Trawler Boys move four points clear as their closest rivals draw

Lowestoft Town opened up a four point gap at the top of Pitching In Isthmian North with a hard-fought victory at Maldon & Tiptree, whilst closest rivals Bury Town and Felixstowe & Walton United played out a pulsating draw.

The Trawler Boys fell behind after just four minutes, Harry Phillips scoring for the Jammers, but quickly levelled through Jake Reed- and the striker got his thirty third goal of the season to make it two-one seven minutes before half time. Nine minutes into the second half an own goal brought the hosts level, but within seven minutes Adam Hipperson’s twelfth of the campaign had earned the leaders three points by scoring their third goal. Image from Shirley Whitlow.

Bury Town and Felixstowe and Walton United both desperately needed three points, and each managed three goals, but they had to settle for a point each. The Seasiders broke the derby day deadlock on seventeen minutes through Josh Mayhew (pictured- Stefan Peck), but the Blues quickly turned things around and Cemal Ramadan’s twenty ninth of the season brought them level on twenty five minutes, before Ollie cancer and Luke Brown gave them a three-one lead at the break. The visitors quickly hit back, Henry Barley scoring five minutes after the start of the second half- and two minutes later Barley added another. Could we get a seventh goal? The one thousand, two hundred and eighty five watching on did their best to inspire a winner, but neither side could find one, and they remain second and third- four and eight points behind the leaders.

Bowers and Pitsea made it five wins in a row with victory over New Salamis. It looked good for the visitors when Joe Waight put them ahead on the half hour, but they were ahead for only three minutes before TQ Addy levelled- and somehow, after reaching forty five minutes level, the hosts added two more in first half added time- Matt Price and Addy once more giving them a three-one interval lead. Twenty minutes from time Waight got a goal back, but the Salamina couldn’t find an equaliser and Bowers are now nine points clear of sixth place Heybridge Swifts.

Seventh place Walthamstow are now ten points off the pace having played two matches more than fifth place Brentwood Town, Stow getting a three-nil thumping at Witham Town. All of the goals arrived in the first half, Khris Oti, Josh Osude and Freddie King giving Town an unassailable lead- and when Bilal Sayoud was dismissed for the visitors with fifteen minutes to go any remaining chance they had went with him.

Brightlingsea Regent continued their fine form with a thumping of Enfield at Bishop’s Stortford. Teddy Collis put the visitors ahead after just four minutes- his fourth goal in six matches- and they quickly made it two, Harry Critchley doubling the advantage on eighteen minutes. Matt Hurley soon got one back for the E’s, but their chances departed nine minutes into the second half when Tyrone Baker got a third- and the fourth wasn’t far behind, Jake Thompson with that one. That’s five wins from six for Regent, who are twelve points away from a play off spot in ninth- ten defeats in a row for Enfield.

Wroxham made the trip to Ipswich Wanderers and returned to the Broads victorious, a Jake Forbes goal four minutes before half time being added two on sixty seven minutes, Ryan Hawkins scoring his fifteenth of the campaign. The Yachtsmen are twelfth, Wanderers have lost four of their last five.

Redbridge travelled to surely-doomed Stowmarket and hit their hosts for five. Lewis Clark and Oscar Shelvey-Negus made it two-nil at the break, and goals from Clark and Ayo Odukoya on fifty seven and sixty one minutes made victory certain. Clark got his hat trick in added time, converting a spot kick to make it five-nil and lift his side twenty two points clear of the drop zone. Stow are twelve points from safety and still haven’t managed a win.

Finally, Grays Athletic made it three wins from four with victory at Gorleston. Charlie Stimson was the architect of victory, scoring on thirty nine minutes and again thirty nine minutes later, the second one from the spot, opening up a twenty one point gap between the visitors and the drop zone. The Greens are thirteen points and five places better off.

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