Brickies hit seven, Millers get six, Jammers score five- whilst the Urchins close the gap in the Premier Division

Premier Division

At King George’s Field, Corinthian-Casuals were playing for the first time in a fortnight and started the day four points behind second bottom Wingate & Finchley- albeit with two matches in hand. Casuals, who had taken only five points from their previous thirty, were hosting another side who had hardly set the Division alight, fourth-bottom Cheshunt, who had only four points from their last thirty but had shown great improvement of late. The match waited thirty six minutes for a goal and then got two at once, Reece Beckles-Richards opening the scoring for the Ambers only for Kevat Serbonij to equalise almost immediately. The next goal saw the advantage go to the hosts, Coskum Ekim making it two-one, and just before the end Shaun Okojie sealed Casuals second win of the season by making it three.

At the other end of the table Hornchurch started the day in fifth, nine points off the pace- but with three matches in hand over the top three due to their FA Trophy heroics. They hosted Brightlingsea Regent, and were one up on the quarter hour through Rickie Hayles, two up right on the half time whistle as Chris Dickson added a penalty. It looked as good as over when Nathan Cooper made it three, but Cooper made it a little interesting by getting himself sent off immediately afterwards. Could the ten men hold on? They could, the scoresheet untroubled by further goals, and climbed to fourth.

Kingstonian travelled to Potters Bar Town, the K’s five games unbeaten in the League but being distracted from their bread and butter by exceptional FA Cup and FA Trophy form. Nine minutes from the break they went ahead through Louie Theophanous, and eight minutes after that they were two up, Dan Bennett adding the next one. Josh Hutchinson got one back for the Scholars in the very last minute, but it was too little, too late, and the points went to the visitors.

North Division

We start at the top, where unbeaten Maldon & Tiptree began the day three points clear of second placed Aveley and with three matches in hand. The Jammers had to come from behind to beat local rivals Heybridge Swifts on Boxing Day, securing victory with a last minute goal, but were much quicker out of the blocks today at Witham Town, Danny Parish putting them ahead after only fifteen minutes. Town had won their last two matches and were unbeaten in three, so weren’t short on confidence, but their defence was punctured again ten minutes before the break, Connor Hubble with this one. In the second half Parish got his second and his side’s third, Jerome Slew made it four, and Danny Collinge made it five as the Jammers finished 2019 in fine style.

Second place Aveley had been magnificent in both league and FA Trophy of late, and took that form into an encounter with Romford. Glenn Tamplin’s rebuilt side hadn’t managed a fixture in three weeks and looked rusty as Shad Ngandu gave the Millers a ninth minute lead, Alex Akrofi made it two, and then the same player made it three- and it wasn’t yet half time. Akrofi had his hat trick eleven minutes after the break, making it four-nil, and Ngandu got his second with twelve minutes to go for number five. Aveley still weren’t done, and Akrofi got his fourth goal of the game seven minutes from time to make it six-nil.

The teams in third to fifth, Bury Town, Histon and Heybridge Swifts, don’t play today- so sixth and seventh placed Great Wakering Rovers and Coggeshall Town had the chance to capitalise, as they faced each other. After a goalless first half, they delivered a goalless second half too, moving up to fourth and fifth respectively.

Tenth place Dereham Town have followed a fabulous run during October and November by taking only one point from their last nine, so wanted to get back to winning ways at Soham Town Rangers, who had gone eight games without a win; but it was the hosts who took the lead, Alfie Connor scoring the opening goal ten minutes after the break. That turned out to be the only goal, and Rangers climbed to fifteenth.

Canvey Island, who start the day in eleventh, saw a run which had only one defeat in six come to an end as they lost at Tilbury last time out. They entertained Hullbridge Sports, who had only one victory from their last eight matches, but were soon well on their way to another as Liam Nash opened the scoring after only two minutes and added another on the half hour. With twenty minutes to go it was effectively game over, Callum Fitzer making it three, but Sports then suffered a blow as they went down to ten men, Courtney Homans seeing red. It made no difference to the outcome, however, Sports holding on to get three points to go with their three goals.

Nineteenth played seventeenth as Felixstowe and Walton United hosted Basildon United. The Seasiders had only one win in ten, whilst the Bees saw a three match unbeaten run come to an end against Witham Town last time out, and it was the hosts who got the breakthrough, Miles Powell putting them ahead with only twenty three minutes left on the clock. They had a second nine minutes later, Ollie Canfer doubling their advantage, and held on to move seven points clear of the bottom of the table and replace the Bees in seventeenth.

South Central

There was but a point between first place Hanwell Town and second place Ware as we kicked off this afternoon’s fixtures.

The Geordies had been having a bit of a mini-blip by their standards, as although they had had only one defeat in their last ten matches they had drawn no less than five of them, and accordingly had only one win in six. They hosted South Park, the Sparks unbeaten in three but also becoming draw specialists, having taken a point from their last two, and the visitors went ahead on the stroke of half time, and great heavens wasn’t it Great Evans who opened the scoring? Straight after the restart Gareth Chendlik- it’s always Gareth Chendlik- drew the hosts level, and they were handed a man advantage as Callum McAllister was dismissed for the visitors. They didn’t keep that advantage, however, Hugo Sobte being dismissed- and then it got even worse for the hosts as Evans did his thing once more to put the Sparks ahead- a result which saw the Geordies knocked from the summit.

