Pitching In Isthmian Performance of the Month, January 2024

We had rain, we had snow, we had frost…and, just occasionally, we had some fantastic football, and it’s time for us to recognise those who played some of the best of it. Our Performance of the Month Award winners are as follows:

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

January brought some fine results for Billericay Town, but two of them particularly stood out- a six-nil thrashing of Cray Wanderers and a five-nil hammering of Lewes. We’ve chosen that clipping of the Rooks wings, and we’ve done that because, prior to arriving at New Lodge, Lewes were in excellent form, seven unbeaten and flying up the table. The Blues showed them no mercy, a goal up after three minutes, three up by half time, and they didn’t ease off after the break either, Frankie Merrifield doing even more damage.

Many congratulations to all at the club.

Pitching In Isthmian North

On Saturday 13th January leaders Lowestoft Town arrived at the AGL Arena to take on second place Felixstowe and Walton United. This was a match which was critical to both sides, and we expected it to be a closely-fought encounter- but the Seasiders had other ideas. Josh Mayhew made it one-nil to the hosts on eleven minutes, Billy Mayhew then gave them a two goal cushion, and right at the end Callum Harrison crowned a super day for the home crowd by adding a third.

Congratulations to Felixstowe and Walton United, winners of our Pitching In Isthmian North Performance of the Month Award for January.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

Our previous South Central Performance of the Month Award went to a side who hit Binfield for nine, and it is a mark of their improvement that the Moles are involved for a second month in a row- and that this time, they’re the winners. New boss Ross Weatherstone has quickly given hope to a side that looked to be down and out, and that hope delivered a first win of the season when they defeated Metropolitan Police on January 20th- but we’re looking specifically at the following weekend for our award.

Southall travelled to face the Moles knowing that they’d defeated them eight-nil in September. The All were only off the top by one point, and expected to- at the very least- ensure that gap wasn’t increased, but they found an almost unrecognisable Binfield awaiting them, and the Moles didn’t just keep their high-flying opponents at bay, they only went and beat them- Ethan Lindo scoring the winner. Perhaps the Great Escape is finally on- but at the very least Binfield will have a shiny trophy to help them remember a fine result.

Pitching In Isthmian South East Division

When Ramsgate arrived at Lancing on January 6th the Rams were unbeaten in the league since the opening day, and had dropped only two points during their previous sixteen matches. Lancing were in fine form themselves, but surely, this would be a step too far?

When the Rams went ahead after just two minutes, lesser opponents might have seen their heads drop. The Lancers, however, quickly levelled through Lukas Franzen-Jones, and although they went behind again nine minutes before the break, they came out after half time confident that they could still cause an upset- and they went on to do just that. They levelled with twenty three minutes to go, George Taggart on target, and within a minute they were ahead for the first time, Ben Pope doing the damage. Twelve minutes before the end the shellshocked Rams found themselves four-two down, Charlie Bennett with the fourth for the hosts, and the best strike force in the Division found that all of their attempts to get back into the match were thwarted by some steadfast defending.

Who knows what the Lancers might yet achieve this season- and perhaps our Trophy might not just be a reminder of a fine victory, but a confidence booster as the play off battle intensifies?

Many congratulations to all at Culver Road.

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