It’s as you were in the North, as the top three all win

We had a clash of the North titans, as new leaders Aveley travelled to the Len Salmon to take on our form team, Hashtag United. The Tags had won their last six matches and boss Jay Devereux pick up our Vita Risk Solutions Manager of the Month award, but it looked like that prize might come with a curse attached as George Sykes gave the Millers the lead on nineteen minutes- Sykes seventh goal in his last eight games.

Five minutes into the second half and Aveley made it two, Joe Benton getting his seventh of the season when curling the ball into the top corner of the net, and they saw out the game to stay at the summit.

Stowmarket Town fell from the top when losing to Dereham Town, and Stow were hoping to climb back up there with a win over Witham Town. Stow had gone ten unbeaten before that defeat, but it was their visitors who struck first, Luke Stanley giving Witham the lead after a quarter of an hour. The equaliser came nine minutes after the break, Luke Brown equalising with his eighth of the campaign, and just after the hour Josh Curry delighted the home faithful by putting his side ahead- but Witham have been draw specialists of late and it looked like they had another when Ramiah Mills equalised nineteen minutes from time.

That turned out to be a premature conclusion. Josh Mayhew had other ideas, and with nine minutes left made it three-two to take all the points for Stow.

Canvey Island, a point behind the top two at kick off, knew that they could potentially be back on top on Saturday evening. The Gulls must have been licking their…beaks in anticipation as they travelled to Romford, hit for seven by Aveley on Monday and having lost their last eleven matches to sink to the bottom of the table- and they took the lead after just twelve minutes, Matthew Price getting his twentieth goal of the campaign.

Romford were sterner stuff today, and it took until nine minutes from time for the second goal to arrive- and that came from the spot, Evans Kouassi with his eighteenth goal of the campaign. There was still time for the Gulls to add a third, however, Callum Fitzer with that one- three goals and three points for the Gulls.

Dereham Town defeated former leaders Stowmarket Town last time out, so would have been confident travelling to face a Grays Athletic side who had lost their last three- but Athletic were quickly into their stride and took the lead after only three minutes, Geofrey Okonkwo with the opener. Ten minutes from time it was two-nil, Anointed Chukwu doubling the Athletic advantage, and it was game over when the same player made it three-nil two minutes from time. Athletic are in the top five once more.

AFC Sudbury and Maldon and Tiptree had both slipped down the table in recent weeks, and both wanted to find an upwards trend once more. The hosting yellows had taken only four points from their last eighteen, but it looked like they’d get three more when Jake Clowsley opened the scoring with only fifteen minutes left. That’s how it turned out, and they climb to seventh.

Heybridge Swifts, six games unbeaten, welcomed Basildon United. The Bees got back to winning ways last time out, walloping Tilbury four-one; whilst Swifts had only two defeats in ten and defeated Coggeshall Town last time out. We expected it might be close, and we were right, the opening goal taking until the eighty third minute to arrive. It went to Swifts, and to Darren Phillips, and then a minute from time Joe Claridge made it two-nil from the spot to make sure of all three points.

Image: Alan Edmonds at Heybridge Swifts.

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