Stortford crush the Urchins- and narrow the gap to one point

Second place Bishop’s Stortford and leaders Hornchurch had identical records from their previous ten matches- twenty one points and only one defeat- but it looked as if the Urchins were well on their way to doing the double over the Blues when they took an early lead at the R&D Advisors Stadium. Liam Nash broke the deadlock on fourteen minutes with his fifteenth goal of the season- but after that the traffic was all one-way, and the hosts were doing all of the driving.

Oliver Peters drew the Blues level just before the break with a fabulous free kick, to the delight of most of the seven hundred and thirty six watching on- and after the break the Blues piled on the pressure- albeit in a different strip, as they changed to yellow because it seemed that their blue and the Urchins purple was giving the spectators a headache! Ryan Henshaw put them ahead on fifty two minutes when he headed home a corner, Jonathan Giles made it three on the hour, and just before the end Frankie Merrifield got his twelfth of the campaign- and fiftieth in a blue (yellow) shirt- to make it four.

Stortford close the gap between themselves and the Urchins to just one point.

Potters Bar Town, who started the day in third place, travelled to the side five points and four places behind them, Enfield Town. By the end that gap was one place and two points after the Towners climbed to fifth with a comprehensive victory on Donkey Lane, and extended the Scholars winless run to four matches. Sam Youngs gave the hosts a perfect start with a third minute goal, only for Mohammed Kamara to equalise just after the half hour. Debutant and new signing from St Albans City restored home advantage just before the break, and after the restart we witnessed the Youngs show, Sam weighing in with two more goals to take the match ball and his hat trick and deliver a valuable three points for his side.

Cray Wanderers had lost only one of their previous ten matches- and that run stretched to one in eleven as they comfortably defeated Margate at Hartsdown Park. Tom Derry gave them the lead ten minutes before the break, Anthony Cook made it two just after the restart, and the Blues hopes finally departed when Sam Blackman saw red just before the hour. Josh Allen, on from the bench for just five minutes, got a third for the Wands fourteen minutes from time- maintaining a fabulous away record which has seen them lose only twice in twelve matches. The visitors climb to third, the Blues and their manager, Andy Drury, parted company after the match.

Canvey Island, in fifth place at kick off, had the chance to climb as high as second place as they welcomed Bowers & Pitsea- but instead they saw their wings firmly clipped, Bowers doing their survival hopes a power of good. The visitors hadn’t lost to the Gulls since 2017, and they went into the lead six minutes before the break, Adalberto Pinto opening the scoring. The Gulls tried with all their might to snatch something from the game, but the second goal, which arrived right at the end, also went to Bowers- Dylan Thistleton ensuring only their second win in ten games.

Carshalton Athletic have top five pretentions, and are outside the play off places only on goal difference after a narrow win over Kingstonian. Crossley Lema got the only goal of the game, and delivered the Robins sixth one-nil win of the season. That’s one point from eighteen for the K’s.

Hastings United hosted a Sussex derby, Lewes visiting the Pilot Field. United were five unbeaten, whilst the Rooks had become rather difficult to defeat, with only one defeat from ten- but it was the hosts whose fine run continued with a two-one victory. Jahmal Hector-Ingram opened the scoring on just ten minutes, but the Rooks were level by the break, Razz Coleman De-Graft- perhaps their player of the season so far- getting his tenth of the campaign. The winner came on fifty seven minutes, and it went to Sam Hasler, who delighted the majority of our biggest crowd of the season- one thousand, six hundred and seventy seven- thirty eight more than watched the goalless draw between the sides at the Dripping Pan on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Billericay Town got back to winning ways impressively last week, and they faced a side who must struggle to remember what a win feels like, Brightlingsea Regent. The last time our bottom side won a league match was on August Bank Holiday Monday, when they defeated…Billericay Town- but they couldn’t do it again at New Lodge. After a goalless first half the Blues took the lead on fifty eight minutes through Eze Ebuzoeme, and ten minutes later the same player doubled their advantage. The visitors hit back from the spot, Suleyman Zuhdu holding his nerve, but within seven minutes John Ufuah added a third for the hosts- and an own goal made it four soon afterwards. Nine hundred and one watched on, and our image is from Nicky Hayes.

We had a Sussex derby as Bognor Regis Town welcomed Horsham. The Rocks had only thirteen available players for their midweek Trophy defeat in Banbury, but did manage to fill the bench for this one- although Dan Gifford had to drop out due to injury and Brad Lethbridge missed out due to illness. It took until just before the break for the opening goal to arrive, but when it arrived it was. Beauty, Jack Mazzone giving the Hornets the lead with his fourteenth of the season. The Rocks fought to get back into the match, but a quick break right at the end of the match saw Daniel Ajakaiye seal three points for the visitors, who are eleventh- but only four points away from the top five. Five without a win sees the Rocks down to fifteenth place, whilst six hundred and ninety six watched on.

Second bottom Herne Bay hosted an improving Folkestone Invicta. Bay were also improving, having drawn their last three matches, and they went ahead on twenty minutes, Mason Saunders-Henry opening the scoring with his third of the campaign. Invicta have Ade Yusuff in prolific scoring form, and he levelled from the spot just before the break- his twenty second of the season- and ten minutes after the restart the visitors grabbed what proved to be the winner, Ibrahim Olutade lifting them to thirteenth and sealing a double over Bay.

Wingate & Finchley welcomed Haringey Borough. The last time they met, on August Bank Holiday Monday, the two sides delivered a goalless draw- and it turned out that Boxing Day was just the same, if colder.

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