Midweek round up!

Premier Division

Worthing established a five point lead over Folkestone Invicta at the top of the Premier Division on Tuesday night, winning their game in hand over their Kentish rivals. The Mackerel Men travelled to a Bishop’s Stortford side shorn of former player-boss Jamie Cureton and got the only goal of the game on the stroke of half time, Ricky Aguiar with his tenth of the season.

Invicta didn’t have a match, so Hornchurch took the chance to narrow the gap between themselves and the second place club by winning one of their games in hand, defeating Cheshunt by three goals to nil. Adam Cunnington got a double, Chris Dickson opened the scoring, and a certain Jamie Cureton made his debut from the bench.

The Urchins are six points behind Invicta with two games in hand.

Carshalton Athletic climbed back into the top five by scoring the only goal of the game at Bowers and Pitsea, Jordan Cheadle with it six minutes from time, whilst on Wednesday night Horsham couldn’t take their chance to get back into the playoff places at the Robins expense- but they did salvage a point as Gary Charman got a last minute goal at Kingstonian, for whom Dan Hector had scored the opening goal thirty five minutes earlier.

A match which saw four goals in the first eighteen minutes eventually went the way of Bognor Regis Town at Nyewood Lane, the Rocks winning by the odd goal in five. Dan Smith gave them a fifth minute lead only for Jerry Kamanzi to equalise for visitors Brighlingsea Regent three minutes later; but Smith had his second on seventeen minutes and immediately afterwards Mason Walsh made it three-one. Lewis Byrne-Hewitt got Regent closer three minutes before the end, but that was as close as they got.

North Division

Heybridge Swifts cemented their place at the top with a hard-fought three-two win over Hullbridge Sports. Dan Walker gave Sports a half time lead, only for an own goal and a strike from Odei Martin-Sorondo to turn things around within four minutes of the restart. Walker got an equaliser six minutes later, but the last word went, as it so often does, to Alex Teniola eight minutes from time.

Maldon and Tiptree climbed to within two points of their noisy neighbours with victory at Canvey Island. Charlee Hughes put them ahead only for Rob Lacey to level for the Gulls, but two in the last twenty minutes from Danny Parish and Hamza Kaid moved the Jammers up to second- and they have SEVEN games in hand over the team at the summit.

Fourth place Bury Town travelled to play a local derby at AFC Sudbury and fell to a three-nil defeat in front of five hundred and eighteen fans. Reece Harris gave the Yellows the lead in the first half, Callum Harrison and Kyle Cassell made sure after the break.

Dereham Town and Histon played out a goalless draw at Aldiss Park, and we had another draw at Walton Road, where Felixstowe and Walton United shared four goals with Coggeshall Town. The Seed Growers were two-one up entering the last minute, Ross Wall and Nnamdi Nwachuku more than cancelling out Armani Schaar’s goal for the Seasiders, but a late own goal earned the hosts a share of the spoils.

Bottom side Romford moved their match with Witham Town to Aveley, but it didn’t help much as they lost once more, four-two. Seventy minutes saw them four goals down, Daniel Smith, Jack West, Scott Kemp and Isaac Nkosi with the strikes for Town, and although they got two back in the last twenty minutes through Adam Morgan and Ejiro Okosieme they are now nine points behind second bottom Felixstowe, albeit with six games in hand.

Last night Cambridge City took a first minute lead as they hosted Soham Town Rangers, Jarid Robson with the goal- but Rangers were level soon afterwards and then went on to win the game. Lloyd Groves scored the equaliser, and Cameron Watson got what proved to be the winner just before the break.

South Central

Ware went back to the top of the Division on Tuesday night- but they only had twenty four hours to enjoy it as Hanwell Town regained their pole position. Ware travelled to Harlow and in a topsy-turvy game managed to be ahead and behind before coming out on top against Town in a seven goal thriller. Christian Adu Gyamfi got a couple for the Hawks, Freddie Moncur with the other, whilst we had two braces for the Blues, Albert Adu with a couple and Andre McCollin with a couple more.

