Six for the Bees, and five for Heath and the Abbotts as we have a midweek goalfest!

North Division

Basildon United didn’t have the start to the season they might have liked, falling to defeat at Bury Town, but last night was as sweet as honey for the Bees, as Romford left having been badly stung. Ayomikun Odukoya grabbed a first half hat trick, and just before the break Boro rubbed salt in their own wounds by scoring an own goal. It soon got worse for the visitors, Adam Vyse making it five almost immediately, and the same player made it six-nil just before the hour mark. Romford managed not to concede any more, but they won’t take much consolation from that.

Histon were another side to get quickly off the mark last night after a poor weekend. Lee Smith and Max York made it 2-0 at Soham Town Rangers after little more than a quarter of an hour, and when Ed Rolph made it three nine minutes into the second period it seemed to be game over. Rangers had other ideas, however, and Matty Allan got one back with twenty one minutes to go. This was followed up by a Sam Mulready penalty four minutes from time, but Histon were able to hold on for the three points.

We had a clash of the titans at the Aspen Waite Arena, as promotion favourites Heybridge Swifts and Coggeshall Town went head to head. Swifts went into the break with the advantage, as Jack Adlington-Pile put them ahead, but following the restart Nnamdi Nwachuku- it’s always Nnamdi Nwachuku, isn’t it- got an equaliser from the spot within four minutes, and that’s how it ended.

Great Wakering Rovers are top of the pile, a Jack Stevenson goal in the first half giving them the advantage over Tilbury, and Jake Gordon making things safe two minutes from time and making it six points from two matches. You can read the programme here.

A last minute Danny Parish goal for Maldon & Tiptree saw them finish the night in second place. The Jammers had earlier seen Charlee Hughes give them the lead only for Jason Williams to equalise for hosts Brentwood Town.

Canvey Island gave a fourth debut to new signing Jason Hallett, newly returned from Cheshunt, and the striker scored their equaliser at home to Grays Athletic. Joao Carlos had given Athletic a sixty-eighth minute lead, but Jim Cooper’s side ended the night with nothing to show for their efforts as Tobi Joseph scored a last minute winner for the Gulls, sending them third in the table. Here's the programme from the match, and it's a thing of beauty.

Witham Town and Bury Town are fourth and fifth, and the two sides shared the points last night. Marcus Bowers put the home side ahead, but Bury hit back a minute later through Jake Chambers Shaw and the match ended without the scoreline being troubled further.

Felixstowe and Walton United had a poor start to their season, but got back on track with victory at AFC Sudbury, Armani Schaar with the only goal of the game. The programme from that match can be found here.

South Central

Favourites Bracknell Town didn’t have the start to the season they were looking for on Saturday, but they got back to form at Larges Lane last night. It took twenty minutes for Caden Genovesi to make the breakthrough, but the lead was doubled only five minutes later as Nicholas Bignall found the net. The programme from that match can be found here.

Chalfont St Peter had the perfect start to their campaign with a thumping victory at Ashford Town, and they made it six points from six by defeating Bedfont Sports. Dan Williams put them ahead just before the half hour, and David Pitt doubled the lead seven minutes after the break- but Sports made them sweat when Keanu Williams got one back, leaving them with twenty two minutes to find an equaliser. They didn’t manage it, and the Saints stay top. You can read the match programme here.

Hanwell Town followed up their thumping victory over Sports by entertaining fancied Harlow Town, and the Geordies beat the Hawks with a first half goal from Gareth Chendlik to end the night in second place.

Westfield also made it two wins from two, Chipstead- victors over Bracknell at the weekend- unable to defeat their second fancied side in a row. Arsen Ujkaj and Gregory Haydon put the home side ahead in the first half, and that was how the match ended- with the Woking side in third place.

Tooting & Mitcham United are the next side to take maximum points. Their opponents last night, Ashford Town, suffered a terrible mauling at the weekend, and although they put up a stronger fight at Imperial Fields the outcome was the same, no points. Hady Ghandour put Tooting ahead only for Max Webb to equalise, but the home side were ahead once more before the break, David Castanho with the goal, and nineteen minutes from time Danny Bassett made it three to seal the points. The Terrors are fourth, and our headline image comes from that match, courtesy of South London is Black and White- a fabulous website dedicated to the Terrors which you can find here. . If the football was as lovely as that sky, then those present had a treat.

Waltham Abbey fell behind five minutes into their match with Hertford Town, Luke Theo Guymer with the opening goal- but they didn’t take that lying down, and hit back by scoring four, Billy Holland, Charlie Edwards and Darrelle Russell (2) doing the damage. Town reduced the arrears through Elliot Bailey but there was still time for the Abbotts to make it five, Daniel Ungudi scoring five minutes from time.

