Greens slay giants!

We had a collection of important matches last night, and a mixed bag of results in knock out competitions. But we’ll start there, and we’ll start with the best.

All hail Soham Town Rangers. Hosting Southern Premier Central side St Ives Town after a draw on Saturday, they not only defeated their higher-level opponents, they demolished them. Two goals from Sam Mulready and a third from Ryan Auger saw the Greens slay their visiting giants by three goals to nil.

Canvey Island are the next side through, and they were once again made to work by Chipstead, but on this occasion sneaked through with goals from Dan Humphreys and Tobi Joseph. Sam Bell had earlier equalised for the Chips, but two-one was the final score.

Enfield Town and Bishop’s Stortford served up a magnificent feast of football at Donkey Lane- and the visiting Blues must be wondering how they lost it. Jordan Chiedozie put them ahead in the first half, and they held that lead until eleven minutes from time, Ryan Blackman equalising. Into extra time we went, and Stortford once more got their noses in front through Shomari Barnwell; but right at the end of the first period Marc Weatherstone popped up to draw the Towners level once more, and then in the last fifteen minutes Ken Charles and Muhammadu Faal put some gloss on the performance, the fourth goal coming in the one hundred and twentieth minute.

Margate eased to victory over Barking with two goals right at the end of the first half, Adem Ramadan and Elliott Reeves sending one set of Blues through and another set of Blues out, but the news was less good elsewhere, as Marlow lost two-nil to Sholing and Wingate and Finchley fell to last minute defeat at Hayes & Yeading United, falling two-one. Ahmet Rifat scored early on for the visitors, but sadly they couldn’t hold on to that lead.

In the FA Cup, the match between Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town ended in a comfortable victory for the visitors, who ran out three-nil winners.

In the Premier Division, Bowers and Pitsea have now picked up only one win- on penalties- from their last eight matches, after they lost to a rejuvenated Bognor Regis Town at the Len Salmon. The Rocks have now won their last four matches- and indeed six out of their last seven, goals from Dan Smith and Tommy Leigh doing the damage last night despite Lewis Manor pulling the home side level in the sixty third minute.

Potters Bar Town, who hadn't lost a league match since August 24th, hosted fifth place Worthing, who had lost only one of their last seven. It was set up to be a tight affair, and indeed it was, as the sides drew one-one. Reece Myles-Meekums put the visitors ahead early on, but they held their lead for only nine minutes before George Craddock got an equaliser for the Scholars, and that’s how it remained.

In the North Division Felixstowe and Walton United hosted Maldon and Tiptree, the Jammers having won every league match so far and having already beaten the Seasiders twice this season, with an aggregate score of 8-1. Maldon continued their impressive run but eased off on the goals, scoring only two in recording a two-nil victory. Charlee Hughes and Danny Parish found the back of the Seasiders net.

The South Central Division saw Hanwell Town have the chance to go top with victory at Staines Town, but they got only a point- and that in the very last minute. Gareth Chendlik gave them the lead at the break, but the Swans hit back through Dara Dada-Anité and Arif Hattabi and must have thought they’d grabbed their first league win of the campaign, only for David Taylor to pop up right at the end with an equaliser.

Hertford Town hosted Chertsey Town, and the visitors left with the points, winning by the off goal in five. A goal from Jake Baxter four minutes from time made the difference, after Luke Theo Gymer and Ben Weyman had scored for Hertford and Lubomir Guentchev and
Andrew Crossley had found the net for Chertsey.

Unbeaten Ware could have climbed to second place if they had defeated South Park at Wodson Park, but whilst they remained unbeaten they got only a point in a six goal thriller- and they only got that with a last minute equaliser. There were four goals in the first half, Great Evans and Sam Remfry for Sparks, Patrick Adamson and Leigh Rose for Ware as both sides spent time in the lead, and after the break Alejandro Piedrahita put the visitors ahead only for Olu Akinsanya to get that late equaliser.

In the South East Division Whyteleafe hosted a Burgess Hill Town side who had dropped to second from bottom, and they showed their visitors no mercy, Ronald Sobowale grabbing a hat trick in a four-three win. Leafe didn’t have it all their own way, the second half a three-three draw after the home side had gone into the interval one-nil up. O'Shaye Giraud-Hutchinson got two goals for the Hillians, Andrew Briggs their third in the last minute, whilst Emmanuel Mensah got the opener for Whyteleafe.

The Velocity Trophy saw Uxbridge host Ashford Town, and Witham Town host Basildon United. The matches both ended in away wins, the Tangerines sending the Red Army home miserable after a three-nil victory at Honeycroft, goals from Matthew Surmon, Aaron Petch and Daniel Brown doing the damage, whilst the Bees won a rip-roaring match five-four, after being four-three down with half an hour remaining. Lewis Byrne Hewitt, Scott Kemp, an own goal and Jake Thompson scored for the home side, Joseph Turpin, Ayomikun Odukoya, Adam Vyse, Regan Mead and Harry Norman for United.

Cambridge City host Harlow Town tonight in the Velocity Trophy.