Five for Swifts sends them top

Heybridge Swifts played host to East Thurrock United. Swifts started the day with two matches, two wins and two clean sheets, and they were quickly ahead once more, Ben Sartain opening the scoring on nine minutes. It was two-nil ten minutes later, Rob Harvey scoring for the second Saturday in a row, but the Rocks halved the arrears just after the restart through Ayo Odukoya, a fourth goal of the season for the United number nine. Any celebrations amongst the visiting contingent were short lived when Kieran Jones made it three-one soon afterwards, and it was surely game over when Sartain made it four. Victory was certainly confirmed as Ross Wall added a late fifth, and Swifts can enjoy looking down on the rest.

Grays Athletic looked to kick start their season as they welcomed Gorleston to Tilbury. Athletic lost their opening league match and departed the cup in a replay against New Salamis in midweek; whilst the visiting Greens had started this season the way they ended the last one, playing three matches in League and Cup and winning them all- and it was the team in form that struck first, Juke Johnson putting the visitors ahead six minutes after the restart. Athletic’s endeavours were further undone when Ryan Curtis made it two with nineteen minutes left, and the Greens held on to end the day in second place.

Brightlingsea Regent’s (pictured) clash with Enfield looked to be our match of the day. Regent hit five in an FA Cup win last weekend, whilst Enfield hit five without reply in their first two competitive matches of the campaign before narrow defeat at Leighton Town last weekend, so we expected it to be tight. The hosts went ahead on nineteen minutes, Andre Embalo with the goal, and Embalo doubled the advantage just before the hour. Nine minutes from time Chris Arthur ensured a grandstand finish by pulling a goal back, but the hosts made quite sure when Jake Thompson added a third right at the end- and three was indeed the magic number, as Regent are third.

Image from Neil Payne- more here.

Felixstowe and Walton United hosted a derby against Bury Town. The Seasiders looked very good in cup victory last weekend, and they were ahead in this one on twenty seven minutes, Sam Ford opening the scoring- and ten minutes later the majority of the four hundred and one watching on will have been delighted, Callum Harrison making it two. Right at the end Josh Hitter made it three, and the hosts had revenge for home and away defeats against the Blues last season, ending the day in fourth.

Lowestoft Town and Maldon and Tiptree, both on the back of big away wins in the cup, met at the seaside. The Trawler Boys opened the scoring on the half hour, Harvey Sayer’s first of the campaign, and the same player had another from the spot ten minutes before the break. The last time the two sides met, at the end of March, the Jammers came from two-one down at half time to win five-three- but there was no comeback this time around, and Lowestoft end the day in fifth.

Brentwood Town lost their opening league match but got back to winning ways in the Cup last weekend, and started well against Basildon United, Matthew Price scoring from the spot on nine minutes. The Bees had turned things around by the break, Kai Brown levelling from the spot on thirty four minutes and Samir Ali putting the visitors ahead just before the break. Brown made it three-one just after the hour, but the hosts set up a frantic last ten minutes when Kingdom Dawson got one back. The Bees weren’t to be exterminated, however, and held on for three fine points, climbing to sixth.

Redbridge and Stowmarket Town met in East London. The hosts were within seconds of their first win of the season on the opening weekend before a late, late Witham equaliser, and they looked determined to clinch that three points when James Barlow scored the first Isthmian goal of the day, after only three minutes. The second goal of the game took a great deal longer, Scott Sloots levelling with nine minutes left, but that stung the hosts into action and their lead was quickly restored through Soumen Nandi. This time, they held it- and climbed to seventh.

Wroxham and Ipswich Wanderers met in a Norfolk v Suffolk battle, as both sides looked for their first league point. The Yachtsmen went ahead just before the break, Josh Harvey with his third of the season, and quickly made it two just after the restart, Joao Rangel doubling the home advantage. Right at the end Harvey added a third, and there was still time for Rio Abodunde to make it four-nil. Not a good day for any of the sides in Ipswich- Wroxham up to eighth.

New Salamis, fresh from a midweek Cup victory, welcomed Bowers & Pitsea to Coles Park. Both sides lost their opening league matches of the season, but the hosts were ahead in this one ten minutes before the break, Saliu Lo Seye with his second in two league matches. The visitors levelled with nineteen minutes remaining, Tosan Popo earning them a point.

Walthamstow have had a fine start to the campaign, with two wins from two in league and cup, and they went ahead against Witham Town in E17, Percy Winter cooly finishing on twenty five minutes. The visitors were also unbeaten, and they levelled just before the break through Jeffrey Cobblah, his third of the season. Sadly all that came to naught, as the match was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch at half time.

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