Rooks get lift-off, Oaks hit four, Terrors and Jammers march on

Folkestone Invicta are sitting pretty at the top of the table after a late Johan Ter Horst goal enabled a smash and grab at the Camping World Community Stadium. The only two unbeaten sides in the Division were going head to head, and then there was one, as Horsham didn’t have time to find an equaliser.

That one-nil win leaves Invicta one point ahead of Haringey Borough, who eased to a two-nil victory over East Thurrock United. Both goals came in the first half, Anthos Solomon after ten minutes and Georgios Aresti a minute before half time. Four hundred and twenty were at Coles Park to watch it.

Another two-nil home win came at Hornchurch, where the home side despatched Wingate & Finchley to end the day as they started it, in third place. Joe Dickson got the first just before the break, Joe Christou the second midway through the second half.

Carshalton Athletic are up to fourth, and the Robins have put their early-season blues behind them to follow two defeats with four straight victories. Both goals came early, Christie Pattison making Bognor blue after only six minutes, before the Regis boys were even more regretful when Jerry Amoo made it two after twenty one minutes. Carshalton climb to fourth.

A Billy Bricknell penalty in the twenty fourth minute turned out to be the only goal of the game as the Towers took the points at Bowers and Pitsea to end the day in fifth, but we had no shortage of goals at Bishop’s Stortford, where the Blues and the Ambers shared five. Jamie Cureton, rather unsurprisingly, got two of them, and Ryan Charles the third, whilst Tom Hitchcock got an early equaliser for Cheshunt and Taylor McKenzie made the closing stages rather interesting by pulling a goal back three minutes before the end. The Blues are up to seventh, the Ambers are nineteenth.

Two-nil was a rather common score, and we have another, as Worthing jumped up to eighth place with victory at Margate. Gate were impressive in picking up their first victory last weekend against Lewes, but the Rooks Sussex rivals were less charitable, Ricky Aguiar and Danny Barker getting late goals to give their fans a happy trip home. Four hundred and twenty were also at Hartsdown Park, but they weren’t the same four hundred and twenty who were at Coles Park, unless they were all accompanied by Doctor Who.

Lewes began the day still looking for their first win. Yesterday Darren Freeman brought in three new players, and his side travelled to Leatherhead and went one better, bringing him four new goals. Charlie Coppola opened the scoring after nine minutes and Jordy Mongoy made it two seventeen minutes later. After the break one of those new signings, Martin Box, made it three- and although Eddie Dsane got one back almost immediately for the Tanners, Kayne Diedrick-Roberts made it four eight minutes from time. The joy of this victory is shown quite clearly in our headline image, which comes from the lens of Lewes photographer James Boyes- and you can find the rest of his photographs HERE.

The Rooks climb to twentieth, the Tanners drop to bottom spot.

In between the two sit Corinthian-Casuals, a club who, like the Tanners, are still looking for that first win of the season. They didn’t get it yesterday because a goal a quarter of an hour from time, scored by Ace Howell, turned out to be the only one of the game, and saw Brightlingsea Regent end the day in eleventh place.

Kingstonian got their first victory at the season, and it came at Merstham, where they must be suddenly sick of the sight of Hayden Bird. The former Moatsiders boss saw his new charges get the only goal of the game three minutes after the break, and it game from the home side’s former captain, Tom Kavanagh.

Finally, Potters Bar Town and Cray Wanderers got a goal each at the Pakex, and the crowd could have all turned up five minutes from time and still seen all of the action. Bradley Sach put the Scholars ahead, but just when it looked as if the points had done a disappearing act for Wands, Joseph Taylor got them level right at the end.

North Division

Four matches, four victories, twelve goals- Maldon & Tiptree are now our only North Division one hundred percent-ers after a two-nil win at Aveley. Both goals came in the first half, Joseph Wicks with the first and Danny Parish with the second.

