The Urchins fail to score- and Chats cut their lead to nine

Emirates FA Cup

Horsham, in the FA Cup Second Round for the first time since 2008, travelled to face a set of former Isthmians who are these days plying their trade rather higher, Sutton United. The hosts, bottom of League Two, were actually showing much improved form of late, unbeaten in five- although they had drawn their last four.

The Hornets held out in front of a crowd of more than four thousand until after the hour mark, but three goals in the last half hour sent United through and ended the Hornets Cup adventure. Horsham have much to be proud of, and they can be sure their fans will remember this season for many, many years to come.

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Leaders Hornchurch have been scoring goals for fun of late, but they didn’t manage one in the first half against Whitehawk, the interval reached with the match goalless. They didn’t manage a goal in the second half either, and neither did the Hawks, so the Urchins have seen their lead cut to nine points- and that’s the first league match this season they haven’t scored in, and a run of twelve consecutive wins comes to an end. The Hawks are ninth.

Haringey Borough really needed to start picking up points, starting the day second from bottom, but promotion-chasing Chatham Town quickly got their noses in front, Ben Allen with the opener from distance on six minutes. The Chats put daylight between the sides ten minutes before the break, Chris Dickson scoring for his third match in a row, and right at the end the visitors made quite sure of three points with a third goal, Dickson scoring once more. The Chats are second, nine points behind the leaders, whilst Borough sink to the bottom.

Image from Max English.

Enfield Town, hoping to close the gap on leaders Hornchurch, went ahead against Margate at the QEII Stadium after only twelve minutes, and it was Sam Youngs, so often the difference, who opened the scoring on twelve minutes- his sixteenth of the season. It was two-nil on twenty five minutes, Reece Beckles-Richards leaving the Gate defence trailing in his wake and doubling their advantage, and that’s where the goals stop. The Towners are third, eleven points behind Hornchurch, Margate down in seventeenth.

Wingate & Finchley, in fifth, took on third place Billericay Town. The side from North London have perhaps been our surprise package so far this season, and they went ahead eight minutes before half time, Rhamar Garrett-Douglas breaching the best defence in the division. Bradley Stevenson is having a superb campaign, and he made it sixteen goals for the season when scoring the equaliser just before the hour. Could they push on for victory? They couldn’t. Wingate & Finchley’s Elliot Long had already had a goal disallowed for offside, and he restored his sides lead with nineteen minutes to go, his eleventh of the season, and the hosts held on for three points. Wingate & Finchley remain fifth, but are only a point behind their now fourth place visitors.

Hashtag United welcomed Canvey Island for a local derby, and the Tags fans both real and virtual will have been delighted when Toby Aromolaran put them ahead after just nine minutes. Their delight will have increased when the Tags doubled their advantage just before the break, Percy Kiangebeni doubling their advantage. The Tags put the game to bed with twenty three minutes left, Misha Djemaili making it three-nil, and although Conor Hubble got one back for the Gulls eight minutes from time that was as good as it got for the visitors. United are sixth.

Carshalton Athletic had been on a terrible run prior to the arrival of Chesunt, with only one win from ten and having lost the last four. On that basis it was perhaps not all that surprising when the Ambers went ahead on twelve minutes, Andre Godfrinne with the opener- but it was a little more surprising when the visitors added a second only four minutes later, Nathaniel Orafu making it two-nil. Just after the hour Antonis Vasiliou made it three, and five minutes from time it was four-nil, Vasiliou once more making the difference. The Robins got a goal back just before the end, Olu Babajide with a consolation, but it wasn’t much of a consolation. Cheshunt are sixteenth.

Concord Rangers, bottom of the table at kick off, stunned visitors Lewes after seven minutes, Harrison Day beating Nathan Harvey in the Rooks goal. Midway through the half the Beachboys were celebrating once more, Day making it two, and ten minutes after the break the visitors found themselves three down, Simo Mbonkwi giving the home fans one of their happiest moments of the season. They were happier still when Day completed his hat trick ten minutes from time, and a late goal for Tommy Wood made it four-one, a miserable day on the road for Lewes. Rangers climb off the bottom.

Dulwich Hamlet brought a long unbeaten run into their match with Bognor Regis Town, and went ahead nine minutes before the break, Manny Parry with the opener- but they couldn’t hold that lead until half time, Tommy-Lee Higgs levelling for the Rocks. That turned out to be that, Hamlet twelfth, Bognor eleventh.

Kingstonian and Potters Bar Town met at Imperial Fields, both sides trying to climb away from the bottom four. The Scholars have become very difficult to defeat of late, and then went ahead ten minutes into the second half, Leigh Rose with the opening goal of the game. It took only five minutes for the game to have a second goal, and again it went to the visitors, Isaac Currie making it two. The Scholars held on for three points, and although they are fourth from bottom are now seven points clear of the K’s, one place below them, and behind eighteenth place Cray Wanderers only on goal difference.

A note to our clubs- if you believe that any of the goals scored by your side was worthy of consideration for the 'Goal of the Month Award,' please feel free to upload it now using the link you were sent, don't feel that you have to wait until the end of the month!

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.