Ware get six, Leafe get five, Hastings and Worthing go clear at the top

By Ian Townsend

We had a feast of goals across the Pitching In Isthmian League last night. Here's our round up of the action.


Worthing went three points clear at the top of the Pitching In Isthmian Premier Division last night after winning their seventh away match of the season- they’ve had to play each of their eight matches so far away from Woodside Road due to pitch issues.

The Mackerel Men were at Potters Bar Town, and fell behind just before the half hour as Ken Charles got his fourth goal of the season- but Omar Koroma, signed from Carshalton Athletic last week, scored for the second match in succession to draw them level- and then scored again four minutes from time to take all three points.

It’s now four matches unbeaten for Hornchurch, and eleven goals scored in the process- three last night as they hosted Haringey Borough. Chris Dickson opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour with his seventh of the season- and the same player doubled the lead just after the hour mark. Alfred Bawling reduced the arrears with eleven minutes to go to set up a tense finale, but Charlie Ruff eased home nerves a minute from time to send the Urchins up to sixth.

Pitching In Isthmian North Division

Our big match was between promotion contenders Maldon & Tiptree and Tilbury, and whilst the Dockers stay top they now only have a two point lead over the Jammers despite playing two matches more. There were four goals scored, and the Jammers got all of them- albeit one in the wrong net. The three that went in the right net were all within the first half an hour, Shomari Barnwell, Aaron William-Bushell and Scott Kemp sending their side second.

Histon drop to third. Romford travelled to Bridge Road and left with all three points, with all of the nights three goals coming within four minutes midway through the second half. Michael Abnett put the visitors ahead, Charlie Lewis almost immediately equalised for the hosts, and two minutes later Bagasan Graham had what became the last laugh for Boro, getting the winner and lifting his side into twelfth spot.

AFC Sudbury had gone four league matches without a victory, but it was fifth time lucky as they left Soham Town Rangers with the points. Ben Hunter got the only goal of the game just after the hour.

Another game with just one goal saw Heybridge Swifts end the night in fifth place. Andrew Fennell sealed their third win from four matches in the twentieth minute at Witham Town, who remain at the bottom.

Coggeshall Town are up to seventh, a penalty from Joe Claridge the only goal of the game against Aveley, whilst the most exciting match of the North Division evening was in Basildon, where United managed to go two up, three-two down, and then grab a point against Canvey Island. George O’Connor gave the Bees the perfect start from the spot in the second minute, and that wasn’t the end of the penalties for the evening. Samuel Jeremiah made it two for the hosts after twenty three minutes, but Tobi Joseph pulled a goal back for the Gulls soon afterwards, and in the second half they went ahead after two penalties in five minutes were converted by Connor Hubble.

Callum Boylan was on hand to equalise for the Bees, and the last fourteen minutes saw no addition to the scoreline as both took a point.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

Ware have recently begun to look like the side who swept all before them last season, and last night they confirmed that resurgence by demolishing Harlow Town at Wodson Park. The Blues were four up at half time, a pair from Tommy Wade sandwiching two from Chris Arthur, and after the break Wade got his hat trick, and Finley Titchmarsh made it six. Harlow did get one back, Jaedon Phillips opening his account after coming on as a substitute, but that can’t have been much of a consolation as they lost their sixth game in a row.

Ware are up to second, a point behind leaders Waltham Abbey, who saw their unbeaten run crash to a halt at Barking. The Blues were two up within twenty minutes, Albie Sheehan-Cozens and Michael Tweed with the goals, and Junior Luke rounded off a fine display from the home side with the third on sixty one minutes. Barking climb to fourteenth, and with two wins in a row have finally got their season started.

Tooting and Mitcham United climb to third. The Terrors hosted an in-form Bedfont Sports and defeated them three-nil. Two goals from Dan Williams took the striker to five for the season, and a penalty from Jake Rose in between those two took his tally up to five, too.

