Swifts slay another giant, whilst Tags become the first to tame the Trawler Boys

Royston Town of Pitching In Southern Premier Central were the hosts for Heybridge Swifts in the FA Trophy. Swifts have had a fine campaign, with only one league defeat this season- and they knocked Pitching In Isthmian leaders Potters Bar Town out of the competition in the last round so knew how it felt to be giantkillers. They were ahead after just four minutes, Rhys Henry opening the scoring, and doubled their advantage through Ross Wall ten minutes from time to slay a second giant and march on to the Second Round.

Our image is from Alan Edmonds.

Grays Athletic and Stowmarket Town met in a clash of two of the form sides in Pitching In Isthmian North. Athletic bounced back from a rare defeat at Lowestoft Town at the weekend to defeat Gorleston three-nil in midweek, whilst Stow had gone ten games without defeat and had the psychological advantage of doing the double over Athletic last season. The two sides couldn’t manage a goal between them, so off we went to a shootout- and the visitors triumphed, four-two.

One of our former clubs, Leiston, welcomed Wroxham. The Yachtsmen had been excellent in the Trophy with big wins over Lowestoft Town, East Grinstead Town and Lincoln United, but they fell behind on twenty five minutes. The equaliser for the visitors came twelve minutes into the second half, Robbie Linford drawing them level, and it looked like we were off to penalties- but a late, late Leiston goal saw them through.

Pitching In Isthmian North

Lowestoft Town, with twenty eight points from thirty as they kicked off, hoped to at least maintain that gap as they travelled to Hashtag United- but they fell behind at the Len Salmon as Max Cornhill headed home for the Tags. The same player then hit the bar five minutes before the break, but the Tags did get their second just after the hour, Olly Miles stunning the leaders. The Trawler Boys quickly got one back, Jake Reed with his eleventh of the season, but the next goal went to the hosts, Pedro Carvalho ending the Trawler Boys unbeaten run and closing the gap on the top five to just three points.

Felixstowe and Walton United knew that they would go second if they could get back to winning ways against Great Wakering Rovers. The Seasiders had won every home league match so far this season, scoring seventeen goals and conceding only three- and within seventeen minutes of this match that tally was up to nineteen-three, with Joshua Hitter and George Clarke putting them two-nil up. The third goal wouldn’t arrive for the hosts, and Rovers struck back with seventeen minutes left, Eusebio Da Silva halving the arrears. That was the end of the Wakering comeback, however, and the Seasiders narrow the gap on Lowestoft to five points.

AFC Sudbury, still undefeated in the league, started the day eight points behind the leaders with two games in hand. They went ahead against Tilbury on twenty seven minutes, Harrison Chatting with the opener, and shortly after the break Nnamdi Nwachuku, who has been scoring goals as if he’s worried they are about to be rationed, made it two with his seventeenth of the season. Goal number three arrived on fifty two minutes, Lionel Ainsworth with that one, and you feared for the Dockers, who conceded five at Heybridge Swifts last weekend- but they defended more staunchly and kept the Yellows at bay for the rest of the game. Sudbury are five points behind the leaders, but with two games in hand.

Brentwood Town are fifth, courtesy of a two-one win at Basildon United on Friday evening. Marlon Agyakwa gave them an early lead but the Bees were level by the break, Michael Salako equalising three minutes from half time. With twelve minutes to go Sid Walker saw red for the hosts, and the ten men couldn’t hold out, Andy Freeman popping up to score the winner.

Bury Town had seen their previous positive form stutter during the last few weeks, taking only four points from their last twelve, but they went ahead against Maldon & Tiptree after sixty five minutes, Cemal Ramadan with his fourteenth of the campaign. It was two-nil when Lee Watkins scored twelve minutes from time, and they held on to close the gap on the top five to three points- the Jammers now eight points from guaranteed safety.

East Thurrock United have been climbing the table whilst visitors Witham Town had been going the other way. The two were deadlocked and without a goal when Gaz Dauti saw red for the visitors midway through the second half, but the ten men couldn’t hold out and a last minute penalty from Roman Michael-Percil gave the Rocks all three points- seven unbeaten, and up to tenth.

Finally, nineteenth hosted eighteenth as Gorleston welcomed Coggeshall Town (to Lowestoft Town). The hosts eleven league matches prior to this one had seen one win and ten defeats, whilst the Seed Growers didn’t have a victory at all, so both were in dire need of three points. Gorleston went ahead from the spot on the quarter hour, Connor Deeks converting, and an own goal gave them breathing space midway through the second half. They held on for victory, with the Seed Growers replacing them in the bottom two.