Green for goals as Hornchurch hammer the Ambers

The last time Hornchurch and Cheshunt had met, on 2nd May 2022, the Ambers defeated the Urchins in the Pitching In Isthmian Premier Play Off Final to earn promotion to National League South. Five hundred and fifty eight days later and Hornchurch finally had the opportunity for revenge- and goodness, how they took it.

The Urchins travelled to Cheshunt sitting pretty at the top of the table. Nine points clear, and having won their last nine league matches, they were obviously favourites for victory- but the margin of that victory came as a surprise. Yes, they were helped by a red card for Cheshunt keeper Joe Rose, but by the time that Rose was sent off they were already four goals up.

The opener was unfortunate- an own goal after just four minutes- but after that the visitors were very much the architects of their own destiny. Ade Yusuff added a second a quarter of an hour later, and a third ten minutes before the break, and in the fortieth minute Ryan Scott wandered up from the back to continue a remarkable scoring run- his ninth of the season, and fourth in four matches.

The red card for Rose arrived on sixty four minutes, and the ten men were breached twice more. Femi Akinwande has quickly found his feet for the Urchins after his move from Hastings, and made it five goals in six games by scoring a fifth and sixth for his side- that’s fourteen for the season.

Hornchurch are now ELEVEN points clear at the top- and have scored fifteen more goals than anyone else in the Division. The Ambers find themselves in the bottom four.

Image from Local Bus Driver- more here.

Enfield Town are up to second, courtesy of a comfortable win over Canvey Island. They breached the Gulls defence in the very first minute, Sam Youngs opening the scoring, and thirty two minutes later Youngs doubled their advantage. Any idea of a Canvey comeback ended just after the restart, Reece Beckles-Richards making it three-nil.

Chatham Town played host to Whitehawk, and got back to winning ways with a narrow victory. The Hawks hadn’t lost a league match since the opening day, so we expected this one to be close, and indeed it had only one goal. Simon Cooper scored it, nine minutes before the break, and despite the visitors best efforts their unbeaten run departed along with the points. The Chats are third, behind Enfield Town on goal difference.

Billericay Town slipped to fourth place as a late goal gave victory to Folkestone Invicta at the seaside. Invicta had seen a run of seven games bring them only one victory, and they’d lost their previous three matches, but right at the end, with a goalless draw seeming a certainty, Luke Holness stepped up to delight the majority of the eight hundred and forty seven watching on and lift his side to twelfth.

Chris Agutter’s return to Hastings United has been nothing short of sensational, and his side climbed into the top five after winning their third match in a row. They had to come from behind against Kingstonian at Pilot Field, after an Eddie Dsane penalty put the visitors ahead on nineteen minutes, but a fifteen minute purple patch midway through the second half brought them victory. On fifty four minutes Jason Fregene levelled- and scored for the second weekend in a row- and three minutes later the hosts were ahead, Davide Rodari completing the turnaround. The K’s quickly levelled- although United scored that one, too, albeit at the wrong end- but Tommy Penfold got the winner with twenty one minutes to go. Eight hundred and eighty three watched on.

Carshalton Athletic slipped out of the top five, losing by the only goal of the game at Cray Wanderers. Wands have a good recent record against the Robins, and their fourth win in five meetings came when the visitors delivered an own goal after a quarter of an hour. Wands are seventeenth.

Wingate and Finchley got back to winning ways at an inconsistent Lewes. The travelling Blues had lost their last three, but had a good record against the Rocks, only one defeat in their previous seven meetings- and they came from behind to climb to seventh in the table. It looked like a happy day for the hosts when Tommy Wood opened the scoring after just four minutes, but that happiness was dampened only two minutes later when Ahmet Biler levelled, and three minutes from time the joy departed from the home support, Anointed Chukwu on from the bench to score his seventh of the season. The crowd was seven hundred and thirty three, and most of them weren’t happy at the end.

Cup heroes Horsham have the small matter of an FA Cup First Round Replay with Barnsley to look forward to on Tuesday night, and perhaps they were already focused on that, Hashtag United putting an end to a five match winless run with a comfortable victory at the Camping World Community Stadium. The Tags went ahead on twenty seven minutes through Thomas Anderson, and if there were any doubt that they would hold on for victory, Percy Kiangebeni ended it with a second right at the end. One thousand, five hundred and eighty seven attended- there will be even more on Tuesday night, the match is a sellout.

Dulwich Hamlet welcomed our biggest crowd of the day, three thousand, three hundred and thirty four watching on as they welcomed Margate. At least, we assume they were watching on, but sadly we didn’t have a Lewes correspondent on hand to confirm that! Most of the excitement arrived right at the end- but the opening goal arrived just before half time, Anthony Jeffrey opening the scoring for the hosts. On the hour Ben Greenhalgh levelled for the visitors, and right at the end it seemed that the Blues had taken the points back to Kent, Steve Cawley continuing his run of a goal every two games for his side. There was still time, however, for Josh Shonibare to level for Hamlet.

After a goalless first half, Bognor Regis Town made sure of three points with three goals after the break against Haringey Borough. Dan Gifford opened the scoring nine minutes after the restart, and seven minutes later the same player made it two- taking his record to ten goals in eleven matches. Three minutes from time Dan Smith made it three, the Rocks in fifteenth, Borough five points from safety.

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