Enfield and Canvey hit the top, South Park hit six, and Marlow’s perfect record ends

Pitching In Isthmian Premier Division

Enfield Town are our new leaders, claiming a hard-fought victory over Wingate and Finchley last night. The Towners, who defeated previous leaders Kingstonian a week ago, got two goals in ten minutes either side of half time at the QEII Stadium, Nathan Smith with the opener just before the break and Percy Kiangebeni- his third in three matches- doubling the advantage five minutes after the restart. The visiting Blues have been in fine form, with only one defeat in six, and weren’t going to roll over; Sam Hatton pulled a goal back with twenty minutes to go to set up a tense finale. But the equaliser didn’t come, and Enfield took top spot- although they may relinquish it again tonight if Kingstonian defeat Worthing.

Lewes are two points behind in third place, having taken their goal tally for the season up to twenty nine- that’s almost three per match! Last night’s victims were Leatherhead, who weren’t allowed to give their new management team a good start as the Rooks ran rampant, scoring five without reply. Joe Taylor opened the scoring with his tenth of the campaign, and got his eleventh on the hour- but in between those goals Taylor Maloney had grabbed his seventh and Bradley Pritchard had another. Iffy Allen finished off the rout sixteen minutes from time, with the Tanners rock bottom.

Headline image courtesy of James Boyes.

Margate’s last visit to Merstham was only a few weeks ago and saw them dumped out of the FA Cup by four goals to one, but they got their revenge at the Whisky Bible Stadium last night. Vance Bola was their hero, taking his tally to five for the season with a goal just before the break and another twelve minutes after it, and although Dylan Adjei-Hersey got one back on sixty eight minutes Sam Blackman made sure of victory ten minutes from time. The Blues are up to seventh.

Potters Bar Town were our other big winners, firing three without replay past East Thurrock United. The Scholars scored three for the second match in succession, and defeated these opponents for the third time in a row. Kazaiah Sterling put them ahead after just three minutes, but we waited another fifty nine minutes for the next goal, Devonte Aransibia getting that one. The win was confirmed three minutes from time when Ben Ward Cochrane got his ninth of the campaign.

Hornchurch were hurting after grasping defeat from the jaws of victory against East Thurrock United on Saturday, and that pain will have doubled after Cheshunt arrived on Bridge Avenue and took all three points with the only goal of the game. It came nine minutes from time, and it went to Amadou Kassarate- his second of the season seeing the Ambers climb above their hosts into tenth place.

A win for Haringey Borough at Bishop’s Stortford could have sent them into the top five. Borough had drawn their last three league matches- and now it’s four, as the Blues came back to take a point. When Scott Mitchell got the opening goal for Borough with just eighteen minutes remaining the visiting supporters must have hoped that three points were within their grasp, but Jake Cass had other ideas, Stortford’s scoring sensation stepping up to equalise eight minutes from time- his ninth of the season.

Pitching In Isthmian North Division

Canvey Island’s unbeaten record looked in serious trouble at half time in last night’s match at Barking. Although Harrison Chatting had given the Gulls an early lead, the Blues, who had lost their previous four matches, bounced back to take the lead- Kieran Jones and Olu Oluwatimilehin turning the game on his head. Could Canvey respond? They could. Conor Hubble equalised seven minutes after the break, and then Evans Kouassi took over, scoring twice and taking his tally up to eight for the campaign. Canvey replaced Grays Athletic at the top- and have scored more goals this season than anyone apart from Lewes.

Felixstowe and Walton United had their eyes on the top five, but the Seasiders fell to an improving Heybridge Swifts side in a five-goal thriller, Swifts turning defeat into victory with two goals right at the end.

Lionel Ainsworth opened the scoring for the visitors after just seventeen minutes, and it was almost an hour later before the next goal arrived, Henry Barley on 73 minutes and Miles Powell two minutes later turning the match on its head. Perhaps it might have remained that way had the Seasiders not almost immediately been reduced to ten men due to Ollie Canfer’s red card, but we still reached the ninetieth minute with the hosts in the ascendancy. At that point it became the Walker show, substitute Dan managing two goals in two minutes to send the visiting fans into ecstasy.

Coggeshall Town have had a hit-and-miss start to the campaign, but have Sam Bantick in fine form- and he continued to shine as they defeated Hullbridge Sports by four goals to one, firing home a hat trick to make it eight for the season so far. Bantick and Dean Agar made it two-nil to the Seed Growers at half time, and it was three as Bantick got his second two minutes after the restart. Jack Wilson got one back for Sports just seven minutes later but his next contribution was a red card, so it was no surprise when the ten men succumbed to Bantick once more right at the end. Sports have now lost four of their last five matches by four goals to one.

Under new management Brentwood Town travelled to take on Great Wakering Rovers, both sides celebrating fine away wins in the FA Trophy at the weekend. Rovers had been magnificent in cup competitions but rather the opposite in the league, and they were two down within little over a quarter of an hour, Andrew Freeman and Rob Harvey putting Town in the driving seat. Ashley Nzala got one back for the hosts, but the next goal of the match also went to the visitors, Daniel Ogunleye making it three-one thirteen minutes after the break. That finally awoke Rovers, and first Charlie Morris responded before Mitchel Gilbey drew them level with eighteen minutes to go- but it was the visitors who had the last laugh, Rob Harvey getting two more to claim the match ball and seal a five-three win.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

Five matches, five wins, not a single goal conceded- Marlow put their perfect start to the season to the test as they travelled to face a Chipstead side who also have top five ambitions. It looked as if it could be a competition between two fine, in-form strikers, the Chips ten goal Tom Collins coming up against Marlow’s seven goal Nnamdi Nwachuku- and the two both found the net as the Chips stopped their visitors from making it six in a row and climbing into second place.

It was Nwachuku who struck first, five minutes before the break, but Collins drew the hosts level on sixty three minutes and try as they might, those were the only goals of the evening. Marlow ended the night where they started it, in third, whilst Chipstead are up to eighth.

Sutton Common Rovers hosted their first home league match of the season, as South Park came to call. Rovers had lost their last four matches in all competitions, whilst the Sparks had only one win in their last seven, and the two were separated in the table at kick off only by goal difference. By the end not only were there three points between them but the goal difference had changed dramatically, as the Sparks fired home six without reply!

Neatly, three goals came in each half. Melford Simpson, an own goal and Alex Felipe made the difference in the first forty five, a brace from Adam Aziz and a late goal from Ibrahim Jalloh made it six after the break; a result which sends South Park up into tenth place.

Pitching In Isthmian South East

VCD Athletic, who were unbeaten in the League since Saturday 28th August and had won their last three, hosted a Corinthian side who hadn’t won since the opening day- but those statistics were turned on their heads at Oakwood as the visitors recorded a fine four-one victory. Jack Mahoney made the breakthrough for Corinthian after just four minutes, but when Alex Gaggin equalised for Vickers seven minutes after the break you’d have expected the momentum to tip towards the home side.

It did the opposite, however, as Louie Clarke quickly restored the lead, before Joshua Stirman and Emmanuel Oloyede made quite sure of the points and sent their side up to thirteenth.

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