Motormen slay giants, whilst Seasiders go top

FA Trophy

We had a battle of the Blues as Billericay Town welcomed Bury Town-but, in truth, it wasn’t so much a battle, more a massacre. Billericay took thirty five minutes to go ahead, Bradley Stevenson scoring for the tenth time this season- but by the time we reached the break the Blues had added three more, Ben Wells with number two, Ade Azeez with the third and Stevenson striking again, to leave shellshocked Bury wondering what had happened. The second half was quieter, but six minutes from time Moses Emmanuel made it five-nil.

Haringey Borough are having a strange season, very good in Cup competitions, struggling badly in the League- but on this occasion their league malaise followed them into a knockout competition, Pitching In Isthmian North visitors Redbridge ensuring that the giant was slain. The Motormen went ahead just after the hour through Dean Hall, and made it two from the spot five minutes before the end, Solomon Oguwomuju converting. Borough then came alive, and Nadum Melvin-Lambert quickly got a goal back, but that was too little, too late.

North

With Lowestoft Town having a Saturday off, Felixstowe and Walton United had the chance to replace them at the top of the Pitching In Isthmian North table if they could win at Grays Athletic- and they did it in style. The Seasiders have been scoring goals for fun, more than any other side in the Division over the season so far and four in victory over Redbridge in midweek, and they added three more at Chadfields to record a comfortable win. All of the goals came after the break, Noel Aitkens giving the Seasiders the lead on fifty seven minutes, Zak Brown hitting a shellshocked Athletic with a second almost immediately, and Josh Hitter adding the third eight minutes from time. The Seasiders are two points clear- but of course the Trawler Boys now have a game in hand. Athletic are still searching for a first victory.

Third place Bowers and Pitsea knew that they could also- mathematically- go top of the table with victory, but they delivered a defeat as Brentwood Town left the Len Salmon with three points. Town saw a five match unbeaten run ended by Heybridge Swifts last time out, but they were quickly back to winning ways, Daniel Ogunleye putting them ahead after just eight minutes- and they doubled that advantage ten minutes before the break, Mekhi McKenzie making it two. That was that, and Town are up to eighth, only one place behind their hosts.

Brightlingsea Regent, newly reinforced up front with the signing of Derek Asamoah, were on the road to the Norfolk Broads where they faced Wroxham. Regent started the day in fifth place, but they ended it in sixth, ending up on the wrong end of a five goal thriller. The Yachtsmen were unbeaten on their own patch, and they came from two down to win this one as they kept Asamoah quiet. After a goalless first half Kojo Apenteng put Regent two up, but Josh Hazell got one back for the hosts with twenty one minutes left. A few minutes later Regent went down to ten men, Harry Critchley seeing red, and with only four minutes left Joao Rangel seemed to have earned the hosts a point with an equaliser. It was then the Yachtsmen’s turn to lose a player, goalscorer Hazell dismissed with two minutes left, but right at the end the home ten men got the better of the away ten men, Rangel scoring again to make it three-two. Wroxham are eleventh.

Heybridge Swifts hoped to crash into the top five with victory over Walthamstow- whilst Walthamstow hoped to crash into the top five with victory over Heybridge Swifts! It turned out that both sides ended up in the top five, but there was no crashing involved, as the match ended one-one. George Ironton put the East Londoners ahead on nineteen minutes, Lee Noble levelled for the hosts just before the break, and that was that.

Maldon & Tiptree welcomed Stowmarket Town. With three wins from four the Jammers had finally found some form, and began to climb the table as a result- and that climb continued, a five-one hammering seeing them up to ninth. Louis Britton was the architect of the victory, scoring a hat trick with goals on twenty, eighty two and ninety minutes- that’s eight goals in six matches for the Jammers number nine. The Jammers opened the scoring through George Smith before Britton made it two, and just after the break it was three-nil, Louie Remi with that one. Jack Newman got one back for the visitors with nineteen minutes left on the clock, but three one quickly became four and five as Britton claimed the match ball.

Image from Roy Warner.

Gorleston were back in Great Yarmouth, and Witham Town made the trip to the seaside as fourteenth took on fifteenth. The Greens had lost their way a little, and came into this match without a win in six and having lost their last three, but they found their way once more, although most of the action arrived in the last four minutes, and all of the action came from Luke Johnson, the Greens number seven getting his second hat trick of the campaign- and indeed this time he did even better, scoring four goals. The Greens were given a helping hand when Liam Whipps was dismissed on twenty six minutes, and Johnson got the opener seven minutes later. There were only four minutes left when he made it two, and his third and fourth arrived right at the end, the Greens up to twelfth.

Ipswich Wanderers looked to be on the up, having taken seven points from their previous nine, and that continued with a two-nil win over New Salamis. Jamie Eaton-Collins got both goals for the hosts, on twenty and twenty three minutes, and the visitors went down to ten men four minutes from time, Pan Boxer seeing red. Wanderers are up to thirteenth.

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.