That was the season that…wasn’t: Performances.

We thought we’d take a look back on our award winners during the season that wasn’t. Next, we’re looking at performances, and our Performance of the Month Award, sponsored by Supreme Trophies and Engraving. Here were the winners, in Division order.

Premier Division:

August 2019: Hornchurch

On Saturday 17th August we had a clash of two of our promotion favourites, as Hornchurch headed to the Sussex coast to take on Worthing. At half time it was still goalless, and it seemed that the two were cancelling each other out- but that soon changed, and how! In thirty-three second half minutes the Urchins went goal crazy, walloping home six without reply, Chris Dickson getting a hat trick and making it a day that Hornchurch fans will be talking about for years to come. And now they have a lovely trophy to remind them, too!

September 2019: Corinthian-Casuals

Corinthian-Casuals fans hadn’t been given too much to shout about in the league, but it had been a different story in the FA Cup. A 4-0 First Qualifying Round victory over Sevenoaks Town saw the club handed a home draw against National League South Chelmsford City, and once more those in pink and brown triumphed impressively, Nathaniel Pinney and Shaun Okojie finding the net in a two-nil win at King George’s Field.

October 2019: Carshalton Athletic

Carshalton Athletic had been imperious in cup competitions. October saw them defeat Lowestoft Town in the FA Cup and Merstham in the FA Trophy, but the performance we plumped for was in between those matches. National League Dagenham and Redbridge arrived at Colston Avenue in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round sitting comfortably in mid table, but they were anything but comfortable ninety minutes later, left to concentrate on the league after the Robins dumped them out of the Cup. Ricky Korboa got the winner five minutes from time.

November 2019: Kingstonian

Kingstonian had been in fine form, and particularly magnificent in cup competitions. In the biggest cup competition of all, the FA Cup, they headed to League Two side Macclesfield Town and smashed four goals past their lofty opponents, two in each half, a result which not only saw them through to the Second Round of the competition but earned them this prize.

December 2019: Kingstonian

Kingstonian had already vanquished higher level opponents when Woking came to call in the FA Trophy, so they probably didn’t even give their illustrious opponents a second thought. Fourth in the National League? They’d already beaten bigger this season! The Cards headed to King George’s Field, and even though they got an equaliser right before half time the K’s simply shrugged and scored two more, to win three-one.

January 2020: Worthing

The last time Worthing had lost a league match was almost four months previously, which probably explained why they were top of the league! They’d become not only free-scoring up front but rather parsimonious in defence, as Merstham found out to their cost when they turned up at Woodside Road on January 11th.
The Moatsiders weren’t in the best of form, but it is unlikely they will have expected to concede six goals. Yet that’s exactly what happened, as Ricky Aguiar- who got two- Jasper Pattenden, Alex Parsons, Oliver Pearce and Marley Marshall all lined up to ensure Merstham misery.

February 2020: Wingate & Finchley

February saw a complete change in fortunate for Wingate and Finchley, with performances that saw them climb from the basement and end the month outside of the relegation positions after three victories and two draws.

On Saturday 22nd February they travelled to the Kent coast to take on second place Folkestone Invicta. The stripes came into the match on a high after defeating league leaders Worthing in their previous match, but they ended the day in a rather different frame of mind as the Blues triumphed by a goal to nil.

North Division:

August 2019: Grays Athletic

When Heybridge Swifts were drawn to travel to Grays Athletic in the FA Cup we expected a tough, tight match. Perhaps someone might win by the odd goal? Athletic didn’t read the script, and smashed home five, including a Tony Stokes hat trick- marching on forcefully to the next round. Jim Cooper’s men deservedly picked up our August award.

September 2019: Canvey Island

Canvey Island travelled to Step Three St Ives Town in the Second Qualifying Round, held them to a goalless draw, brought them back to Essex, and then- helped by the deadly forehead of Jason Hallett- came from behind to win the replay in extra time.

October 2019: Maldon & Tiptree

There were some exceptional North Division performances in league and cups during October, but when we checked our shortlist we found that three of them were from Maldon & Tiptree. We decided to give them this award for their three-nil Trophy victory over a Premier Division Cray Wanderers side who previously had been rather difficult to beat, but in truth we could also have honoured them for their 6-1 FA Cup win over Chertsey Town, or their 3-1 FA Cup win over Southern Premier Central side Royston Town. We were, as you can see, spoiled for choice!

