Blues shatter the Rooks unbeaten run- and in some style

We ended up with only five Pitching In Isthmian Premier matches this weekend, due to the scourge of frozen pitches. Hopefully we’ll get back to normal next weekend- the forecast suggests they won’t even be waterlogged, here’s hoping they’ve got it right for once!

Our top match saw third place Billericay Town welcome seventh place Lewes. The Blues were five unbeaten, whilst the Rooks had an even better record, bringing a seven match unbeaten run to New Lodge- but the visitors were behind after just three minutes, Moses Emmanuel heading home to break the deadlock for the Blues, and it was two-nil on the half hour, an own goal responsible for the addition to their lead. They scored the third on their own, however, and it came just before the break, the in form Alfie Cerulli with his eleventh of the season- six of them arriving in the last seven matches.

Another own goal- or Frankie Merrifield, depending on which account you believe- made it four-nil seven minutes after half time, and on fifty five minutes Merrifield definitely made it five whilst the visiting fans held their heads in their hands.

Twelve hundred and one watched on, and most of them were delighted. Billericay are still third, seven points behind the leaders. Image from Stephen Mold of Photofold Camera Club.

Fourth place Enfield Town had hit a mixed spell of form, with only one win from four- but that’s a spell that hosts Hashtag United would have loved to emulate, the Tags having followed a dynamic December with a jaded January, coming into this one on the back of five consecutive defeats which had seen them concede eighteen goals. They conceded a nineteenth in six matches when Marcus Wyllie’s eighteenth of the season gave the visitors the lead on the half hour, but were almost immediately level, Camilo Restrepo with the equaliser.

The Towners restored their lead eleven minutes into the second half, Lewis Taafe making it two-one with a fine free kick, and with nineteen minutes left Obi Onyeagwara made it three- but the Tags quickly hit back, Alex Teniola heading home to give them seventeen minutes to find an equaliser. They got it, too, San Hassan- a bright spark in a poor month so far- with his fourth goal since Christmas. Could someone get a winner? They couldn’t- but the Tags will be delighted to have ended their losing run.

Hastings United, in sixth, started the day five points away from a top five spot and had the difficult task of a trip to Carshalton Athletic. The Robins, three places and four points behind their visitors at kick off, had turned their form around with only one defeat from six, whilst United were seven unbeaten, so we suspected this one would be close. The opening goal arrived midway through the first half, and it went to Athletic, Luke Read up from the back to score his third goal of the season- and they doubled their advantage when Danny Bassett scored his eleventh of the season six minutes before half time, delighting most of the seven hundred and twenty five packing Colston Avenue.

They were perhaps less delighted when Davide Rodari, in superb form of late, pulled a goal back for United on the hour- his twenty second goal of the season- but there was to be no equaliser, and the Robins end the day only a point behind the visitors.

One of our form sides, Bognor Regis Town, headed to Margate. The Rocks, in eighth place at kick off, had won their previous three and lost only one of their last ten- whilst their hosts have been on a downward spiral, without a league win since November 4th- a run which found them only three points above the drop zone. It was, then, perhaps no surprise when Tommy-Lee Higgs put the visitors ahead on sixty four minutes, and the advantage was doubled when Dan Gifford made it two with sixteen minutes remaining. That was that, the Rocks up to seventh.

Third from bottom Haringey Borough have three defeats from their last four, and despite looking much improved of late found themselves seven points from safety at start of day. Borough welcomed Folkestone Invicta- and five hundred and fifty seven supporters- to Coles Park, Invicta four places and eleven points better off and having reinforced their squad with three new signings this week. Sadly neither side could manage a goal, and neither side move in the table- and that’s their third ‘draw’ of the year (Borough actually won the first one, in the Trophy, on penalties).

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.