Leaders win, Bay and Bedfont get five- and Hawkfest ends in victory for...Hawks!

For once, we’re going to start our Premier Division round up at the bottom rather than the top- and a visit to Hawkfest!

Harlow Town, walloped by Worthing last weekend, hosted an improving Whitehawk hoping to bounce back at keep their visitors in the bottom three- but it didn’t work out that way. The action that mattered came in the second half, with three Hawks goals- that’s the away Hawks, not the home Hawks! Rob Deda got the first just after the hour, and then in the 69th minute on came Connor Tighe. Five minutes later the substitute had touched the ball three times and found the back of the Harlow net twice, lifting his side out of the relegation zone- something that looked impossible a very short time ago. Harlow swap places with their visitors.

Bottom placed Burgess Hill Town remain bottom, as they could manage only a 0-0 draw at Potters Bar Town, whilst Wingate & Finchley sit between the Hillians and Harlow. The Maurice Rebak Stadium saw the Blues take the lead through Irnti Rapai in the 63rd minute, and that persuaded Worthing boss Adam Hinshelwood to introduce striker David Ajoboye from the bench. Well it was like Harlow all over again (see above), as the striker grabbed two goals to send the Mackerel Men fourth and leave Wingate with nothing but woe.

The Scholars are eighteenth, above Whitehawk, whilst Corinthian-Casuals slip to seventeenth as the Margate revival under Jay Saunders continues. Two goals from Noel Leighton and one from Kadell Daniel made the trip back to Hartsdown Park a very positive one, leaving Gate in fifteenth place.

AFC Hornchurch went behind at Leatherhead, Travis Gregory putting the Tanners ahead after twenty minutes. But the Urchins have improved of late, and Charlie Stimson equalised only three minutes later and midway through the second half Lewwis Spence scored what turned out to be the winner.

Kingstonian brought in six players over the last two days, but it didn’t help them much at Brightlingsea Regent. Only six points off the playoff places, Regent struck twice in the second half, Josh Gould and Michael Brothers finding the net to leave the home side in eleventh spot.

There was a battle of our South Division promoted sides at Colston Avenue, and it ended in favour of Carshalton Athletic. Stacey Freeman gave Lewes the lead in the fifty-fourth minute, but the Rooks were unable to keep it, Ricky Korboa scoring in the 77th and 80th minutes to lift the Robins to thirteenth, only three points behind their visitors.

Enfield Town climbed into sixth place with victory over Folkestone Invicta at Donkey Lane. Matthew Johnson gave them the lead just before the hour, and their cause was helped shortly afterwards when Adam Yusuff received his marching orders. Billy Bricknell made the outcome certain nine minutes from time.

There were two big matches between sides with playoff aspirations. At Longmead, Tonbridge Angels hosted Merstham, having picked up twenty points from their previous twenty four- but they didn’t get any more. The only goal of the game came six minutes before the break, and it came to Walter Figueira, sending the Moatsiders up to third.

Haringey Borough would have stayed in second place whatever the outcome of today’s fixtures, but needed to bounce back after two defeats and to provide a tonic for manager Tom Loizou, who was taken ill during the week- get well soon Tom. They had what looked to be a difficult task as they travelled to the Sussex coast to take on Bognor Regis Town, but they made it look anything but difficult. Kudus Oyenuga opened the scoring in the first half for Borough, and then after the break the floodgates opened, with Joel Nouble grabbing a double- the second from the spot- and Karl Akinwade making it four a minute from time, leaving most of the five hundred and seventeen in attendance feeling rather miserable. The Rocks slip to seventh, Borough remain nine points behind leaders Dorking Wanderers.

The reason that gap remains nine points is because Dorking won their ninth match in a row, although they were made to work for the victory by Bishop’s Stortford. The game saw only one goal, and it came from Matt Briggs eight minutes after the break. Wanderers last lost a match on the Saturday before Christmas, and with Burgess Hill Town and Wingate & Finchley to come next must be confident of their run continuing. Our headline image comes from this match, and was taken by Simon Roe- you can see the rest of his marvellous images HERE..

North Division

Bowers and Pitsea are on a run of victories only one fewer than Dorking, and yesterday’s eighth consecutive win would have been all the better for the fact it came against local rivals Basildon United. David Knight fired a hat trick, and Brad Warner got the fourth as the Bees were sent back to their hive with no honey.

