Saturday's Ryman North action review

There have been better games for Sudbury supporters to watch but at the end of the contest all that mattered was that their team had taken the three points and were a step nearer to achieving their season-long aim.

It was a solitary goal victory, Joe Maybanks scoring just before the interval the ball going in after hitting both posts.

Sudbury now lead the table by 12 points from Thurrock and 18 points ahead of Cray Wanderers, while Harlow Town are on the same number of points but with two games in hand. What that in effect means is that Sudbury, with six game to play, need a minimum of seven points to win the title.

Dereham Town did the leaders a favour by winning 2-1 at Ship Lane against second-placed Thurrock.

Fraser Blake-Tracy gave the visitors a 39th minute lead that Luke Tuttle doubled nine minutes into the second half. Ross Wall reduced the deficit eight minutes from time but Dereham held firm.

Cray moved back up to third after an emphatic 5-2 win at second-bottom Barkingside.

Leigh Bremner gave the Wands an early seventh minute lead and he went on to complete his hat-trick with goals in the 64th and 82nd minutes, with Aryan Tayabshsu on 73 minutes and Ray Powell two minutes from time completing the nap hand. Andy Greenslade after 36 minutes and Luke With just after the break, were on target for `Side.

Harlow and AFC Hornchurch both slipped up, however.

The Hawks were held to a 1-1 draw at the Wallace Binder Group Stadium by Maldon & Tiptree, despite taking a 37th minute lead through Alex Read. Darren McQueen equalising in the 68th minute for the Jammers.

The Urchins suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at Capershotts by third-bottom Waltham Abbey, Ryan Blackman scoring the only goal to lift the Abbots to within three points of the safety-mark.

Cheshunt moved level on points with the Urchins in sixth, but had to be content with just one point from a goalless draw at Great Wakering Rovers, who played for the final half-hour with ten-men following the dismissal of Eljay Worrall.

Seventh-placed Brightlingsea Regent fought back from behind to put another point on the board in their quest for a play-off spot at home to Haringey Borough.

The sides met in a re-arranged match last Tuesday and shared a 2-2 draw.

And they proved evenly matched in the return game at North Road, despite the difference in league placings. Dean Fenton fired Boro in front after 23 minutes but Charlie Durling headed a 70th minute equaliser for Regent.

Thamesmead Town are still in the hunt for a top five spot, but could have done with all three points from their visit to mid-table Bury Town`s Ram Meadow.

In the end Terry Spillane`s side had to be content with one, despite taking an early eighth minute lead through Paul Vines. Josh Mayhew equalised from the penalty spot for the Blues with 16 minutes remaining.

Bottom-markers Redbridge gave themselves a glimmer of hope of avoiding the drop after beating fellow strugglers Heybridge Swifts 1-0 at the Oakside Stadium.

The sides meet again in the Essex Senior Cup semi-final at Scraley Road on Tuesday night, and Charlie Portway`s 71st minute winner for the Motormen will give them a morale-booster ahead of that tie.

Wroxham pulled four points clear of the drop zone with a good 2-1 win at mid-table Phoenix Sports.

Jack Garrod bagged a brace for the Yachtsmen in the 30th and 54th minutes, with Chris Pattison sandwiching a 40th minute reply for a Sports side who finished with ten-men when Russell Bedford was sent-off in stoppage time.

Witham Town also did their chances of staying up a power of good as their 2-0 win over Tilbury at the Village Glass Stadium lifted them seven points clear of the bottom three.

Michael Osei gave the hosts a good start with a goal inside seven minutes. And Lewis Payne added a second on 26 minutes which eventually proved enough against the Dockers.

Romford though are still deep in trouble, just three points above Waltham Abbey, after going down to a 4-2 defeat at Julius Martin Lane against Soham Town Rangers.

It was quite a game, with Soham seemingly coasting to victory leading through goals from recent signing Robbie Mason after 13 minutes and Ryan Sharman on 73 minutes.

But Boro suddenly sprung to life and equalised with two goals in two minutes, starting in the 80th through subs Reion McFarlane and then Michael Dixon. But a Sharman penalty a minute from the end restored Soham`s lead and Dylan Williams added a fourth in stoppage time.

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