SEVENTEEN not out!

We’ve run out of superlatives to describe the performances of Hashtag United, and last night they picked up their seventeenth consecutive win to go four points clear at the top of the table- but they had to fight, because hosts Coggeshall Town certainly didn’t gift wrap victory for their visitors.

The Seed Growers started well, but were undone by the in-form Toby Aromolaran, who delivered his tenth goal of the season midway through the first half, finding the bottom corner. Town hit back, hitting the post, but of course the ball was soon up the other end and Alex Teniola decided it was time for him to score his thirteenth of the campaign and give the visitors a cushion. Emmanuel Okunja almost gave the visitors breathing space when striking the post with sixteen minutes to go, but instead they had to weather a storm, Josh Osude getting one back four minutes later. More pressure at both ends came to naught, and the Tags had that crucial three points.

Much of our fixture list focused on battles at the wrong end of the table. One exception saw Brentwood Town, under new management, try to get off to a winning start under Craig Shipman as New Salamis came to call- but both sides had to be satisfied with a point. Matt Cripps gave his new boss a flying start, opening the scoring for Town on twelve minutes, but they held the lead only for twenty two minutes more before Derek Asamoah equalised- and that turned out to be that.

East Thurrock United haven’t given up their promotion ambitions just yet, and the Rocks eased to three points against bottom side Great Wakering Rovers. Johnny Ashman started things off with a fifth minute opener, Harry Hope scored a second on twenty minutes, and that turned out to be that. Thurrock are now five unbeaten, whilst Rovers are without a win since October 8th.

Maldon & Tiptree travelled to take on Basildon United. The Bees had gone seven matches without a win, and that run is now up to eight as the Jammers got the only goal of the game nine minutes from time. Michael Finneran scored it, and it means the visitors open up a five point gap on their fifteenth place hosts, the Bees falling a place but remaining five points clear of the bottom four.

Tilbury, only a point above the drop zone, welcomed the side one place and four points above them, Witham Town- but that was two places and seven points by full time. The Dockers had only one win- and eight defeats- from their previous ten matches, and both of those numbers increased by one as Town grabbed two first half goals to seal victory. Abdul-Rasheed Ajana-Salaugot the opener just before the half hour, and three minutes later Michael Bareck continued his fine start to his Witham career by scoring his third goal in three matches.

Finally, we had a bottom four battle as Gorleston welcomed Hullbridge Sports. The Greens were four without a win, whilst Sports had lost eight of their last nine, so this one was incredibly important to both sides- and it ended in a comfortable victory for the hosts, who move level on points with their visitors and find themselves a point from safety. Connor Deeks opened the scoring on the hour, and nine minutes later Jacek Zielonka made it two, fifteen minutes after emerging from the bench. The substitute added a third eight minutes from time, and that was that.

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