The biggest show in town!

Leaders Hornchurch headed to fourth place Enfield Town having become seemingly addicted to draws, a habit they needed to break if they were to retain their six point lead at the top of the table. The Urchins had drawn their last three matches- indeed, they’d drawn four of their last five- but they were ahead in this one at the break, if only just, Femi Akinwande’s penalty arriving on forty three minutes. They weren’t ahead for too long, Sam Youngs converting another spot kick to level just before the hour, but the lead was quickly restored, Sean Scannell making it two-one to the visitors five minutes later. Could the Towners level? They couldn’t, and most of the eight hundred and eighty watching on accordingly left rather disappointed.

Second place Chatham Town welcomed a bumper crowd of one thousand, six hundred and thirty four to their Bauvill Stadium as Canvey Island made the trip to Kent- and most of them would have been delighted as the Chats went ahead after just two minutes, an own goal doing the damage. They scored one themselves ten minutes later, Ashley Nzala’s ninth of the season, and it looked to be game over on the half hour when Chris Dickson added a third. The Chats made it four-nil with eleven minutes still remaining before half time, Dean Beckwith getting that one, and only then the Gulls awoke, Jamie Salmon getting a goal back.

Ten minutes after the restart Kareem Isiaka made it five-one, and that’s where the scoring stopped. The hosts remain second, six points off the top. Our image is from that match, and we suspect it was taken by Max English.

Billericay Town, a point behind Chatham and seven behind Hornchurch at kick off, started the weekend in third place and in super form. The Blues were six unbeaten, and had won five of them, but they faced a tough trip to another side who were doing rather well, Bognor Regis Town- and it proved very tough indeed. The Rocks had lost only one of their previous ten matches, and three minutes from time they took the lead, Tommy-Lee Higgs with the opening goal. Was there time for the Blues to respond? There wasn’t, and the home fans amongst the crowd of nine hundred and ninety one were left to celebrate- their side up to seventh, only two points away from a play off spot.

Fifth place Wingate and Finchley headed to Cray Wanderers. The Blues were four games unbeaten and had won three of them, and had won on their previous two visits to Hayes Lane, but it was the Wands who delivered the early magic, Gary Lockyer putting them ahead after just six minutes. That turned out to be the only goal of the game, and it saw the hosts climb to sixteenth and do the double over their opponents, whilst the Blues now have only a two point cushion over the chasing pack.

Sixth place Hastings United welcomed Hashtag United to Pilot Field. Hastings saw a seven match unbeaten run end at Carshalton last weekend, and hoped to bounce straight back from that defeat- and they couldn’t have had a better start, as there were only seconds on the clock when Davide Rodari put them ahead after good work from John Ufuah, scoring his twenty third goal of the season in the process. Ufuah went from provider to scorer on twenty five minutes, making it two-nil, and the Tags chances of a comeback took a hefty blow when Sam Cornish picked up a red card just after the hour- although the probably pleased the majority of the TWO THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN watching on. Hastings held on for a comfortable win, and closed the gap on the top five to two points.

Carshalton Athletic had found form once more, and the Robins knew that they could close to within four points of the top five if they could continue that with victory at Folkestone Invicta- but they were behind on nine minutes, Seidou Sanogo opening the scoring. Invicta didn’t have time to enjoy their lead, Olu Babajide levelling only two minutes later, and on seventeen minutes Luke Read put the visitors ahead. Again the lead was held for only two minutes, Tom Derry levelling for Invicta, and the hosts then went ahead, Derry striking again on eight minutes prior to the break to make it three-two. We had only eleven minutes left when the next goal arrived, and it went to the Robins, Babajide making it three-all, and that turned out to be the last goal. Invicta are fifteenth, Athletic ninth. Carshalton are now unbeaten against Invicta in ten matches.

Lewes, having been able to repair the bits of their ground that blew away on Sunday night, welcomed Margate to the Dripping Pan. The Rooks saw a seven match unbeaten run come to an end in a big way as they were walloped at Billericay last weekend, whilst Gate were nearly three months without a victory, the last one coming on November 4th, when they defeated…Lewes. The hosts were ahead after just eight minutes, Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala continuing his fine scoring form with the opener- his twelfth of the season- and just before the half hour they doubled their advantage, Tommy Wood from the spot. The visitors struck back quite quickly, Vinnie Bowman halving the arrears, but that just spurred the hosts into action once more, Chris Whelpdale with their third. It was four-one seven minutes after the restart, Lumbombo-Kalala once more on target, but the visitors Steve Cawley pulled a goal back ten minutes later to rekindle Margate’s dwindling hopes. That’s where the scoring stopped, and the Rooks are eighth, whilst Margate fall into the bottom four.

The crowd was nine hundred and thirty three.

Dulwich Hamlet, down in twelfth place at kick off, welcomed an enormous crowd and Haringey Borough to Champion Hill. The two sides knew each other well, as they’d already met three times this season- twice in the FA Cup- with two draws and a Borough Cup win the outcome. The opening goal arrived on eight minutes, Luke Wanadio keeping his cool from the spot to put Hamlet ahead, and within three minutes the home faithful were able to celebrate once more, Manny Parry making it two. Borough got a goal back on sixty four minutes, Mohammed Kahdum halving the arrears, but any Haringey hopes departed right at the end, Wanadio making it three-one and lifting his side to tenth. THREE THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR crammed in to watch- only National League sides Chesterfield, Hartlepool United and Oldham Athletic had higher non league crowds.

Horsham have slipped down the table and started the weekend in thirteenth, but with eleven points between themselves and the top five and three or four games in hand over those occupying it, the Hornets hadn't given up on a play off spot just yet. They welcomed Potters Bar Town to Sussex, and were ahead on nineteen minutes, Jack Mazzone getting the better of the Scholars defence. The Hornets struck again on sixty seven minutes, Shamir Fenelon putting daylight between the hosts and their visitors, and that was how it ended, Horsham up to eleventh and that gap down to eight points. One thousand, one hundred and sixty five were in attendance.

Cheshunt hoped to get back on the winning trail- and perhaps lift themselves out of the bottom four- as Whitehawk came to call. The Ambers had lost their previous five, each of them by an odd goal, whilst the Hawks had hardly been an example of consistency, winning two and losing four of their previous six, a run which had seen them slip to fourteenth. It took sixty six minutes for the opening goal to arrive, and it went to the hosts, Nnamdi Nwachuku putting the Ambers ahead, and the hosts got the second of the match too, Isiah Noel-Williams making it two-nil two minutes from time. The Ambers climbed out of the bottom four as a consequence.

The sides meet again on the South coast on February 6th.

Finally, Concord Rangers welcomed Kingstonian, the two sides meeting for the second time this week and the K’s hoping that they could also swap places for the second time this week. The K’s hadn't won since October 21st, and their midweek defeat to Rangers made it eleven in the L column from thirteen matches and consigned them to bottom spot, and that’s where they stay, but at least they didn’t lose this one. The match ended goalless, the Beachboys, six points from safety with three games in hand over eighteenth place Cheshunt.

Our total crowds across the Pitching In isthmian Premier came to twelve thousand, eight hundred and ninety seven. Many thanks to all of you for your support.

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