Bury bury Boro with eight- whilst Athletic hit five

Romford welcomed Bury Town. Boro started the day looking rather marooned at the bottom, without a win since mid October, whilst their visitors kicked off in twelfth, having got back to winning ways last time out after a run of five without victory. Town built on that in style at Mayesbrook Park; indeed they delivered an absolute thrashing.

It took forty one minutes for the first goal to arrive, Ryan Jolland getting it for the visitors, and that opened the floodgates as it was three-nil by the break, Daniel Gilchrist and Max Maughn adding to the score almost immediately.

After the break Maughn completed an incredible eight minute hat trick by grabbing numbers four and five, and then three goals in three more minutes- sixty six, sixty seven and sixty nine- saw Thomas Gee, Daniel Gilchrist and another for Jolland making it eight. That was that, improving Town’s goal difference no end, whilst a great escape is looking rather unlikely for the hosts.

Fourth place Grays Athletic, who hadn’t conceded a goal in their last four matches, welcomed relegation-threatened Barking, who had conceded eleven during the same period and were seven without a victory. Athletic welcomed the Offside Trust and celebrated International Women’s Day, and they gave those watching on a party, hitting five against their visitors, who ended the day with ten men. Geofrey Okonkwo, Kai Brown and Anointed Chukwu made it three for Athletic by the break, although Kieran Jones did score for the Barking, and in the second half Chukwu scored again after a red card for visiting keeper James Shaw, and Aron Gordon got a fifth. Barney Williams pulled it back to five-two just before the end, but Barking remain second bottom.

In honour of International Women's Day, our headline image is of Beck and Kim, two of Athletic's volunteers, who admitted the crowd of four hundred and three! Image from the club.

Hashtag United knew that a win over Hullbridge Sports could see them climb as high as sixth place, but they also knew they’d have a scrap on their hands as visitors Hullbridge Sports have been in fine form, and were five unbeaten. So it proved, but the Tags just had enough for victory. Sam Bantick and Jermaine Francis put the hosts two up by the break, but Tony Stokes set up a tense finale with a goal back nineteen minutes from time. We did have a late, late goal, but to the relief of the Tags faithful it went to Bantick, who made it three-one.

On Friday night Witham Town did their survival hopes a power of good by scoring the only goal of the game at Maldon & Tiptree. Ayo Olukoga got that goal, which lifted his side out of the bottom three.

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