That was the season that…wasn’t- a review: February/March 2020

As we started February our main concern was the amount of football still left to complete, given so much of it had been rained off. Somehow, that seems so long ago!

The first of the month was also the first Saturday of the month, and it saw Worthing come from behind to take three points at Carshalton Athletic with a last minute goal from Jasper Pattenden. Folkestone Invicta kept up the pressure two points behind with a win at East Thurrock United. Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Hornchurch put four past Enfield Town.

In the North Division Heybridge Swifts were our leaders, and they won at Soham, but the big news of the day came at Maldon & Tiptree, who defeated Felixstowe and Walton United six-two. The Jammers were two points behind their neighbours, but had seven games in hand.

Hanwell Town replaced Ware at the top of the South Central, and they did it in some style, crashing six past hapless Staines Town. Ware and Uxbridge played out a two-two draw, whilst Ashford United got off the bottom by defeating South Park three-nil.

The South East saw Hastings United six points clear of Ashford Town, after they defeated VCD Athletic. Twice the home side had been pegged back by Vickers, but they managed to get another to win three-two. The Nuts and Bolts defeated East Grinstead Town five-nil, whilst Cray Valley PM roared to an impressive four-nil win at Whyteleafe.

Our first managerial casualty of the month came at Brentwood Town, who said goodbye to Ryan O’Rawe whilst eighteenth in the North Division. The first appointee of the month was Robert Ursell at Northwood, whilst there was also managerial news from Bishop’s Stortford, who parted ways with player/manager Jamie Cureton- who a few days later was a player once more, at Hornchurch.

Our latest set of awards were announced. The January Performance honours- courtesy of Supreme Trophies and Engraving- went to Worthing, Aveley- for the second time in succession- Westfield and Ashford United; whilst our Golden Gloves Awards- thanks to AB1 Goalkeeping- saw victories for Worthing (again), Tilbury, Bracknell Town and Hastings United. Our Manager Awards- as always sponsored by Anderson Travel- saw Adam Hinshelwood pick up the Premier Division award at Worthing for the second month in succession, Marc Harrison winning for Tilbury in the North, Bobby Wilkinson at Bracknell Town picking up the South Central prize, and Tommy Warrilow and Ashford United winning in the South East.

We had the luxury of some midweek fixtures which weren’t washed out, and Worthing used them to their advantage, moving five points clear at the top of the Premier Division by winning their game in hand over second placed Invicta, Bishop’s Stortford the latest side defeated. Heybridge Swifts defeated Hullbridge Sports whilst Maldon and Tiptree remained two points behind with all those matches in hand by beating Canvey Island.

Ware were briefly back on top in the South Central after beating Harlow Town four-three in a topsy-turvy match, but only for one night as Hanwell Town retook pole position by defeating FC Romania. Midweek match of the day was at Whitstable Town, who were three times ahead against Cray Valley PM yet lost four-three.

On February 6th Brentwood announced the new man in their dugout, former boss Adam Flanagan, who had been in charge when they won Premier Division promotion in 2015.

Another Saturday, another day of shocks. Worthing, Folkestone Invicta and Hastings United all fell to home defeat- the match at Pilot Field perhaps the most significant, as the victors were second place Ashford United, who closed the gap to one point at the top of the South East Division. Perhaps the most significant match, however, wasn’t in the League but in the FA Trophy. Aveley welcomed Chelmsford City in the last sixteen of the FA Trophy having already defeated five giants to get there, and made it six with a three-one win- headline image from David Bauckham. Monday’s draw paired them with Notts County.

Lewes appointed a new chief Rook on 11th February, Hugo Langton coming in whilst interim co-managers Ross Standen and Tony Coade returned to their coaching duties.

Staines Town made a rather incredible eleven signings (who did they think they were, Romford?), and then Storm Kia-ora came in and wiped out our football again in midweek, giving us a rather shrunken programme. The most surprising results came in the Velocity Trophy, where Worthing- to Cheshunt- and Maldon & Tiptree- to Bracknell Town- both lost!

The following weekend saw Storm Dennis arrive, and our football wrecked once more. But what we did get to watch turned out to be rather exciting, as Worthing hosted second place Folkestone Invicta and lost one-nil, closing the gap to two points and taking over the front page of the Non-league Paper. Carshalton Athletic scored five against Potters Bar Town to go third, whilst in the North Division Maldon & Tiptree went three points clear of Heybridge Swifts with a hard-fought win at Dereham Town, and they still had six games in hand.

The South Central Division had goals galore despite six matches postponed. Waltham Abbey and Chalfont St Peter shared ten, although they didn’t share them equally as the Abbotts got seven of them. Chertsey Town and neighbours Staines Town got nine between them, the Curfews with six. Ware went two points clear at the top after defeating Tooting & Mitcham Utd, but Hanwell Town had a game in hand. The South East Division saw Ashford United take over Hastings position at the top- but the other United had a game in hand. Ashford had soon signed former Hornchurch record goal scorer George Purcell to help improve their potency in front of goal.

February 18th was another rain-damaged day, but Bowers and Pitsea play on plastic, and will have been delighted about that as they walloped seven goals past Brightlingsea Regent at the Len Salmon. Two late goals allowed Maldon to go six points clear with victory at Bury Town in the North Division. The following night Worthing travelled to Lewes, who couldn’t purchase a home victory, and won three-one to restore a five point lead at the top of the Premier Division.

