Greens spoil the Trawler Boys New Year Party

Leaders Lowestoft Town welcomed neighbours Gorleston and it seemed, in the first half at least, as if they’d take another three points and maintain their six point lead, as Jake Reed gave them a thirty third minute lead with his twenty second goal of the season. They held that lead until twenty minutes into the second half, when the Greens, who had gone five games without a win, levelled through Craig Parker. With only sixteen minutes left Reed looked to have won it for the hosts, and indeed it looked that way until three minutes from time, when Gorleston levelled again- Adam Tann making it two-two. Was their time for a Town winner? There wasn’t, but there was time for the Gorleston to ruin the Lowestoft new year party, as right at the end Craig Parker popped up to pain the town green! Gorleston climb to tenth.

Felixstowe and Walton United had only one win from their previous four matches, but got back to winning ways against bottom side Stowmarket Town- although with more difficulty than they might have expected. It looked rather straightforward when Billy Holland gave them a fifteenth minute lead, but they couldn’t build on that and Town levelled on the hour, Elliott Ballard with the equaliser. Fifteen minutes later it was once more advantage Seasiders, Joe Whight making it two-one, and this time it was a lead they held. Seth O’Neill was dismissed for the visitors, five minutes into added time.

Heybridge Swifts are up to fourth, two second half goals giving them victory over Ipswich Wanderers. The opener arrived seven minutes after the break, Jack Adlington-Pile with it, and any chance of a Wanderers comeback ended in the last minute when Kieran Jones made it two. That’s seven consecutive defeats for Wanderers, a worrying trend which sees them slip to sixteenth. Image from Alan Edmonds.

Brightlingsea Regent lost for the second time in a row as Witham Town got back to winning ways at the Taydal. Jeffrey Cobblah’s eleventh goal of the season put Town ahead just after the half hour mark, with Marlon Agyakwa levelling just before the break for the hosts- but the second half belonged to the visitors. Oliver Bell restored their lead on sixty five minutes, and right at the end it was double trouble for Regent- a red card for keeper Lewis Greene and a third Witham goal, Andrew Sesay scoring it. Town are eleventh, Regent down to seventh.

Maldon & Tiptree made it three wins from four by scoring the only goal of the game at Grays Athletic. It arrived rather early, Terrell Egbri scoring it after only eight minutes, but it was a lead they held despite their hosts best efforts and it sees them start 2024 in eighth place, three points away from the top five.

Bury Town’s fine run continued, as they made it five wins- and a draw- from six matches and closed to within five points of the top five. Their win at Wroxham came despite them playing for almost half the match with ten men, Ryan Jolland seeing red on forty nine minutes. By then the visitors were a goal up, Luke Brown scoring on twenty five minutes, and despite their disadvantage they saw Brown put them two up with thirteen minutes to go. Andrew Topping got a very late consolation for the Yachtsmen.

New Salamis are up to thirteenth after winning a five goal thriller against Enfield at Coles Park. The hosts went ahead on eighteen minutes, Joe Waight with the opener, but Enfield were level at the break, Ronnie Bates scoring nine minutes before half time. The New Salamis lead was quickly restored after the restart, Micah Jackson making it two-one, but again the visitors levelled through Harry Norman. Twelve minutes from time a home winner arrived, and it was Christos Batzelis who did the damage, finally ending the E’s resistance. Enfield are seventeenth.

Note to all clubs- please upload any goal of the month contenders as soon as you can, to the address we sent you!

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