Canvey find form once more- but it’s Stowmarket who stay top

By Ian Townsend

Canvey score five- but there’s only one point between the top three. It’s our Pitching In Isthmian North round up

Bury Town and Stowmarket Town met at Ram Meadow, with the visitors at the top of the table. We waited sixty six minutes for a goal, and it went to the visitors, Joe Jefford with the opener, but the hosts delighted most of the one thousand, three hundred and fourteen present with an equaliser twelve minutes later, Max Maughn with the goal. They couldn’t delight them with a winner, and the match finished one each- that point enough to keep the visitors at the summit.

Canvey Island had relinquished top spot after three consecutive defeats, and didn’t start well against Tilbury, Roman Campbell scoring his eighth goal in eleven matches after just four minutes. They were level just before the quarter hour, however, Evans Kouassi getting his sixteenth of the campaign, and went ahead when Conor Hubble made it two on twenty six minutes. The Gulls return to form looked complete when Matthew Price got his eighteenth of the season just after the restart, and they managed two more right at the end, Jamie Salmon- from twenty five yards- and Hubble with a second making it five-one, leaving Canvey just a point off the summit with a game in hand.

Aveley were hosting their tenants, both the Millers and Grays Athletic firmly in the top five. George Sykes put the hosts ahead on twenty six minutes, and Jon Nzengo doubled the advantage twelve minutes after half time, before Athletic made a match of it, James Smith getting one back to set up a rip-roaring last half an hour. There was no equaliser, and Aveley end the day only a point off the top, in third place.

Dereham Town needed to bounce back after two defeats, and got the best possible start when Luke Johnson put them ahead after only four minutes, but visitors Felixstowe & Walton United were quickly level, Jordan Matthews with the equaliser, and the Seasiders were soon ahead, Billy Holland with their second. The match had got away from the Magpies when Charlie Warren got the visitors third just after the hour mark, and the Seasiders are up to thirteenth. The Magpies stay fourth, but lose ground on the top three.

Image courtesy of Felixstowe and Walton United.

Barking got the best Christmas present of all in their landlords v tenants derby against Romford, as they picked up a win for the first time since September 10th. Harvey Brown gave the Blues an early lead, but it was level at half time, as Razmi Mahmoudi equalised for Boro. Ten minutes after the break Kieran Jones put the hosts ahead once more, and any nerves experienced by Blues fans were eased nine minutes from time, Georgie Fairhead making sure of three points.

Witham Town and Hullbridge Sports couldn’t manage a goal in the first half, but the visitors got the first of the match on sixty one minutes, Ross Elsom opening the scoring. That turned out to be the only goal of the game, a second win in a row for Sports, and three points that saw their hosts only four points ahead- and Romford falling to the bottom.

Maldon & Tiptree hosted Heybridge Swifts in the Maldon derby, and Shomari Barnwell quietened the away fans with a goal after just four minutes. Unfortunately soon afterwards the floodlights then failed and the match was called off.

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Where next?

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