Heybridge Swifts went second on Friday night, with a one-nil win against Witham Town in so much fog that a great deal of the game was hidden from the spectators, and they remained second as Aveley were held at home by Bury Town. The Millers fell behind when Ollie Hughes got an early goal for the visitors, but were ahead by half time courtesy of Jason Raad and Thomas Richardson. Bury weren’t to be beaten, however, and Hughes got the equaliser five minutes after the break. No further goals saw the Millers fourth and left Bury in sixth.

In between Swifts and Aveley sit Swifts local rivals Maldon & Tiptree, for whom a goal in each half gave them victory at Soham Town Rangers. Jorome Slew opened the scoring, Sammie Mcleod closed it, and the Jammers are twelve points behind Bowers- but perhaps more importantly twelve ahead of Bury.
For fifth place Coggeshall Town the gap between themselves and sixth is eight points, and they extended that advantage with a comfortable victory over Mildenhall Town. Although in truth it might not have been as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, because although the seed growers went ahead midway through the first half through Nnamdi Nwachukwu it took them until seven minutes before the end to get another, the same player on target. George Cocklin made it three just before the end, a result that leaves Hall six points from safety.

AFC Sudbury are up to seventh following a 2-1 win over Great Wakering Rovers. Tom Maycock opened the scoring in the tenth minute, and Liam Bennett made it two nine minutes later, before Rovers made the last five minutes entertaining as Stephen Butterworth got a goal back.

Tilbury and Grays Athletic are eighth and ninth, Lewis Smith putting the home side ahead only for Charlie Allen to equalise, whilst Felixstowe & Walton United and Barking also ended with a goal apiece, Miles Powell giving the Seasiders the lead before Sahr Kabba made it all square. Felixstowe are tenth, Barking thirteenth.

Brentwood Town are up to twelfth, goals from Connor Martin and Charlee Hughes giving them a two goal advantage before Sam Borrer got one back for hosts Dereham Town. The Magpies came into this game on the back of a run of four straight victories and six matches unbeaten, whilst Brentwood were buoyed by a crushing victory over Sudbury in midweek, and the visitors kept their good form going. Dereham are seventeenth, six points clear of the drop zone, and you can see one of Alan Palmer’s excellent images elsewhere in this article- and the rest of them can be found HERE. .

Romford host Canvey Island today.

South Central

It seems to have taken Hayes & Yeading United rather a long time to get from goal ninety five to goal one hundred, but they did it today- and remained fourteen points clear at the top of the table with that goal giving them victory over Ware. Josh Chamberlain got it in the second half, taking them to sixty seven points- Ware drop to seventh.

Bracknell Town remain in second place, and they recorded a three-one win at Hertford Town. Liam Ferdinand and Adam Cornell put them two up, before Hertford halved the arrears through Dara Dada. Ferdinand made the points safe in the sixty third minute.

Cheshunt sit third, opening the scoring at Chalfont St Peter in the twentieth minute and holding that lead until deep into stoppage time, when Conor Hogan extended it. The Saints remain fifteenth.

Westfield, in fourth, did the double over FC Romania, Aaron Watson getting the only goal of the game, whilst Marlow slipped to fifth, Izzy Bademosi getting the only goal of the match at Chipstead for the home side, which sees the Chips in twelfth.

Two early goals from Hady Ghandour were enough to give Tooting and Mitcham United three points against Waltham Abbey at Imperial Fields. Christian Assombalonga got one back for the Abbotts nine minutes from time but the result left the Terrors only three points away from a playoff place.

Ashford Town are up to eight place, and picked up three points despite falling behind at home to Northwood. Zaied Sabti put Woods ahead in the twenty-second minute, but that advantage lasted less than a quarter of an hour, James Cottee equalising. Five minutes after the break the Tangerines had the advantage, Gurkan Gokmen finding the net, and that ended the scoring. Northwood are eleventh.

The joint biggest win of the day came in the shadow of Heathrow Airport, where Bedfont Sports walloped Uxbridge by five goals to one. Harrison Crawford put Sports ahead twelve minutes before the break, but the next five goals arrived after the interval- and the first of those was an equaliser from Matthew Woods. That’s as good as it got for Uxbridge, however, as David Pitt, Charlie Postance, Crawford with his second and Scott Harris made more than sure of victory.

At the wrong end of the table, South Park remain three points outside the relegation zone, but second bottom Molesey have a game in hand- and are now level on goal difference after Sparks were walloped at Hanwell Town. Two goals in each half saw the Geordies win four-nil, with Jeremiah Maja and Harry Rush scoring in the first half, Calum Duffy and Gareth Chendlik making sure- the last two goals coming in the last two minutes of the match.