Ware’s home match with Barking saw six goals, and Ware scored all of them. Oluwaseun Akinsanya grabbed a hat trick and Tom Boxer also scored at the right end, but two own goals gave the visitors hope. They couldn’t score any of their own, however, and the match ended four-two, a result which sees Ware in seventh.

Chertsey Town were three-nil ahead against South Park within half an hour, Sam Murphy and a Jonathan Hippolyte double doing the damage. There were no further goals, and the Curfews ended the night in sixth place.

Che Krabbendam was the Staines Town hero at home to Marlow, scoring a double after Ashleigh Artwell had given the visitors an early lead, but the Swans couldn’t hold on for three points, a last gasp Devontae Romeo goal earning a draw for the Blues.

South East

Burgess Hill Town began the campaign by firing seven goals past Hythe Town, but any optimism that victory generated amongst their supporters evaporated last night as they were given a hammering of their own- and to make matters worse, it was administered by their closest rivals.

Shaun Saunders is already a legend in Haywards Heath, and walloping five goals past the Hillians will probably earn him the freedom of the Town and the right to drive sheep down Perrymount Road. He had suggested that this season would be more difficult than their debut Isthmian campaign- which saw them qualify for the playoffs- but it seems that his players haven’t taken any notice of that message, having recorded their second consecutive win. Trevor McCreadie, particularly, must have had his fingers in his ears, as he scored FOUR goals of his own before Warren Mfula got the Hillians on the scoresheet- and even then that moment of happiness was short lived for the visitors, as Callum Saunders made if five-one three minutes later. Four hundred and seven turned up to watch, and those making the trek back to Wiveslfield will have had more than the dreadful service from Thameslink to be miserable about.

Heath are already our only one hundred percent-ers (although Ashford Utd have a game in hand), and Herne Bay climbed to second place with a three-one win over Phoenix Sports. They fell behind to an own goal, but Zak Ansah grabbed an equaliser just before the break and a second six minutes from time- goals which sandwiched a strike from Ricky Freeman just after the hour.

Newly promoted Cray Valley PM are third, and last night they celebrated their first victory, running out three-one winners at Sittingbourne. Anthony Edgar gave them an early lead only for Ryan Flack to equalise for the Brickies, but Cray were ahead once more midway through the half through Ryan Flack, and Danny Smith made things secure just after the hour mark. You can read the programme from that match here.

New Hastings United striker Ben Pope picked up another nasty injury in pre-season, but as always he shrugged it off and got back to doing what he does best- scoring goals. He got both of them in victory over Faversham Town last night, before being withdrawn to be shrouded in bubble-wrap before eight minutes from time. United are fourth.

Whyteleafe are up to fifth, and they came back from being two-one down at Chichester City at half time to pick up three points. An own goal gave Chi the lead in the very first minute, only for Ronald Sobowale to equalise midway through the half. City were ahead by the break through Scott Jones, but twelve minutes after the restart Sobowale did it again, and then a minute from time came the unluckiest moment of all for the home side, another own goal handing victory to the visitors. We understand that City are producing an electronic programme, but we can't find it, so if the club would like to forward a link we shall attach it later.

Whitehawk looked as if they were going to pick up their second victory of the season when Lucas Rodrigues put them ahead at Sevenoaks Town, but Tyrell Richardson-Brown, a promotion winner at Horsham last year, thought better of it and got an equaliser for Oaks twenty minutes from time. Oaks and the Hawks sit seventh and sixth respectively, separated only by goals scored.

VCD Athletic fell to narrow defeat at Whitehawk on Saturday, but picked up what proved to be a narrow victory at Oakwood last night. Three Bridges Town were the visitors, and stung their hosts in the very first minute as Andre McCollin put them ahead. The lead lasted only for minutes before Raphe Brown got the equaliser, however McCollin made it two for Bridges a minute from half time. There was still time for another equaliser before the break-Kelvin Ogboe scored from the spot. In the second half the home team took control, Timi Toluwanile and Jack Steventon making it four-two, although Tom Tolfrey made them sweat a little by pulling a goal back three minutes from time.

Hythe Town, walloped by Burgess Hill at the weekend, put that behind them to record victory over Whitstable Town. Thomas Carlton scored their first after only thirteen minutes, and Rhys Bartlett doubled the advantage and sealed the points ten minutes from time.

Finally, the College Lane audience was served up a six goal thriller, as East Grinstead Town and Guernsey shared the spoils. The Green Lions were two up after only six minutes, William Fazakerey and Ross Allen with the goals- but the lead didn’t last, as within eleven more minutes the Wasps were level through Reece Batchelor and Curtis Gayler. Fazakerley looked to have taken the points eleven minutes from time when he got a third for the visitors, but Karn Miller-Neave got another equaliser from the spot.