Nine points clear as the Urchins coast to victory on the coast

Hornchurch won’t believe that they have wrapped up the title, not with twelve matches left to play, but whatever the chasing pack do (although currently the chasing pack seems to have only Chatham Town as a member) the Urchins match it, last night getting back into action with a comfortable win at Concord Rangers.

Femi Akinwande was the chief architect of their victory. The Urchins number nine, who- let’s not forget- had eight goals for Hastings United before heading to Bridge Avenue, got his nineteenth of the season after just two minutes, latching onto a long ball from keeper Joe Wright before outpacing the defence and slotting home, and he took that tally to twenty sixteen minutes later, again assisted by keeper Wright. Sixteen minutes from time Akinwande completed his hat trick from the spot after a foul on Mauro Da Silva Vilhete, and that was that.

That’s six wins in a row for Hornchurch, and a nine point gap between themselves and Chatham Town, the Chats having played two matches more. The gap between the Urchins and third place Billericay Town is now an incredible nineteen points.

Rangers are third from bottom and four points from safety, albeit with five games in hand over fifth bottom Margate.

On the Sussex coast Whitehawk made it five unbeaten as a second half show brought them victory over Cray Wanderers. Wands were in good form, seven unbeaten, but they were undone with twenty three minutes to go, Joey Taylor with a rather flukey/absolutely deliberate opener, a corner going in off the post.

The Hawks then made their lives difficult, Charlie Harris dismissed with seventeen minutes left, and the visitors applied pressure to Mitch Walkers goal but couldn’t get past the home stopper. Wands chances ended right at the end, as Imran Kayani made the most of a breakaway to finish off the post and seal victory.

Whitehawk are fourteenth, two points behind their visitors with three games in hand.

Folkestone Invicta welcomed Potters Bar Town. It turned out to be a match of relatively few chances, and none of them were taken, so both sides had to be content with a point. That’s five unbeaten for the Scholars and three draws in a row, a result which leaves them three points and one place better off than their seventeenth place hosts, having played three games fewer.

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