Leaders spoil McDonagh's day

McDonagh gave Chats a third-minute lead at Ryman North leaders Maldon and, after Chris Bryan equalised in the 40th minute, McDonagh struck again before the interval and completed a hat-trick when he ran through from halfway to make it 3-1 with 12 minutes left.

It stayed that way until the last five minutes, when Maldon showed why they are 13 points clear at the top. A double from James Robinson levelled the scores and, two minutes into added time, Lewis Dark tapped in to steal a 4-3 victory which preserved the league’s only unbeaten home record.

The current top five look almost certain to stay there until the end of the season. Yesterday they shared 21 goals in collecting maximum points.

Second-placed Grays romped to a 5-1 victory at lowly Ware. Headers by Jack West and Jeff Hammond gave them a 2-0 lead at the break which they stretched with a Danny Bunce penalty on 54 minutes after a foul on West by Dave Bastian, who was shown a yellow card and collected another one shortly afterwards.

The ten men pulled one back on the hour, a deflected shot by David Corran, but West scored twice in the next five minutes to complete his hat-trick and put the result beyond doubt.

Thamesmead trail Grays only on goal difference after twice coming from behind on their way to a 3-2 home win over Potters Bar.

An own goal by Lewis Tozer gave the visitors a 13th-minute lead. Stuart Zanone replied ten minutes later only for Daniel Ailey to restore the Scholars’ advantage moments before the interval. Zanone levelled it again in the 54th minute and Chris Edwards nabbed the winner eight minutes later.

The division’s third hat-trick came from Luke Callander, who took his league-leading tally to 26 as Heybridge retained fourth place with a 4-0 victory at Soham.

Ben Newson and Callander scored in the first nine minutes and Callander added two more in the first seven minutes of the second period. It took Heybridge’s tally to 100 goals in all competitions and they are the league’s joint top scorers with 83, a tally matched only by neighbours Maldon.

Aveley bounced back from their midweek defeat by Grays to hit five unanswered goals at Ilford, keeping their hosts nailed to the foot of the table.

Petrit Elbi put them ahead after 32 minutes, Billy Holland added another before the interval and a Junior Dadson double either side of Jordan Cox’s 22nd league goal completed the haul by the 62nd minute.

Millers are ten points clear of Witham, who moved above Soham into sixth place with a 1-1 home draw against Sudbury in a game which produced two penalties in the first eight minutes.

Sudbury had the first chance but James Baker’s kick hit a post, as did Lee Townrow’s follow-up. Scott Pethers fared better at the other end shortly afterwards. Dave Cowley’s header squared it on the half-hour.

Mid-table Needham Market had more reason than most to celebrate after Bradley Barber’s spectacular 25-yarder earned them a 2-1 home win over Redbridge.

Beating a club 21st in the table might not be seen as a major achievement, but after 14 futile attempts – seven draws and seven defeats – the Marketmen finally became the last club in the league to win on their own territory.

Duane Wright’s header gave them the lead nine minutes before half-time but the Motormen equalised soon after the break with a lob from Jacob Cleaver, who has claimed ten of their 23 league goals. Then Barber stepped in.

It means no change at the bottom, where Redbridge are a point ahead of Ilford and four points behind Ware. Only one club will go down at the end of the season.

Brentwood went down 2-0 at Wroxham. It was their third defeat in five days and seems to have ended any chance that they can catch the top five with their games in hand, though they still have plenty of them.

After a tedious first half, Adam Eastaugh broke the deadlock in the 48th minute and Ben Thompson added another just before the end.

Harlow missed an early penalty at Waltham Abbey and had to wait until the second minute of added time for Michael Akande’s goal which gave them a 1-1 draw at Waltham Abbey.

Jack Daveney had put the hosts ahead four minutes before the interval. The Abbotts have suffered more than most from the weather: it was their first home game since Christmas and only their second since November 10.

Tilbury were under the cosh for most of the first half but beat visitors Waltham Forest 1-0 with a 54th-minute goal by Danny Francis, who finished off a cross from Jack Carlile.

(Pictured by Elliot Mercer: Tilbury skipper Joe Nightingill preparws to shoot).

The other match was a goalless draw between Romford and Cheshunt at Ship Lane. The hosts had a goal disallowed and Cheshunt hit a post.