The Urchins do their best Lazarus impression, and hold onto their nine point lead

Leaders Hornchurch made the long trip to the West Sussex coast, where they took on Bognor Regis Town. The Urchins started the day with a nine point lead at the top, and with six wins in a row under their belts, but they didn’t have the best of starts to this one , Alfie Bridgman putting the Rocks ahead on eight minutes. The Rocks were always likely to be tough opponents, and so it proved, as they still held that lead as the match went into added time- but then, disaster for the hosts, as Craig Robson was sent off. That boosted the visitors, and four minutes later- on ninety + five- Liam Nash somehow found an equaliser- and, of course, the Urchins then got a winner, Lewis Manor with it, eight minutes into added time, to hold onto that nine point advantage.

Image from Tommy McMillan. More here.

Bognor boss Robbie Blake was presented with his January Vita Risk Solutions Manager of the Month award before the game, Isthmian chair Nick Robinson doing the honours.

Second place Chatham Town welcomed relegation fighters Concord Rangers to the Bauvill. The Chats had become rather inconsistent of late, with six wins and four defeats from their previous ten, whilst Rangers were desperate to get back to winning ways, six points from safety, albeit with four games in hand. The opening goal arrived just after the half hour, and it saw a regular name on the scoresheet, Kareem Isiaka with his fourteenth in twenty two matches giving the Chats the lead. Rangers need the points too, indeed perhaps more than their hosts, and they drew level just after the hour, Chris Regis with the equaliser off the post, but they were level for only three minutes before the Chats regained their advantage, Chris Dickson heading home to make it two-one. That’s where the scoring ended, and the Chats remain nine points behind the leaders- but are eleven points ahead of the side in third.

Horsham had charged up the table into third place by winning most of their games in hand, and had only one defeat from their previous ten- but visitors Carshalton Athletic were quickest out of the blocks and took the lead after just five minutes, Joseph Bell with the opener- and the home crowd were stunned when Luke Read made it two seven minutes before the break. The Hornets finally got a goal back with nine minutes remaining, Lucas Rodrigues giving the Lardy Army hope, but that was as good as it got for the hosts. Horsham slip to fifth, the Robins are seventh- only three points behind.

Billericay Town had looked unrecognisable in recent weeks. The Blues had slipped down to fourth place after losing their previous five, and indeed with only a three point advantage between themselves and sixth place Enfield Town- the Towners with two games in hand- looked in danger of dropping out of the top five altogether. They travelled to Hastings United, and the opening goal arrived just after the start of the second half, and it came from the spot, Bradley Stevenson putting the visitors ahead. United levelled fifteen minutes from time, Will Harley with the equaliser after good work from Tommie Fagg, and that was that- Billericay in fourth, United in eighth.

Wingate and Finchley were on the road to Canvey Island. The Blues had lost only two of ten, but had seen the gap between themselves, in fifth, and the chasing pack diminish after three consecutive draws- and knew that they could slip out of the top five if they failed to beat the Gulls and local rivals Enfield Town were victorious. We waited an hour for a goal, and when it arrived it went to the visitors, Ruben Carvalho putting them ahead, and they soon added a second, Anointed Chukwu making it two-nil- but a red card for Ahmet Biler gave the Gulls hope with ten minutes to go. Sadly for the home fans, it was forlorn hope, the visitors holding on comfortably to climb to third.

Enfield Town welcomed Lewes, both sides taking a break from enjoying successful European runs in the Fenix Trophy. The Towners had lost to the Rooks in each of their five previous meetings, and had only a three point lead over their visitors in the table, but they started well, Marcus Wyllie with his twenty fourth of the season after just seven minutes. That turned out to be that- and although the Towners remain sixth, they are only two points behind third place Wingate and Finchley.

Dulwich Hamlet started the weekend in ninth place, six points away from a top five spot. Hamlet were back on their own patch and expecting another rather large crowd as Whitehawk came to call, and having won five of their last six most of those fans would have been expecting another home victory- but they were disappointed. Two thousand, six hundred and forty four watched on, and they didn’t get to see a goal- but Hamlet remain six points away from the top five, whilst Hawks are fourteenth and six unbeaten.

Hashtag United have had a good week, walloping Billericay Town last weekend and then reaching the Velocity Cup Semi-Final on Monday. The Tags were four unbeaten in the league-although three of those were draws- and welcomed Margate to the Len Salmon hoping to climb back into the top half of the table from their current twelfth spot. Gate looked in dire straights, having taken four points from the last thirty available and lost seven of their last eight matches, and they didn’t have the best of starts, as Misha Djemaili opened the scoring on just twelve minutes. The Tags added a second only seven minutes later, Nathan Smith making it two-nil, and just before the break they silenced the travelling faithful once more, Smith adding another to make it three-nil at half time. The Tags added a fourth on the hour, Sakariya Hassan increasing Margate’s misery, although Ben Greenhalgh quickly got one back for the visitors, and then, with eleven minutes left, added a second. Could they? No. That was that, and the Tags are tenth, whilst Gate remain two points from safety.

Folkestone Invicta were eight points above the bottom four at kick off, and welcomed a side who would have loved to be in their position, Kingstonian, who were sitting at the bottom of the pile and nine points from safety. Invicta had won only two of their last ten, but they were ahead after only sixteen minutes, Eddie Allsopp opening the scoring- however the K’s had won the last three meetings between the clubs and drew level four minutes into the second half, Eddie Dsane with his nineteenth of the season. Kingstonian then went ahead, Nasim Regragui making it two-one, but their lead lasted only four minutes, Seidou Sanogo levelling for the stripes. Six minutes later we had another goal, and it was the hosts who were ahead once more, David Smith making it three-two, and this time the lead was held- and the gap between the hosts and the bottom four is now eleven points. The K’s still have nine points to make up.

We had a relegation battle in North London as Haringey Borough welcomed Cheshunt to the most salubrious part of White Hart Lane. Borough were six points from safety- and from the Ambers- at kick off, and they went ahead seven minutes before half time, Olu Durojaiye with the opening goal. The opening goal turned out to be the only goal, and the gap between Borough and safety is now a rather more manageable three points.

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