The Geordies were at FC Romania last night and came from behind to win by two goals to one. Sergiu Maximov scored the opener for the Wolves, but after the break Hanwell came good, Jack Hutchinson and Rob Laney completing the turnaround. There’s a point between the top two, but now a seven point gap to third place Westfield- who came unstuck at home to Bracknell Town. Luke Holness and Seb Bowerman got the Robins goals in a two-nil win which sees them up to seventh.

Tooting and Mitcham United failed to close the gap on the top two when they fell two-nil at Bedfont Sports. Max Oldham and Andy Ali got the goals in the first half as Sports climbed to thirteenth.

Fifth place Uxbridge also faltered, losing two-nil at home to Marlow, who are up to eleventh. Ashleigh Artwell and Jordan Edwards scored the goals, one in each half.

Chertsey Town have closed to within a point of the top five, continuing their recent fabulous form with a four-nil hammering of Ashford Town. Jake Baxter got a couple in the first twelve minutes, whilst Scott Day and Andrew Crossley finished off the demolition after the break.

Barking got back to winning ways at Waltham Abbey. Dumebi GB-Dumaka gave the Blues an early lead, and although Billy Holland got the Abbotts level just after the break, parity lasted only three minutes before Johnny Ashman got what turned out to be the winner. Barking are ninth, a place behind their hosts.

Chipstead have been magnificent of late, and continued by stuffing four past South Park at Whitehall Lane. Jensen Grant got two, Chris Boulter got another, and Joe Jackson was steppin’ out with the fourth after eighty minutes. Kiye Martin got a consolation for the Sparks just before the end. The Chips have now taken twenty six points from their last thirty, with eight wins and two draws.

Chalfont St Peter thought they’d won their match against Hertford Town when Juwon Akintunde gave them an eighty-eighth minute lead, but deep into added time Ben Herd got the visitors a point.

South East

Ashford United narrowed the Hastings lead at the top to four points as they defeated Sittingbourne by the only goal of the game at Woodstock Park, whilst the Pilot Field boys were held to a draw at third place Whitehawk. Tariq Ossai got that goal for the Nuts and Bolts, whilst Hastings had to twice come from behind to take a point from the Hawks. Fintan Walsh and Lucas Rodrogues twice put Whitehawk ahead, and on both occasions Ben Pope was there with an equaliser. The Hawks are three further points behind Ashford, seven shy of Hastings.

Cray Valley PM maintained their recent great form, a late goal from Ryan King-Elliot giving them victory in a seven goal thriller against Whitstable Town, in a match in which the Oysterboys had been ahead three times. John Ufuah, Tijan Jadama and Aaron Millbank all scored for the visitors, whilst Matthew Attenborough Warren- twice- and Gavin Tomlin had both levelled for the Millers.

Fifth place Herne Bay put a five point gap between themselves and sixth place Whyteleafe with a four-nil win in a local derby against Ramsgate. Tushaun-Tyreese Walters got the first two, Zak Ansah the last two.

Sevenoaks Town and Hythe Town cancelled themselves out in a goalless draw, whilst Three Bridges and Chichester City scored enough goals for two matches at Jubilee Field, City running our four-three victors after Kaleem Haitham got an added time winner. Ben Bacon got two for Bridges, Curtis Gayler the one in between them; whilst Lloyd Rowlatt, Jamie Horncastle and Gicu Iordache were the other scorers for the visitors.

VCD Athletic got back to winning ways with victory over Faversham Town. Ayman El-Mogharbel gave them the lead early on only for Osman Proni to quickly equalise, but George Monger put the hosts ahead once more before the break, and they held on for victory.

Last night in Guernsey the Green Lions came from behind to take a point against Haywards Heath Town. It took just two minutes for Trevor McCreadie to give the visitors the lead, but Ross Allen struck back to level eight minutes later. Ryan Warwick restored the Heath advantage eleven minutes before the break, but an own goal six minutes from time gave the hosts a share of the spoils.

Finally, in the Velocity Trophy, Burgess Hill Town performed a giant killing at Corinthian-Casuals. Jack Tucker gave Casuals an early lead, but after the break Aaron Smith-Joseph and
Mason Doughty turned the game on its head and sent the Hillians through to the next round.