Chertsey Town also got three, at Ashford Town, and we had our second South Central hat trick of the night as Jake Baxter got all three. That’s eight for the season for the Curfews number nine, and sees them go fifth- whilst the Tangerines drop to sixth.

Staines Town come next, the Swans outside the top five only on goal difference after a win at Northwood. It looked as if the visitors were only going to leave the Woods with one point, as Excel Muhemba equalised for the hosts with five minutes remaining, but a last minute goal from Sebastian Osei-Obengo, his fifth of the campaign, added to the opener from Tayo Oyebola and earned the Swans the spoils. That’s six defeats from eight for Northwood, who are kept off the bottom only because Harlow are on an even worse run.

A double from Sam Faniyan- taking him to five for the season- was enough to see Hertford Town defeat Chalfont St Peter. The Saints did get a goal back just before the end, Owen James with it, but it wasn’t enough to get them anything from the game.

Town are just ahead of Marlow, who entertained Uxbridge and their own supporters by scoring four goals without reply. James Clark opened the scoring with his tenth of the campaign, and we went from Clark to Charlie, Curtis and Carl, Samuel, Chapple and Stewart adding the next three.

Hanwell Town slipped to tenth- and to their third defeat in five- as FC Romania took the points in West London. A Vladut Sighiartau double, added to by one from Da Silva Eusebio, were enough for victory despite Ogo Obi getting his twelfth of the season for the Geordies and Harvey Killeen making things interesting by pulling it back to two-three with thirty four minutes remaining. The Wolves are up to fifteenth.

Finally, Chipstead moved up to xx by winning a Surrey derby against South Park. Jensen Grant, the marvellously named Javaon Splatt and a penalty from Dan Moody put them three up, and Leon Lalor-Dell’s last minute goal for Sparks- his eighth of the campaign- made little difference to the outcome.

Pitching In Isthmian South East

Hastings United are four points clear at the top of the South East Division after a hard-fought win over Whitehawk at Pilot Field. All of the goals came in the second half; Kenny Pogue and Ben Pope putting the hosts two up before Lloyd Cotton made the last six minutes tense for the home supporters. Hawks are sixteenth. Headline image from Andy Schofield- see more here.

East Grinstead Town are in second place, Louis Theophanous and an own goal earning them the points at Phoenix Sports, for whom Danny Young got onto the scoresheet; whilst Whyteleafe are up to third after walloping Burgess Hill Town five-nil. Aaron Watson got four of them, two in each half to take his season’s tally to six, whilst Omari Hibbert got the other to take his tally to nine- or perhaps ten, as we have been told that another Leafe goal should have gone to him! The Hillians hold up the rest.

VCD Athletic slip to fourth after defeat against unbeaten Faversham Town, who are now behind them only on goal difference. The Lilywhites are conceding only one goal every two games, and they didn’t concede any last night- but did score one, Kelvin Ogboe with it.

Sevenoaks Town took three points in a topsy-turvy game at Homelands. Two goals up after only six minutes through Frankie Sawyer and Tyrell Richardson-Brown, Oaks were then pegged back by Ashford United as Thomas Fagg and Bode Anidugbe drew them level- but right at the end the marvellous Mr Ripley- Tom to his friends- got the winner, to delight the travelling fans and his teammates. Oaks are sixth.

Whitstable Town are seventh, but would have been considerably higher had they not conceded a last minute equaliser against Cray Valley PM. Rory Hill got that leveller, after the Oysterboys had held the lead for eighty eight minutes after Tijan Jadama’s opener. The Millers are twelfth.

Ramsgate and Herne Bay also got a point each and a goal each in our next Kent derby. Tushaun Tyreese Walters put Bay ahead after twenty five minutes, but Mitchell Chapman got the equaliser fifteen minutes from time. The two clubs both have seven points, and are kept apart only because Ramsgate have scored one more goal, and consequently take ninth place.

Where next?

Wabo is a Blue Margate make striker move
Rooks the latest to provide free meals for hungry children The Dripping Pan becomes an enormous free restaurant this week

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