it, but it was the hosts who made an early breakthrough, Shaun Taylor scoring on seven minutes. Joe White levelled for the visitors with twenty one minutes remaining, but that was how it ended- confirming survival for the Yachtsmen whilst seeing Bury drop to third. Bury welcome Waltham Abbey in Tuesday evening’s Play Off Semi-Final. 

Victory for Felixstowe and Walton United and anything other than a win for Bury at Wroxham would see them take second spot as they had a far better goal difference, and they went ahead against visitors Witham Town on twenty minutes, Sam Ford making the breakthrough. The Seasiders quickly added a second, Rob Harvey with it, but Town got a goal back in added time at the end of the first half when Kamani Mcfarlane scored from the spot. In added time at the end of the second half Charlie Warren made it three-one to the hosts, but somehow there was still time for more, Sonny Dutton bringing it back to three-two. Finally, that was that- and it took the Seasiders up to second and confirmed a Tuesday Play Off Semi-Final with Brightlingsea Regent the visitors.

Image from Stefan Peck.

Waltham Abbey, in fourth, were three points and six goals behind third place Felixstowe in the battle for home Semi-Final advantage, so needed a big win at Mildenhall Town coupled with a significant Seasiders defeat if they were to climb a place in the table. It didn’t start well for the Abbotts, Thomas Thulborn putting Hall ahead on nine minutes, and it got worse when Jed Wigley added a second seven minutes later. The visitors halved the deficit eight minutes before half time, Jason Hallett scoring for the second time this week, but that was that so far as goals were concerned. The Abbotts travel to Bury Town on Tuesday, Hall end the season in fifteenth. 

Sixth place Tilbury hosted up and coming Maldon & Tiptree- perhaps a precursor for a promotion battle next season? The Jammers went ahead on sixteen minutes, Kai Brown the scorer, but the Dockers were soon level, Jordan Clark with the equaliser. That turned out to be that, Tilbury ending the campaign in sixth, Maldon in thirteenth. 

Gorleston took an incredible twenty match unbeaten run on the road to Redbridge. The Greens, who started the day in eighth, fell behind on twenty four minutes, Fotsing Pitoula Wabo with the opener for the Motormen, but levelled just before the hour, Cameron Beazer the scorer. The Motormen were ahead once more on sixty seven minutes, Doriano Tanzillo with that one, but again the Greens levelled, Joseph Marsden making it two-two. The goals stopped there, and Gorleston’s unbeaten run will move into next season!

Grays Athletic took an eleven match unbeaten run which included nine wins on the road to East London, where they took on relegated Sporting Bengal United. Athletic went ahead eleven minutes into the second half, Alejandro Piedrahita Machado the scorer, and Harry Hope took only six more minutes to make it two-nil. Danny Sambridge, soon to leave Athletic after many years service, came out of his goal to take a penalty on sixty nine minutes and made it three-nil for a fairytale ending, and the hosts went down to ten men fifteen minutes from time, Myles Dominique sent off. There were no more goals, but Athletic won’t mind, as they end the season in ninth place. 

Walthamstow hosted our champions, Brentwood Town- and went ahead midway through the first half, Jordan Peart putting away a spot kick. Bilal Sayoud made it two-nil with eleven minutes to go, and that was that, Stow ending the campaign in tenth and five unbeaten. 

Relegated Basildon United, without a win since October, hoped to end the campaign- and their Isthmian stay- on a high as they hosted Cambridge City. City went ahead just after the hour, Junior Mubiayi the scorer, and they held on to take the points. 

Finally, Heybridge Swifts hosted Ipswich Wanderers. The visitors, relegation confirmed, went ahead in first half added time through Ashton Bullard, and it was a lead they held, to end the campaign in twentieth. Swifts are fourteenth, losing nine of their last eleven.