Bottom beats top- and Felixstowe hit the summit

It was top v bottom as Lowestoft Town welcomed Ipswich Wanderers to the seaside. The Trawler Boys had an unbeaten record, Wanderers had lost every match, so it looked a home banker- but as often happens when top plays bottom, the result was rather different. Jake Reed put the hosts ahead on thirteen minutes with his tenth goal of the season, but Paulo Coelho quickly levelled for Wanderers and on twenty six minutes Andy Fennell got what proved to be the winner- a result which lifted the visitors out of the bottom two and saw the hosts drop to third.

Image from Shirley Whitlow.

Top spot went to Felixstowe & Walton United, who came from behind to win an absolute thriller against Brightlingsea Regent in a match which saved five of its goals for after the eightieth minute mark. Josh Mayhew put the Seasiders ahead on thirteen minutes, but by half time Regent had asserted their authority, Eljay Worrell quickly levelling and Manny Ogunrinde putting his side ahead just before the break. The equaliser arrived with only nine minutes left, Mayhew with his second of the match, and four minutes from time Leon Ottley-Gooch looked to have sealed three points for the hosts, but the match hadn’t finished yet! Mayhew sealed a hat trick in the ninetieth minute, only for Olly Sotoyinbo to pull Regent back to four three. Eleven minutes of added time had been played before the hosts could breathe once more, Sam Ford making it five-three and ensuring his side went to the top of the table. Regent lose their one hundred percent record and go fourth.

Bowers and Pitsea are up to third, following victory over Heybridge Swifts. The returning TQ Addy took only two minutes to mark his latest debut with a goal, and ten minutes after the break Manny Oluwasemo made it two. Danny Nesbitt halved the arrears for Swifts, but Oluwasemo sealed the points for the hosts by making it three-one with four minutes remaining.

Wroxham were our big winners, hitting Stowmarket Town for six. The Yachtsmen went ahead on twelve minutes, Ryan Hawkins opening the scoring with his sixth goal of the season, and although Stow quickly levelled through Ollie Canfer that was as good as it got. Ryan Miles put the hosts ahead once more midway through the first half, and another from Hawkins- this one from the spot- made it three-one at the break. Miles added two more within sixteen minutes of the restart to claim the match ball, and it was six-one with seventeen minutes left, Josh Harvey rounding off the scoring five minutes after emerging from the bench. Wroxham are up to seventh.

Enfield had top five aspirations as they travelled to Witham Town, but they had to be content with a point. Frederick King opened the scoring for Town just before the break, Rigers Kabashi levelled for the E’s ten minutes later, and that was that.

Another draw came at Bury Town, but they had to come from two goals behind with one minute remaining to get it. Visitors Gorleston went ahead just before the half hour, Dion Frary with the goal, and two minutes from time looked to have clinched three points when Ryan Curtis made it two, but in the last minute Lewis O’Malley got a goal back for the hosts and seven minutes into added time Darren Mills scored an equaliser. Bury are eighth, the Greens in twelfth.

Yet another draw arrived at the Brentwood Arena. Visitors Redbridge mad a fine start, James Barlow putting them ahead on fourteen minutes, but just before half time Brentwood Town levelled through Kingdom Dawson, and as it transpired, that was that.

Basildon United, after their heroics at Witham on Saturday, headed to Maldon- who at the same time were picking up their first league win of the season. Maldon made it two wins from two despite playing most of the match with ten men. George Smith put them ahead just after the half hour, and although Jayden Gipson was quickly dismissed the ten men made it two-nil, Smith doing the damage once more. Kai brown got a goal back for the Bees before the break, but the ten men struck next, Louis Britton making it three-one on sixty three minutes. A goal from Clyde Semazzi with twenty minutes remaining gave the Bees hope, but they couldn’t convert hope to goals and that was that.

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