Pitching In Isthmian Performance of the Month, October 2023

October saw some fine football, and some magnificent victories. Our Performance of the Month Award winners are as follows:

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

The Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup arrived on Saturday 14th October, and for Horsham that meant a local derby, National League side Dorking Wanderers making the short trip down the A24. Almost two thousand people crowded into the Camping World Community Stadium to watch, and most of them had the time of their lives! On thirty nine minutes Daniel Ajakaiye put the Hornets ahead, only a minute later Shamir Fenelon made it two, and after that the outcome was never in doubt as Horsham coasted to victory.

The Hornets have already provided another magnificent cup memory since, and there may yet be more to come, but whatever happens they’ll have a nice memento of this victory to remember it by.

Pitching In Isthmian North

When Lowestoft Town welcomed Ipswich Wanderers on Tuesday 10th October the outcome looked- on paper at least- a foregone conclusion. The Trawler Boys were top of the table and unbeaten, Wanderers were bottom of the table without a solitary point, surely the result was going to be easy to predict? Well if you predicted a deserved Wanderers victory, we suspect you were in the minority, but that’s exactly what we got! It looked as if the hosts were on their way to three points when Jake Reed put them ahead after just thirteen minutes, but the visitors were level only three minutes later through Paulo Coelho, and ten minutes after that Andy Fennell put them ahead. Of course the hosts did their best to get back into the match, but despite their firepower the visitors held firm- indeed they did more than hold firm, they matched their hosts from front to back and held on for a magnificent victory.

That match was a springboard for a fine run of form, and indeed as we write Wanderers have taken thirteen points from their last fifteen and look very much like play off candidates, but we’re about to present them with a reminder of a superb evening at the seaside.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

When Southall ended a run of defeats by thrashing Binfield at the end of September we expected them to quickly begin climbing the Pitching In Isthmian South East table- but it looked like their next match might be a temporary obstacle to that progress. The All were due to welcome Marlow on October 4th, and their visitors were in fine form and letting in very few goals, so there wouldn’t be a second successive thrashing- would there?

It turned out that Southall hadn’t read that particular script. Anthony O’Connor quickly opened the scoring- seventeen minutes on the clock- and nine minutes after the break Dimitris Savva made it two-nil. Just before the hour Jaden Thompson-Brissett scored his tenth goal of the season, this one from the spot, and although Marlow quickly reduced the arrears Thompson-Brissett soon added a fourth to crown a stunning victory for the hosts.

Congratulations to Southall, Pitching In Isthmian South Central Performance of the Month winners for October.

Pitching In Isthmian South East Division

When we tell you that we had seven nominations for the October Performance of the Month award, and that Cray Valley PM held four of them, you won’t be at all surprised that our trophy is heading to the Artic Stadium. The Millers were nominated for wins over Premier Division promotion chasers Chatham Town, Carshalton Athletic (who they defeated twice) and Enfield Town- each of whom, of course, occupy a Play Off spot- and we went for the latter.

The Towners arrived at the Artic Stadium on October 14th in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, and went ahead after only six minutes. An equaliser from Kyrell Lisbie soon saw the Millers level, but again the visitors went in front before Lisbie levelled once more just before the break. If the first half was even, the second half was one way traffic. Freddie Parker stepped up with two goals, Adam Coombes added a fifth, and the Towners were truly humbled.

Many congratulations to the Millers, on this and a selection of magnificent victories.

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