Ware were surprisingly defeated at home to Waltham Abbey last time out, missing out on the chance to go top. They travelled to face FC Romania, our bottom placed side, who came into the match on the back of six consecutive defeats. Did that make them dangerous? Quite possibly, and they took the lead after twenty one minutes through Ionut Miron. The Blues struck back only three minutes later through David Kendall, and went ahead five minutes after the restart, Leigh Rose finding the back of the Wolves net. Liam Hope then made it three, and when the Wolves went down to ten men it was game over, Hernany Marques seeing red. Ware will enter the New Year sitting pretty at the top.

Third placed Westfield started the day four points off the top with a game in hand, and hosted second-bottom Ashford Town. Field had followed four straight draws with three consecutive victories and knew that they might climb to second with another three points, whilst their visitors had lost their last three- and the form guide continued in that vein as the hosts were soon three goals up, Elijah Simpson getting two of them, Max Blackmore the other. Aaron Watson made it four ten minutes from time to put the icing on the yellow cake, and added the candles with his second and his sides fifth just before the end. Westfield are third, three points behind Ware.

Waltham Abbey, in fourth, had been in superb form of late and were undefeated in eight matches- which coincidentally was the same amount of time since Harlow Town, their opponents today, had last picked up a win. The Hawks had gone seven games without victory, and had picked up only two points from the twenty one on offer- but it was the visitors who took the lead on the half hour, Jeremy Sivi opening the scoring. The Abbotts got back into the game twenty one minutes into the second half, Rimmell Daniel getting the equaliser, and then they went ahead- Prince Domafriyie making the turnaround complete. Rob Clarke got the hosts third a minute from time.

Tooting and Mitcham United hosted Chipstead. The Terrors seemed to be getting back to their best form, unbeaten in three and with victories over Chertsey Town and Ware in the last couple, whilst the Chips have won their last three and were looking to pose a stiff test- and just how stiff that test would be was soon apparent. Chris Boulter put the visitors ahead after on four minutes, and Tom Collins put them two up on six minutes. Jamarie Brissett pulled one back on the galf hour, but by half time the Chips had restored their two goal cushion through Spencer Cripps- and eight minutes after the break they had another, Collins making it four-one, and that’s how it ended, the Chips up to twelfth.

Chertsey Town, in seventh place, hosted eleventh placed Bedfont Sports. The Curfews put a run of six games without a win behind them last time out as they walloped Staines Town, whilst Sports saw their eight match unbeaten run ended in a narrow defeat against Westfield. An Andrew Crossley penalty was the difference between the two sides in the first half, the Curfews going into the break ahead; but Sports drew level just after the hour through Darryl Sanders- however Crossley had the last laugh, scoring another penalty to surely give Town victory- but no! In a topsy-turvy end to the game Sports first equalised through Ezekiel Bademosi and then took the lead through Ed Cook, but there was still time for Jake Baxter to get an equaliser for the hosts.

Ninth placed Chalfont St Peter, who strengthened their side yesterday, hosted Marlow. It took only ten minutes for the visitors to go ahead through Ashleigh Artwell, and they had a second before the break, Nnamdi Nwachuku doubling their advantage. In the second half they made it three, Curtis Ujah making the lead unassailable twenty minutes from time. Dara Dada did get one back for the Saints just before the end, but it was scant consolation.

Barking, in tenth, had been in great form of late, with six wins from seven. They hosted Hertford Town, who put a run of three defeats behind them with victory over FC Romania last time out- and the visitors started this one well too, Alfie Cue giving them a first minute lead. That lead lasted only one minute before Dumebi Dumaka equalised for the hosts, and after that the traffic was rather one way, Eddie Allsopp putting the Blues ahead, Dumaka getting his second just after the break to make it three-one, and Giovanni Palmer getting number four eleven minutes from time. Barking climbed to eighth.

Bracknell Town have strengthened their squad dramatically over the last few weeks, and put it to the test as they hosted Northwood. The Robins had gone four matches without a win, whilst the Woods had lost their last two, but it was the hosts who got their noses in front on the half hour through Joy Mukena, and they made it two seventeen minutes from time, Robb Sheridan doubling their lead to secure them all three points.

South East

A collection of postponements had seen Whitehawk slip to fourth place, but victory at Haywards Heath Town could have propelled them back into second. As it was, their prolific unbeaten run came to an end- but they did get a point, as Heath came from behind twice to thwart their ambitions. All the goals, in front of a crowd of three hundred and thirty seven, came after the break; Ahmed Abdulla put the Hawks ahead only for Ryan Warwick to equalise, then Henry Muggeridge restored the advantage for the visitors only for Callum Saunders to come to Heath’s rescue.

Whyteleafe travelled to Guernsey, and both sets of greens ended the day with no goals and a point. Serves themselves right for wearing strips the colour of Brussel Sprouts.

We had another Sussex derby at Chichester City, who hosted Burgess Hill Town. Both sides had gone a fortnight without playing due to postponements, and the hosts were quick to get back on the scoresheet, Jamie Horncastle scoring after only three minutes. That was it until the second half, when O’Shaye Giraud-Hutchinson equalised for the Hillians, but parity lasted only six minutes before Scott Jones put City ahead once more. It looked as if it would end with the hosts taking three points, but right at the end Max Miller grabbed a draw for the visitors.

And we’re leaving the best until last. Sittingbourne hosted Ramsgate, the Brickies playing for the first time since December 10th. Having won only one of their previous four they would have been hopeful of getting back to winning ways before the New Year – and goodness, how they managed it! The one-nil scoreline at half time- Johan Caney-Bryan with the goal- gave little clue to what was going to happen after the break, when the Brickies added six more! Caney-Bryan got the second, too, and then Harry Taylor, Chris Barnard with two, Tommie Fagg and Sam Stace sent the shellshocked Rams back to the coast with not even pride to show for their display. Jude Arthurs was dismissed for the visitors.