Before we got to another Saturday, we had another managerial departure, as Staines Town changed their Facebook status from ‘In a relationship’ to ‘single’ as Martin Kuhl was sent a dear John letter after eleven matches with no wins- and indeed, only two points.

Saturday 22nd saw Worthing get only a point a Kingstonian, but increase their lead at the top to six points as Folkestone fell to a surprise home defeat against Wingate and Finchley. Cray Wanderers took their unbeaten run to ten games with a win at East Thurrock United, going fourth in the process. In the North Division the Jammers relentless run continued with a win at Grays Athletic seeing them eight points clear, whilst Romford, still bottom, continued to make up ground, winning four-one at Soham Town Rangers.

As usual the South Central Division had the best of the goals. Bracknell Town put seven past managerless Staines Town, whilst Hanwell Town got six against Waltham Abbey to keep up the pressure on Ware at the top. Ashford United were the big scorers in the South East, with six at Guernsey, but that other United, Hastings, weren’t far behind, putting four past Sittingbourne to ensure that the two sides stayed level on points at the top.

Our final midweek fixtures of the month saw Romford get even closer to safety, and this was a massive win as their victims were leaders Maldon & Tiptree, who succumbed to a three-one defeat. In the South Central Division Northwood turned around a run which had seen them lose ten matches in a row with victory over Marlow.

The penultimate day of the month saw some sad news for East Thurrock United fans, as long serving and influential manager John Coventry announced that he was stepping down at the end of the season. He’d been in charge for thirteen years.

Staines Town then brought in another manager, former Greenwich Borough boss Paul Barnes.

March started with Worthing topping the Premier Division, seven points clear of Hornchurch and Folkestone Invicta, whilst Maldon & Tiptree were eight points ahead of Heybridge Swifts in the North- with five games in hand, Ware were three points clear in the South Central Division, although second place Hanwell Town had two matches in hand, and Ashford United were above Hastings United on goal difference in the South East, with the Sussex side having played two games fewer. The weather had ensured that the last Saturday of February had again been mostly washed away, Worthing having picked up a point in a home draw with Potters Bar Town whilst only one match was played in the North Division, two in the South Central- including a goalless draw for Ware against Marlow, and three in the South East. One of those three was rather significant, as Ashford United fell to home defeat against Chichester City.

What turned out to be our last set of monthly awards of the season were announced shortly after the start of March. The Performance honours- courtesy of Supreme Trophies and Engraving- went to Wingate and Finchley, Aveley- who made it a hat trick- Hanwell Town and Ashford United, who won for the second time in succession. Our Golden Gloves Awards- thanks to AB1 Goalkeeping- saw victories for Cray Wanderers, Coggeshall Town, Bracknell Town for the second month in succession, and Ashford United. Our Manager Awards- as always sponsored by Anderson Travel- saw Tony Russell win for Cray Wanderers, Wayne Brown winning for Maldon & Tiptree in the North, Wayne Carter and Chris Moore picking up the South Central prize for Hanwell Town, and Kevin Watson of the other Cray, Valley, winning in the South East.

Maldon celebrated on our first midweek night of the month, getting revenge on Tilbury and going eleven points clear. Ashford United and Hastings United continued their battle for South East supremacy, defeating Chichester City and Burgess Hill Town respectively.

March 6th saw our first mention of the coronavirus, postponing the Respect handshakes. Of course, it was soon to postpone far more than that. The following day saw our first Saturday fixtures of the month, which were also to be our last Saturday fixtures until…well, who knows.

Worthing had only win from five, and hosted Wingate & Finchley, unbeaten in six. The Mackerel Men decided to bounce back to form, and nine hundred and fifty one saw them win four-two. Cray Wanderers climbed to second with a win over Brightlingsea Regent, but were seven points behind. Maldon and Tiptree cemented their position at the top of the North Division, winning at Histon to go fourteen points clear.

The South Central was once more the place for goals, Bracknell Town getting five, Tooting doing the same in a fine win at Hanwell Town, and Waltham Abbey hitting four at FC Romania. That said, the South East Division also had its fair share of entertainment, Whitehawk scoring eight against Three Bridges, Cray Valley and Ramsgate producing an eight goal thriller which saw the Millers win five-three. Hastings United were able to go three points clear with a narrow win over Whitstable Town, helped by the fact that Ashford United were falling to three-one defeat at VCD Athletic.

The following Monday night, 9th March, Aveley got back to winning ways with a four-nil win over Basildon United, the first goal being scored from long distance by keeper David Hughes. Tuesday saw Bognor win a Sussex derby against Horsham, Coggeshall Town won their derby with Witham Town by four goals to nil, whilst Staines Town showed spirit to pick up a point in a relegation clash with Northfield, but perhaps too much spirit as they had three players sent off. In the South East Division, Cray Valley PM picked up their eighth consecutive victory.

Sittingbourne boss Chris Lynch departed the club, Darren Blackburn announced quickly as his replacement, and we wrote previews for all of our Saturday fixtures…only to find there wouldn’t be any.

And that was, sadly, that. We had some wonderful football, and made some wonderful memories, so hopefully the 2019-20 season will be remembered for more than the way it ended.