New Years Day- as it happened #bostikmatchday

Today’s #bostikmatchday featured game was meant to be Chipstead v Guernsey, but it was called off last night, so focus switched to Shoreham v Thamesmead Town. When that was subsequently called off the alternative was Burgess Hill Town v Dorking Wanderers- or at least it was until around quarter past ten, when that was postponed too.

So at half twelve the Bostik Matchdaymobile (aptly named as the gears keep sticking) was pointed in the direction of Tonbridge Angels v Billericay Town, which had earlier been confirmed on.

You can guess the rest.

By 3 PM these postponements had been joined by a number of others- at Ware, Molesey, South Park, Sittingbourne, and Hythe Town. Hastings United, Leatherhead, Staines Town, Merstham and Lowestoft Town had passed their inspections, and Needham Market v Leiston had already finished, having kicked off at 1PM.

So, instead of a live match feature, here’s a round up of all the New Years Day action- exactly as it happened, minute by minute:

• 1304: Luke Ingram puts Needham Market ahead in the early kick off.
• 1328: It’s 1-1, Leiston level through Chris Henderson.
• 1340: Matt ‘Steak Bake’ Blake puts Leiston 2-1 up. Glenn Driver’s men will be in fifth place at full time if things remain unchanged.
• 1409: Dan Morphew equalises from the spot- Needham Market 2 Leiston 2.
• 1410: Well that didn’t last long! Patrick Brothers puts Leiston ahead once more!
• 1420: And now there’s daylight! Christy Finch makes it 4-2 to Leiston.
• 1436: Surely it’s all over now? 5-2 to Leiston, Jack Ainsley with a penalty silences most of the 513 crowd.
• 1452: Final score- Needham Market 2 Leiston 5.
• 1503: Charlie Cole scores a goal! Hertford take the lead against Cheshunt in the 3rd minute! But Dereham Town can better than, a first minute goal from Ryan Crisp putting them ahead at Soham Town Rangers.
• 1506: The third North Division goal of the day, and it comes from Matt Price of Brentwood Town who shock the leaders AFC Hornchurch. Perhaps today is the day that Brentwood finally begin to live up to their promise? That’s Matt’s eighteenth goal of the season, by the way.
• The leaders of the South Division are behind too, Charlie Harris putting Horsham ahead against Lewes at Culver Road.
• 1509: Brentwood Town have another, and AFC Hornchurch are shellshocked! 0-2, Jack Gardner on the scoresheet.
• 1511: Sam Youngs scores the eight Premier Division goal of the day- but the first of the three o’clock kick offs- as he puts Enfield Town 1-0 up against Harrow Borough.
• 1515: It’s Hornets 2 Rooks 0 at Culver Road, Hakeem Adelekun doubling the Horsham advantage.
• 1516: In the Kent coast derby it’s first blood to Margate, Jordan Chiedozie putting them ahead against Folkestone Invicta at Hartsdown Park. There’s a goal at Fetcham Grove too, Tom Derry scoring his first Tanners goal against Tooting & Mitcham United.
• 1518: Heybridge Swifts take the lead against Bowers & Pitsea, Juan Luque the scorer.
• 1519: A goal on the Suffolk coast, and it goes to Lowestoft Town. Harvey Hodd gets the nod.
• 1521: North Division basement club Romford are no longer in the basement- although it might just be a temporary move. Jay Knight puts them ahead at Grays Athletic.
• 1523: Worthing, still celebrating their move off the bottom on Saturday, now have even more to celebrate. Reece Meekums has put them ahead at Merstham. The attendance at the Specsavers Stadium is 230.
• 1524: Yet another goal in the North Division, this one for AFC Sudbury, who go 1-0 up through Ollie Peters.
• 1525: Canvey Island make the breakthrough in their match with Aveley, and it’s Steve Sheehan with the goal.
• 1526: A side other than Horsham score in the South Division, and it’s Hastings United, Davide Rodari putting them ahead against East Grinstead Town at Pilot Field.
• 1527: Can Dulwich Hamlet take advantage of the Billericay postponement and go three points clear at the top of the Premier Division? Well Reise Allassani has just given them the best possible chance with the opening goal.