November 2019: Maldon & Tiptree

Last month we gave this award to a Maldon & Tiptree side for whom we’d run our of superlatives. And then we did it again! On Sunday 10th November the Jammers headed to League Two Leyton Orient in the FA Cup First Round and put in a magnificent performance, earning a two-one victory and the admiration of much of the football world.

December 2019: Aveley

After winning this award for two months in a row, Maldon and Tiptree were one of the contenders for a third triumph. However the other three contenders were Aveley, Aveley and Aveley, so we decided to give it to Aveley!

We had their six-one win over Grays Athletic and their six-nil win over Romford to consider, but in the end we plumped for a more slender win over opposition from a Division higher- their FA Trophy victory over Carshalton Athletic.!

January 2020: Aveley

We stayed at Parkside for a second month in a row, and gave the award to our giant-killers supreme, Aveley. The Millers had already defeated Step Three Bowers & Pitsea, Taunton Town, Biggleswade Town and Carshalton Athletic when they were drawn to travel to Hornchurch in the FA Trophy Second Round, so the Urchins couldn’t have been underprepared for their encounter; but once more no amount of preparation was enough to stop the Aveley onslaught.

Goals from Shad Ngandu and Harry Gibbs were enough to send the Millers into the Third Round.

February 2020: Aveley

We decided to rename this the ‘Aveley Performance of the Month Award, given monthly to Aveley,’ because we kept awarding it to the Millers!

Aveley had killed so many giants this season that it was getting a little repetitive, and on February 8th Chelmsford City became number six, as the Millers progressed to the Quarter Finals of the FA trophy by defeating their National League South visitors by three goals to one.

South Central Division:

August 2019: Staines Town

When Staines Town travelled to Phoenix Sports in the FA Cup we had a match between two sides of whom much was expected, yet both were still to record their first victory of the season. Ninety minutes later it was the Swans who had that victory; and what a victory it was, Anthony Gale’s side smashing six goals past their opponents without reply. Sports tormentor in chief was Che Krabbendam, who got three of them- the home side should have seen him coming, he also got two in Town’s previous match.

September 2019: Tooting & Mitcham United

Once more our gaze alighted on a collection of FA Cup heroics- although Tooting & Mitcham United, as yet undefeated in all competitions, hadn’t been short of heroics on all fronts at this point- indeed they’d won every match but one. Dorking Wanderers, our current Premier Division champions now riding high at the top end of National League South, arrived at Imperial Fields on the back of three consecutive victories- but they didn’t leave with a fourth. The match had but one goal, and it went to the Terrors- Danny Bassett popping up to score just after the break, as Tooting held on to record a famous victory even when playing the last half an hour with only ten men.

October 2019: Chertsey Town

Chertsey Town had a magnificent start to the season, carrying their promotion and FA Vase winning form into their South Central Division campaign. On Tuesday 8th October Northwood were on the receiving end of that, and how, as the home side showed no mercy to their visitors in an eight-two victory. Chertsey actually fell behind early on, but that turned out to be the footballing equivalent of poking a hornets nest with a stick, as they struck back with doubles from Jake Baxter, Johnathan Hippolyte and Lewis Driver, and one each from Samuel Murphy and Lubomir Guentchev.

November 2019: Staines Town

Staines Town didn’t have the best start to the season, but the second half of November saw them turn around their form- and that resurgence started with the visit of Chalfont St Peter to Wheatsheaf Park. The Swans were two-nil up within eight minutes, five-nil up before the hour mark, and eventually won the game by six goals to one.

December 2019: Tooting & Mitcham United

Tooting & Mitcham United had been a little up and down, but when they were good, they were very good indeed- and they were superb when they travelled to fellow promotion hopefuls Chertsey Town on December 7th. The Curfews were on the receiving end of a hiding, as the Terrors hit five goals without reply- Hady Ghandour getting the first four of them!

January 2020: Westfield

Westfield v Ware was our big match on Saturday 11th January, and we expected it would be a tense, nail-biting affair. After all, both sides were fighting for top spot, and both were in good form.

The first half matched our expectations, and the match reached the interval goalless, but after the break the Blues were blown away by their hosts, who scored four times without reply. Max Blackmore, Arsen Ujkaj, Aaron Watson and Tinashe Nkoma all walloped the ball into the back of the Ware net, recording Field’s sixth consecutive victory and sending their side up to second place.

