That was the season that…wasn’t- a review: December 2019

Our first matchday of the month saw Folkestone Invicta return to the top of the League with a point against Kingstonian, and Bognor putting four past Enfield Town at Nyewood Lane. Muhammadu Faal scored the Towners consolation, and was- according to the S*n- about to earn a dream move to the Premier League. Potters Bar Town got back to winning ways courtesy of a Josh Hutchinson hat trick as they defeated Brightlingsea Regent. In the South East Division Hastings United went to the top courtesy of two goal Gary Elphick- yes, really- whilst Ibrahim Olutade got three for Leatherhead as they defeated Ramsgate in the Velocity Trophy.

Our latest set of awards were announced. The November Performance honours- courtesy of Supreme Trophies and Engraving- went to Kingstonian, Maldon & Tiptree- again, Staines Town and Hastings United; whilst our Golden Gloves Awards- thanks to AB1 Goalkeeping- made it two out of two for Kingstonian, and also went to Tilbury, Marlow and Cray Valley PM. Our Manager Awards- as always sponsored by Anderson Travel- saw a K’s hat trick in the Premier Division as Hayden Bird picked up the prize, whilst Adam Gusterson won the North award for Dereham Town, Justin Gardner at Barking got it for his South Central work, and Jude MacDonald won for the South East at Whitehawk.

East Thurrock United mourned the loss of their irreplaceable former owner, Ben Bennett- who took the club from nowhere to National League South.

Our first Saturday of the month saw a clash of the titans, as leaders Folkestone took on second place Horsham. The Hornets could have replaced their hosts at the summit with victory, but couldn’t get one, Invicta winning two-one. Worthing climbed above Horsham into second place.

Chris Dickson got a hat trick for Hornchurch in a five goal thriller against Wingate & Finchley, whilst Cray Wanderers got four at Potters Bar Town. An emotional East Thurrock United also got four, as Haringey Borough came to call, and four was a popular number as Kingstonian scored the same number against Merstham. Brightlingsea Regent got their first win since the end of August, defeating Corinthian-Casuals.

North Division leaders Bury Town lost to Histon, and were knocked off the summit due to another Maldon & Tiptree victory. Romford managed their first win under Tamplin, at Felixstowe and Walton United, whilst in the South Central Division leaders Hanwell Town put five past Barking- a manager of the month curse perhaps helping!

Ware got six goals for the third match running, this time against Ashford Town, and Tooting & Mitcham Utd got five at Chertsey Town. Waltham Abbey came from behind to beat Staines Town four-three, whilst Westfield got back to winning ways when putting four past Chalfont St Peter. In the South East Division, Hastings were still leading the way, defeating Chichester City five-one.

Staines Town announced a new manager a few days later, Martin Kuhl coming in. He rather surprisingly took over from interim boss Mahrez Bettache, who seemed to have managed an upturn in the Swans fortunes with five wins, three draws and five defeats whilst in charge- they’d been without a win in six before he took charge.

Our next set of midweek fixtures saw Hullbridge Town come from three goals behind to defeat Brentwood Town four-three, whilst Chipstead got six in the South Central to defeat Hertford Town. Hastings defeated Sittingbourne to go four points clear in the South East Division.

In the Velocity Trophy Heybridge Swifts sent out a rather young team against local rivals Maldon & Tiptree, and promptly conceded eight goals.

We had another managerial appointment at Bracknell Town. This time it was former Hungerford Town and Wealdstone boss Bobby Wilkinson who took over at Larges Lane.

As the Robins were gaining a manager, the Wasps were losing one- Matt Longhurst leaving East Grinstead Town, who still hadn’t managed a league victory all season. Elsewhere in the South East Division Faversham Town renamed their stadium thanks to sponsorship from Aquatherm, whilst Ramsgate chair Paul Bowden-Brown stepped down.

And then it started to rain again. December 14th saw eleven postponements due to waterlogged pitches, something which became an almost weekly occurrence for the rest of the season. Aveley and Carshalton Athletic drew in the FA Trophy, thus setting up yet another giant killing for the Millers in the replay, whilst Hornchurch killed a giant- Dulwich Hamlet, these days of National League South.

Folkestone Invicta remained top despite defeat to Bowers and Pitsea, but the shock of the day came at Nyewood Lane, where usually difficult to beat Cray Wanderers conceded seven goals to Bognor Regis Town. Lewes got four at Merstham.

Maldon & Tiptree consolidated their first place in the North Division with victory over Dereham Town, whilst Great Wakering Rovers got four goals at Cambridge City. The South Central’s big match saw Tooting defeat Ware, whilst Westfield got five at FC Romania. Chertsey Town gave Martin Kuhl a Staines Town managerial debut to forget as they got four at Wheatsheaf Park.

Hastings United remained top of the South East Division despite defeat at Ashford United- their first defeat of the season.

On 15th Kingstonian were the next set of giantkillers, defeating National League Woking in the Trophy.

December 17th saw Leigh Dynan named as the new manager of East Grinstead Town.

Our next set of midweek football was mainly washed out, but what we did have was rather thrilling, Worthing going level on points with Folkestone Invicta after winning a five goal thriller against Enfield Town by the odd goal, whilst Ware were within a point of Hanwell Town after winning three-two at Marlow.

On December 20th we announced the sad news that Mishi Morath, Mr Dulwich Hamlet, had lost his fight for life. The outpouring of grief for Mishi was such that for a long time he was trending on Twitter, something which he’d undoubtedly have been rather scathing about!

The Winter Solstice (December 21st) saw the weather prepare for Christmas by trying to drown us all. There was little to remember on the pitch apart from mud, but Ware was mud-free, and Waltham Abbey took advantage by defeating their hosts three-two, stopping the Blues from hitting the summit. In the Velocity Trophy Worthing also defeated Cray Wanderers by three goals to two.

Boxing Day saw it rain once more. But it also rained goals! Folkestone Invicta remained top with victory over Margate, whilst Worthing defeated their local rivals three-nil, Horsham fans getting nothing to sing about. A topsy-turvy match at Donkey Lane saw Enfield Town defeat Haringey Borough five-three.

In the North Division Maldon & Tiptree defeated Heybridge Swifts once more, this time with a last minute winner, whilst Aveley put six past ‘hosts’ Grays Athletic. Bury Town remained third, playing their first match since December 7th as they defeated Soham Town Rangers. Tilbury and Canvey Island got eight goals between them, the Dockers getting five and Brian Moses three.

The last Saturday of the decade saw more goals and- miraculously- only one postponement. Hornchurch moved up to fourth in the Premier Division with victory over Brightlingsea Regent, but the North Division had most of the goals, Maldon and Tiptree getting five in defeating Witham Town, Alex and Akrofi getting four for Aveley as they defeated Romford six-nil.

Hanwell Town fell from the South Central summit as they were defeated by South Park, Ware going top with victory over FC Romania. Westfield were third, and defeated Ashford Town five-nil, whilst Chipstead won four-one at Tooting. Our biggest scorers were in the South East Division, where Sittingbourne put seven goals past Ramsgate.

Ramsgate’s reaction was to part company with their management team- Jason Lillis, Terry Sedge and Joe Radford all departing the club. Matt Longhurst was quickly installed as the new head Ram.