• 1528: There’s another goal at Pilot Field, and it’s double advantage Hastings, Calum Davies with the finish in front of 329 supporters.
• 1530: Billy Hunt, Billy Hunt, Billy Billy Billy- as Paul Weller would undoubtedly describe him- has just got the equaliser for Brightlingsea Regent at Lowestoft Town. It’s 1-1.
• 1531: Dereham Town have doubled their lead at Soham Town Rangers.
• 1532: That man Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe has found the net again, putting Maldon & Tiptree ahead at Witham Town.
• 1533: It just isn’t the Urchins day so far, as Brentwood Town get a third goal. Andrew Freeman makes it 0-3 to the Blues!
• 1534: Leatherhead have another, and this time it’s the usual name on the scoresheet, Jack Midson making it 2-0 to the Tanners.
• 1535: Faversham Town take the lead against Ashford United, Liam King with the goal.
• 1536: Canvey Island double their advantage at the Frost Financial Stadium, Aveley catching a cold as George Sykes steps up.
• 1538: It’s first blood to the away side in the North London derby at Silver Jubilee Park, Quentin Monville silencing most of the 237 crowd by putting the ball in the Hendon net for Wingate & Finchley; whilst down on the Kent coast it’s honours even once more, Scott Heard pulling Invicta level at Margate.
• 1540: Mildenhall Town take the lead at Plantation Park, Norwich United unable to stop Ben Nolan finding the net.
• 1541: Another goal in the Premier Division, and it’s scored by Curtis Ujah as he puts Thurrock 1-0 up against Harlow Town in front of 136 fans.
• 1543: East Grinstead Town have pulled a goal back at Pilot Field, Marcus Elliot with it. 2-1 to Hastings United.
• 1545: Invicta now go ahead at Hartsdown Park, Callum Davies with the goal, and Canvey Island have surely made their match with Aveley safe just before half time, Steve Sheehan’s second putting them 3-0 up.
• 1547: Dereham Town also get their third, Rhys Logan with it, whilst in the Premier Division Bayley Mummery gives Met Police the lead at Staines Town.
• 1549: Jack Mochalski gives Soham Town Rangers hope, reducing the arrears at Julius Martin Lane, whilst at Oakwood former Croydon striker Jeff Duah-Kessie gives Phoenix Sports the lead in their derby match with VCD Athletic.
• 1605: Jay Knight doubles his- and Romford’s- tally at Parkside, putting the bottom club 2-0 up against Grays Athletic.
• 1607: Goal sixteen for Reise Allassani- for the season, not the day- as Hamlet go 2-0 up against Kingstonian.
• 1609: Grays Athletic get a goal back against Romford, Glenn Poole with it.
• 1610: Two Premier Division goals go in, and Billy Hunt was obviously inspired by his song as he’s done it again for Regent, who now take a 2-1 lead at Lowestoft; whilst Scott Heard gets his second and Invicta’s third at Margate.
• 1611: Mohamed Bettamer with his fifteenth of the campaign draws the Swans level against Met Police.
• 1612: Is this the start of the comeback? A George Purcell penalty brings the Urchins back into the game at home to Brentwood Town. It’s now 1-3.
• 1614: Staines were level for less than three minutes, as Jeremy Arthur has put the boys in blue ahead once more- whilst at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium Taylor McKenzie makes a late bid for the New Year Honours list, doubling the Enfield advantage against Harrow Borough.
• 1617: Perhaps Soham Town Rangers now sense they have a chance despite being 1-3 down, as Steve Taylor has been sent off for Dereham Town.
• 1618: The attendance has just been announced at Champion Hill, and 1516 are confirmed as watching Dulwich Hamlet v Kingstonian. Fabulous support!
• 1619: Juan Luque gets his second of the day to double the Heybridge Swifts advantage against second place Bowers & Pitsea, whilst the attendance at AFC Sudbury v Bury Town has been announced as 514. If confirmed that’s the highest Bostik North attendance of the season.
• 1620: East Grinstead Town are a goal behind and down to ten men, Jack Meeres getting his marching orders in Hastings.
• 1622: Met Police have another, Jonny Wright putting them 3-1 up at Wheatsheaf Park.