Molesey went to Egham Town in a clash of the bottom two, and rather like Charles Dickins in the Muppet Christmas Carol the Sarnies were haunted by Marley and Marley, as Moles forward Hamilton found the net in each half. Egham are eleven points away from safety- and twenty goals- with only eleven matches to play, whilst the Moles have seen their form improve, with only one defeat in the last four, at the same time that South Park’s performances have gone the other way, Sparks now suffering four straight defeats. Egham, with only two points from the last thirty, seem to need a miracle.

South East

Leaders Cray Wanderers had a day off, so the focus was on the battle for second place. Would it be Hastings United or Ashford United? The answer was neither, as they both lost- and Horsham took advantage with a comfortable victory at Whitstable Town to jump into the runners-up spot. Chris Smith opened the scoring in the very first minute, Lee Harding made it two midway through the first half, and another from Smith- a spot kick just before the break- meant that the second half was a mere formality. No further goals were scored, but the three already notched up had guaranteed the same number of points for the Hornets.

Hastings United were featuring in a Sussex derby, and East Grinstead continued their recent good form- only two defeats in nine matches- by taking three points at College Lane. Leo Mazzone put the Wasps ahead, only for United to equalise through Jahmal Howlett-Mundle- but that wasn’t the end of the matter, as Greg Cundle stepped up nine minutes from time to leave the Wasps in twelfth. It would seem that Town are heading for their highest-ever league finish, which is testament to the fabulous job manager Matt Longhurst is doing at East Court.

It seems only ten minutes ago that Cray Wanderers fans were looking over their shoulders at Ashford United and wondering whether the impossible could happen, but the Nuts and Bolts have responded by following six consecutive victories with two defeats. That’s hardly a crisis, but it’s so close in the playoff places that it has taken them from second to fifth- with the consolation that they still have a seven point cushion over sixth place Whyteleafe. Yesterday Ashford hosted Phoenix Sports, and fell behind to a goal from Jeff Duah-Kessie- it’s always Jeff Duah-Kessie- after eighteen minutes. They were two down by half time, Zak Byron proving that perhaps Jeff can occasionally relax, and that’s how it ended, moving Sports up to tenth.

In between Hastings and Ashford sit Haywards Heath Town, who have had a marvellous first season in the Bostik League. Yesterday they managed only a point at home to an improving Greenwich Borough, and perhaps they were distracted by a forthcoming Sussex Senior Cup Semi-Final against rivals Burgess Hill Town, but that point leaves them eight ahead of Whyteleafe and set up nicely for the run in.

What can you say about Herne Bay? Last week we described them as Jekyll and Hyde, a refrain that was noticed by the local press during the week- and in truth it’s a good description. What else can you say about a side that can win 7-2 and 4-1, follow that by losing 6-0, 5-1 and 2-0, then defeat promotion chasing Ashford United 2-1. Yesterday, if perhaps just to prove the theory, they travelled to Three Bridges and walloped five goals, including four in the second half. What we can certainly say without fear of contradiction is that a trip to watch Herne Bay is never dull! A hat trick from Tahjae Anderson was complemented by Ronald Sobowale and Harry Miller, whilst Ibby Akanbi got not-much-of-a-consolation for Bridges.

Back to the battle for the Playoffs, and Whyteleafe lost ground and the match at Faversham Town, Ashley Miller scoring the only goal of the game on the stroke of half time. It wasn’t the best of days for Hythe Town, either, but at least they got a point- new signing Sid Sollis putting them a goal up at home to Guernsey only for Matt Loaring to equalise for the Green Lions.

Eighth place VCD Athletic also came unstuck, as the Brickies continued to build nicely, Sittingbourne making it three wins from four. Chris Barnard scored in the sixth and thirty-eighth minutes to give the away side the advantage at the break, and whilst the evergreen Charlie MacDonald reduced the arrears from the spot it wasn’t enough for Vickers to take anything from the match- and they also saw Alastair Gordon sent off just before the end.

Finally, Sevenoaks Town and Ramsgate scored two goals between them, both coming in a ten minute spell midway through the second half. Rory Smith put the Rams ahead, only for Frankie Sawyer to equalise. The Rams end the day in ninth, Oaks are eleventh.

If you are a Bostik photographer and would like to see one of your images in our Sunday morning round up with a link to the rest, please email townsendaround@gmail.com- but please note, we'll need the image on Saturday evening!

Teamsheets all taken from Twitter.