Two points further back are Bury Town, who leapfogged Canvey Island by defeating their previously unbeaten hosts 2-0 at the seaside. Will Gardner got the opening goal for Bury eight minutes before the break, and Cruise Nyadzayo killed the contest three minutes from time.

Coggeshall Town are up to third, Nnamdi Nwachuku with the only goal of the game at Brentwood Town after only ten minutes. Brentwood still search for their first point, and another club still searching for that first point, Romford, will wonder how they didn’t get it yesterday. Boro were behind, level, ahead, level, ahead, level and then behind as hosts AFC Sudbury claimed victory with a last minute goal. Ben Hunter gave the yellows an early lead only for Jonathon Nzengo to equalise for Romford and- one minute later- Jimmy Cox to put them ahead. Liam Bennett equalised for Sudbury before the break, but eight minutes after it Nzengo’s second restored Romford’s advantage. Billy Holland got the home equaliser seventeen minutes from time, and then Tom Maycock got a ninetieth minute winner. The yellows sit in eight place.

Grays Athletic travelled to Heybridge Swifts and Mitchel Hahn put them ahead with a goal which will live long in the memory- and which you can take a look at HERE. Joao Carlos made it two shortly after the break, and although Harrison Chatting got one back for Swifts Athletic held on for victory, and ended the day in fourth. Swifts drop to sixth.

Great Wakering Rovers are seventh, our former leaders taking the lead at home to Dereham Town- through an own goal- before the Magpies struck back and scored two at the right end, Ryan Hawkins and Adam Hipperson with them. Town climb to thirteenth.

Soham Town Rangers are up to ninth, courtesy of victory over Felixstowe and Walton United. Jake Andrews and Sam Mulready got two first half goals to give them a comfortable lead at the break, and Toby Andrews added a third eleven minutes from time. Tilbury are tenth, but goodness they left it late, their two goals at Witham Town coming in the eighty-ninth and ninetieth minutes. Ola Ogunwamide got the first, new signing Brian Moses the second, as the Dockers fans in the crowd celebrated.

Histon are eleventh courtesy of the only goal of the game at Basildon United, Ed Rolph with it nine minutes from time, whilst Hulbridge Sports were also one-nil away winners, and indeed picked up their first win of the season, Joseph Wright with the goal twelve minutes after the break at Cambridge City.

South Central

We headed to Tooting and Mitcham United for our matchday feature yesterday, and goodness we picked well, as their two-one victory over Northwood was filled with fabulous football from both sides, and had a late, late winner. You can read about it HERE, and it sees the Terrors top of the league after winning every match (four in the league, and one in the cup).

Westfield are second, dropping points for the first time this campaign- but they dropped only two, even though for quite a while it looked as if it would be three. Andrew Herring gave visitors South Park a fifth minute lead, and they held it for sixty eight minutes before George Frith got an equaliser.

Hanwell Town climb to third after a thumping win over Hertford Town. Callum Woodcock gave the Geordies a perfect start after three minutes, and Harvey Rush doubled their advantage thirteen minutes later. Then, after the break, Harvey Killeen made it three, Liam Tack four. Luke Gymer got a consolation for Hertford, who sit in thirteenth place.

Chalfont St Peter are in fourth, after they and Chipstead served up a five goal thriller which included three penalties. Luke Jones gave the Saints the lead but the Chips weren’t down for long, Sam Clayton levelling with that first stop kick. After the break the second spot kick saw Riccardo Alexander-Greenaway restore the hosts lead, and when Zayd Ait-Fahim made it three-one from open play after sixty nine minutes the outcome looked certain, but Clayton converted another spot kick right at the end to make the closing stages a little less comfortable for Saints.

Harlow Town found the net four minutes into the first half at Staines Town, and four minutes into the second, those goals- from Christian Adu Gyamfi and Terrell Egbri- giving the Hawks a cushion. Klajdi Cani got one back for the Swans with nineteen minutes remaining, but it wasn’t enough and the Hawks held on for victory.