• 1624: Worthing will climb to 22nd if results stay the same, given that they are now 2-0 up at Merstham courtesy of Alex Parsons whilst Harlow Town are behind at Thurrock.
• 1625: It’s surely all over in Enfield, an own goal giving them a 3-0 lead, whilst another own goal should bring the same outcome at Wheatsheaf Park, as Met Police now lead Staines Town 4-1. Down in the South Division, leaders Lewes have a goal back in front of 331 at Culver Road- but still have it all to do as Horsham lead 2-1.
• 1626: Worthing have another at Merstham, Joe Clark with the third as Adam Hinshelwood makes a late bid for a Knighthood. He’ll certainly be given the Freedom of Woodside Road if the Mackerelmen continue with this run of form.
• 1627: Leatherhead v Tooting & Mitcham United is being watched by a crowd of 422, whilst there are 653 at Hartsdown Park where Margate and currently behind to Folkestone Invicta.
• 1631: Ashford United equalise at Faversham Town, Max Watters with the goal.
• 1635: It’s now ten v ten at Julius Martin Lane, as Soham Town Rangers keeper Josh Pope sees red. Daniel Beaumont surely makes the game safe by scoring the resulting penalty, as it’s now Rangers 1 Dereham Town 4.
• 1639: It goes from bad to worse for Merstham, 3-0 down at home and now down to ten men, Simon Cooper sent off.
• 1642: That’s the hat trick for Reise Allasanni and three points surely confirmed for Dulwich Hamlet, who open up a three point gap at the top of the Premier Division. Opponents Kingstonian now sit in 20th.
• 1645: It’s now embarrassing for Staines Town as they concede a second own goal to put Metropolitan Police 5-1 up at Wheatsheaf Park, whilst Witham Town may have salvaged a point at home to the Jammers, Lance Atkins drawing them level. In the South Division Hastings United make the game safe, Dajon Golding making it 3-1 against ten man East Grinstead Town.
• 1646: Finally there’s a goal in the South Division’s game of the day, as Corinthian Casuals take the lead against Walton Casuals through Harry Ottaway. Back in the Premier Division Hamlet make it even worse for Leigh Dynan’s men, as Nana Boakye-Yiadom makes it 4-0, whilst the leaders of the North Division are having a nightmare afternoon, as Brentwood Town go 4-1 up through Izzy Bademosi.
• 1647: It’s all happening at Hornchurch- now it’s 2-4, Leon McKenzie getting a goal back!
• 1648: Worthing have another! It’s now 4-0 to the Mackerelmen against the Moatsiders, Kieron Pamment with the strike. And there are two late equalisers in the North Division, Nathan Stewart pulling Norwich United level at Plantation Park whilst Cemal Ramadan does the same for draw specialists Bury Town at AFC Sudbury.
• 1651: The Urchins have another! They can’t come back- can they? George Purcell makes it 3-4 deep in stoppage time.
• 1653: Greenwich Borough v Cray Wanderers ends goalless.
• 1655: All of our Premier Division matches are now over, and Dulwich Hamlet extend their lead at the top to three points. Folkestone Invicta go third with victory at Margate, whilst Leiston’s 5-2 win at Needham Market takes them to fifth. Worthing’s 4-0 victory takes them three points clear of the drop zone.
• Maldon and Tiptree have scored what looks to be a late winner, and once more it’s Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe with the goal! That concludes all of the North Division fixtures on a day which saw first place AFC Hornchurch and second place Bowers & Pitsea both lose, whilst the Jammers, Dereham Town and Canvey Island make up ground on them with victories. Romford move off the bottom, replaced by Cheshunt who lost 1-0 at Hertford Town.
• 1659: All South Division fixtures have now finished, Horsham v Lewes the last one to end, and the Rooks lose ground at the top after a 2-1 defeat- the gap between them and second place Cray Wanderers, who are now 19 games unbeaten, is down to two points. Corinthian Casuals move up to third place.

Look out for more Bostik League football tomorrow, as Haringey Borough take on Waltham Abbey whilst Tilbury face Barking in the North Division.

Image courtesy of Mike Urban.