February 2020: Hanwell Town

Hanwell Town had a super February, winning every match- but one victory particularly stood out. On 22nd Waltham Abbey came to call, looking for an away win that would strengthen their place in the playoff positions. Instead they got a good hiding, the Geordies slamming six goals past their visitors with Ogo Obi getting a hat trick and Gianni Crichlow, Joel Jacobs and Rob Laney getting the others. They were slightly charitable, however- they did allow the Abbotts to get a consolation in the last minute!

South East Division:

August 2019: Ashford United

Ashford United came within a hairs-breadth of promotion in 2018-19, and started this season in a way which suggested that they intended to make sure of glory this time around. When they travelled to Three Bridges the Nuts and Bolts subjected the home side to the David Smith show, as the United forward slammed home four goals- and the side in green also managed a fifth before the end. Accordingly, our trophy headed off to Homelands.

September 2019: Chichester City

Chichester City, new to the BetVictor Isthmian League after their promotion from the SCFL at the end of last season, had a magnificent start to life at Step Four- and their cup form was even better. Erith Town, Bridon Ropes and Chalfont St Peter had already been despatched before Chi were drawn to travel to Southern League South Premier side Hartley Wintney, and after a goalless draw in Hampshire City brought their opponents back to Sussex and a goal from Jamie Horncastle saw their higher-level opponents despatched.

October 2019: Chichester City

Last month we gave this award to Chichester City for their FA Cup victory over Step Three Hartley Wintney, and in October we gave it to…Chichester City for their FA Cup victory over Step Three Bowers and Pitsea. It’s rather a long way from Chichester to Pitsea, but it must have seemed much shorter on the way back.

November 2019: Hastings United

We don’t normally look at results in the Velocity Trophy when handing out this award, but when a side scores twelve it’s difficult to look past it. Hastings United put out a strong squad when East Grinstead Town came to Pilot Field, and the Wasps weren’t far from full strength either, but twelve goals later United had swept aside their South East Division rivals. Perhaps we should have also asked for a mini trophy for Davide Rodari, as he scored eight of them!

December 2019: Sittingbourne

Sittingbourne had moments this season when they were mightily impressive, and on Saturday 28th December they took ‘mightily impressive’ to a whole new level, as the Rams arrived and were slaughtered, the Brickies running out seven-nil winners.
It was only one-nil at half time, so Ramsgate fans might have watched the start of the second half thinking they still had a chance. It turned out that they might have been better going home after their half time refreshments, as what they saw in the second half should have come with an eighteen certificate- although perhaps with a U certificate for the inhabitants of Blakey’s Shed as their side were universally exceptional.

January 2020: Ashford United

Ashford United arrived at the Green Elephants Stadium on the back of three successive victories. Those victories had seen them score one, two and then three goals, so perhaps, just to keep that run going, they should have scored four at the home of Burgess Hill Town? The Hillians must have wished it had only been four, as the Nuts and Bolts instead walloped home seven goals without reply.

A hat trick from Aaron Condon did most of the damage, but he wasn’t a one-man band as David Smith, Josh Wisson and Levi Gold all found the back of the hosts net.

February 2020: Ashford United

It’s not easy being green, or so sang Kermit the Frog, but Ashford United showed that even singing amphibians can sometimes be wrong by charging to the top of the South East Division table. On Saturday 8th February they travelled to Pilot Field, home of closest rivals Hastings United, and headed back to Homelands with a stunning three-nil win after making rather miserable most of the crowd of 1,189 who had turned up to watch.

So there you have it- some marvellous memories to look back on and cheer us up in these difficult times- unless, of course, your side was on the wrong end of one of these triumphs! If we were to make a ‘Performance of the Month’ league table then Aveley and Ashford United would share top spot, both winning three times, whilst Kingstonian, Maldon & Tiptree, Staines Town, Tooting & Mitcham United and Chichester City all picked up two prizes each. That hypothetical table might have changed had the normal state of affairs prevailed, however, as of course we had two months of the season still to go when it ground to a halt.

Supreme Trophies and Engraving provide all of our trophies, as well as sponsoring our Performance of the Month Awards. They have the largest selection of cups, shields, salvers, medals, ribbons, and plaques in the UK, and can fulfill any order, large or small. Visit their website, linked above, or follow them on Twitter.