Marlow are sixth, and they fired home four at FC Romania after first falling behind, Sergiu Maximov opening the scoring for the hosts after only ten minutes. The visitors were ahead by the break, Isaac Olorunfemi and Jordan Brown with the goals, and added two more after the break, Charlie Samuel and Devontae Romeo easing them to victory. The Wolves finished the match with ten men- the third time from four matches they’ve seen someone dismissed.

Waltham Abbey are seventh, a Leonne McKenzie double enough to give them victory over Uxbridge despite the Abbotts needing to play the last thirty eight minutes with then men, and the Robins of Bracknell Town are just behind, the Robins the latest club to give Ashford Town a thrashing. Nathan Minhas got a hat trick, Max Herbert the other goal in a four-nil victory. Town are rock bottom having conceded fifteen goals in four matches.

Chertsey Town and Ware got a goal each and a point each, Andrew Crossley giving the home side a first half lead only for Jordon Watson to equalise for the visitors five minutes from time. Bedfont Sports and Barking played out a nil-nil draw in the shadow of Heathrow.

South East Division

New boys Cray Valley PM are sitting pretty at the top of the South East Division after a thumping three-nil win at Herne Bay. Their three goals came in seven minutes. Ali Tumkaya put them ahead two minutes before the break, and Daniel Smith struck again for Mills three minutes after the restart. Emmanuel Oloyede made things comfortable in the fiftieth minute.

Ashford United are one point behind and our only club who still have a one hundred percent record. First half goals from David Smith and Jake McIntyre were enough to see them ease to victory over Burgess Hill Town, who played more than half the match with ten men.

Chichester City are another set of new boys who have made a wonderful start to life at Step Four, and despite falling behind to an early Max Morgan goal at home to Faversham Town they turned the game around after the break. Gicu Iordache levelled two minutes after the restart, and then Scott Jones got the winner ten minutes later. We include a marvellous and rather arty photograph from Sheena Booker- and you can find many more of them HERE.

Hastings United are fourth after Ben Pope got the only goal of the game against Whyteleafe, whilst Whitehawk are fifth despite ending their match at Hythe Town with nine men. Duane Ofori-Acheampong got the only goal of the game just before the hour, the two red cards came right at the end- one for the scorer, one for the goalkeeper.

Sevenoaks Town were the biggest winners of the day, four second half goals ensuring that they walloped Whitstable. Kyle De Silva got the first from the spot, and that opened the floodgates, Jack Miles, Ainsley Everett and Tyrell Richardson-Brown taking advantage as Oaks climbed to sixth.

Three Bridges won their first match of the season at a club who hadn’t lost one before their arrival, Sussex rivals Haywards Heath Town. Former Dorking Wanderers man Tom Tolfrey put them ahead midway through the first half, and Andrew Sesay wrapped up the points two minutes from time. Heath are eighth, Bridges climb to seventeenth.

VCD Athletic sit just behind Heath, but they will be extremely disappointed not to be in the top three, as with ten minutes to go they were two-nil up against Ramsgate and looked certain for three points. Kelvin Ogboe and an own goal had given them that advantage in the first half, but Kane Rowland and then Stephen Smith- the equaliser in the last minute- sent the Rams home with something to show for their efforts.

Another two-two draw and another two-nil lead turned upside down in the last ten minutes came at Sittingbourne, where Roman Campbell and Enoch Ako-Adjei looked to have given the Brickies the points. Karn Miller-Neave and Orlando Smith thought otherwise, however, as East Grinstead Town resurrected themselves and earned a draw.

Sittingbourne are tenth, just ahead of Guernsey, who got their first win of the season at Phoenix Sports. Ross Allen put the Green Lions ahead after just ten minutes, and although Jeff Duah-Kessie got an equaliser just after the hour Sebastian Skillen grabbed the winner with eighteen minutes to go. Sports still search for their first point of the campaign.