Eight clear for Worthing, Bowers do their best Lazarus impression, whilst Hanwell and Chertsey hit five

League leaders Worthing travelled to FA Trophy winners Hornchurch having won eleven of their last twelve matches (the other was a draw), and now not only is it twelve from thirteen but they are EIGHT points clear at the top, rather remarkable after only fifteen matches. The Mackerel Men went behind last night, Charlie Stimson opening the scoring for the Urchins on twenty five minutes, but quickly levelled through Aaran Racine and then got two more in the second half, a penalty for Ollie Pearce- his fourteenth goal of the season- and a clincher from Joel Colbran eleven minutes from time.

Image courtesy of the club.

The reason that the gap at the top has grown is that second placed Enfield Town were falling to defeat at Bishop’s Stortford. The Towners were unbeaten since October 9th, but the Blues didn’t care, in a match which saw all of the action come right at the end. Jake Cass put the hosts ahead from the spot seven minutes from time, Nathan Smith equalised for the visitors with two minutes left, and Johnville Renee ruined the travelling fans trip home by scoring the winner deep into injury time. Stortford climb to fifth.

Folkestone Invicta lost their unbeaten league record when walloped by Carshalton Athletic on Monday of last week, but they got back on track in style, Kieron McCann grabbing a hat trick at Wingate and Finchley on the way to a four-one win. Scott Heard got the other, and Theo Ofori got a consolation for the hosts. Invicta move level on points with second place Enfield Town.

Perhaps the match of the night came on the Essex coast. Brightlingsea Regent, under new management after eight consecutive defeats, were two goals up with only two minutes to go against Bowers and Pitsea, but somehow contrived to lose the match! Valter da Rocha put Regent ahead early on, Dom Locke doubled their advantage soon after the break, and with three points seemingly secured Michael Ademiluyi got one back in the eighty eighth minute, equalised in added time, and then everyone watched as Bradley Sach got a winner! We’re not quite sure how that happened, and neither are Regent, now in twentieth place whilst Bowers climb to seventeenth.

Into the Pitching In Isthmian South Central, and Basingstoke Town could have gone level with second place Uxbridge with victory over Chertsey Town- but not only did they not get victory, they got properly walloped- only their second defeat of the season. The Curfews went in at half time one goal to the good- Jake Baxter with it- then after the break went goal crazy, Magnus Abisogun, Mark Bitmead, Baxter again and Scott Day making it five-nil before Mckoy Palmer got one back for the hosts.

Basingstoke are now in fourth, overtaken by Hanwell Town who also delivered a goal glut, smashing five past Binfield. The Geordies got three in the first half- Tom Collins, Harry Rush and Ogo Obi- and two more within seventeen minutes of the restart, Obi and Jack Hutchinson making it five-nil. Callum Bunting’s twelfth of the season wasn’t much of a consolation for the Moles, who slip to fifth.

Two sides in form, Bedfont Sports and South Park, met in Reigate- and for once it was the Sparks scoring late goals rather than Sports, as Adam Aziz equalised for the hosts right at the end. Darryl Sanders gave Sports the lead four minutes before the break, and both goals came from the spot.

Thatcham Town were without a win in their last five, but certainly got one last night, walloping Staines Town four-nil. It was three-nil by the break, Alex Miller with an early opener and Daniel Fosu and Lamin Ceesay with two just more before half time, and the final goal of the night came just before the end, Kusel-Gabriel Tone making it four. The Kingfishers are up to eleventh.

In the Velocity Trophy, Faversham Town defeated Sutton Common Rovers two-one in the First Round, Emmanuel Oluwasemo with both the Lilywhites goals and Naseem James with Rovers consolation. In Round Two Phoenix Sports welcomed Great Wakering Rovers, the visitors leaving with a three-one win. Sam Jeremiah, Nathan Fuma and Jake Gordon scored for the visitors, Alfie Evans struck for the hosts.