Urchins extend their lead- but lose their manager

Leaders Hornchurch had created a six point gap at the top, as well as having two games in hand over second place Chatham Town. The Urchins welcomed Horsham to Bridge Avenue, the Hornets on their worst run of the campaign, with only one win from five- and the leaders were ahead on the half hour, Liam Nash scoring his sixteenth of the season. Horsham levelled four minutes into the second half, Harvey Sparks with his first goal of the season, but with eight minutes to go the visitors went down to ten men, Jack Brivio seeing red. Could they hold out? They could, but any thought of two points dropped for the hosts would have been eased by the fact that their six point least increased to seven- although the departure of manager Steve Morison after the full time whistle would have distracted them somewhat. More here.

Second place Chatham Town took themselves and their newly awarded Performance of the Month accolade to the Sussex coast, where they faced Bognor Regis Town. The Chats were looking for a fourth successive win, whilst the Rocks saw a seven match unbeaten run ended at Lewes last time out, but will still be scratching their heads and wondering how that happened, such was their dominance- and they were quickly ahead in this one, Jasper Mather opening the scoring on six minutes. It was two-nil to the hosts midway through the first half, Dan Smith doubling their tally, and although Chris Dickson got a goal back with five minutes remaining the Rocks held out to take all three points. Eight hundred and ninety one watched on.

Image from Martin Denyer- more here.

Wingate & Finchley have been one of our surprise packages this season, and sat deservedly in fourth place at kick off. The Blues travelled to the Kent coast to take on Folkestone Invicta, the Stripes having defeated the Blues four-nil on the opening day of the season and won the previous SEVEN meetings between the sides- but the visitors didn’t seem at all worried by those statistics when they went ahead after just ten minutes, Rhamar Garrett-Douglas with the opener. Invicta levelled on fifty four minutes, Seidou Sanogo making it one-one, and that turned out to be that, the Blues staying fourth, Invicta seventeenth.

Fifth place Billericay Town headed to Mitcham, ready to face Kingstonian. The Blues seemed to have put a two game losing run behind them by winning the last two, but they broke the deadlock on fifty five minutes through George Wind, and once they had a goal quickly added another, Moses Emmanuel making it two-nil. Matt Johnson made it three seventeen minutes from time, and that finally sparked the K’s into life, Eddie Dsane getting a goal back from the spot. It didn’t do them a great deal of good, the Blues up to third, the K’s nine points from safety.

Hastings United, in sixth place at kick off, were on the road to North London where they took on struggling Cheshunt. The Ambers needed a win to get them out of the bottom four, whilst United were five unbeaten, and indeed had lost only two of their previous ten, although three of their last four had ended level- as the fixture against the Ambers did on opening day. United were ahead after just nine minutes through Tommie Fagg, and on twenty four minutes they had another, Sam Okoye scoring from the spot, but just after the half hour the hosts were back in the match, Solomon Baugh pulling a goal back. United quickly responded, and just before the break they made it three-one, Tommy Penfold restoring their two goal advantage. In the very last minute the Ambers got a goal back, Jimmy Wallace bringing it back to three-two, but United held on and remain sixth.

Seventh place Hashtag United found themselves only three points away from the top five at kick off, and travelled to face Dulwich Hamlet hoping that the manager of the month award they were given yesterday wouldn’t come with a curse! Hamlet delighted the majority of an incredible crowd of three thousand, three hundred and thirty four seven minutes after half time, Ryley Scott opening the scoring. Only the away contingent would have been happy when the Tags levelled thirteen minutes from time, Max Cornhill with the equaliser, but five minutes from time Hamlet were ahead once more, Josh Shonibare making it two-one- and this time they held on to climb to tenth.

Lewes headed to Cray Wanderers for the latest episode of the Tony Russell derby. The Rooks boss would have been be happy with his sides four match unbeaten run, which included three victories; whilst Wands had only lost one of their previous nine but had got into a habit of drawing their matches, five of their last seven ending level.

Lewes were four unbeaten against these particular rivals, two wins and two draws, but they went behind seven minutes before half time, Tayo Oyebola opening the scoring for Wands. It looked as if they’d hold on for three points, but Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala scored his eighth of the season five minutes from time to level- and that’s how it ended, yet another draw for Cray, who are fifteenth. Lewes are ninth.

Canvey Island were hoping to improve on their twelfth place as they headed to North London to take on Haringey Borough, whilst their hosts were desperate for points, nine points away from safety. The Gulls got back to winning ways on New Years Day after five games without a victory, whilst Borough had only one win from ten, and will have had nightmares about the previous meeting between the sides, when they lost a two goal lead and all of the points in the last eighteen minutes of the match on opening day. Canvey started this match the way they finished that encounter in August, Elliott Ronto putting them ahead after just five minutes, but this time it was Borough’s turn to find a late goal, Mekhi Leacock-McLeod with the equaliser three minutes from time- and the Bell End would have been beside themselves with excitement when Georgios Aresti made it two-one to the hosts right at the end. Borough fans can sleep well tonight, their side up to twentieth, six points from safety.

Whitehawk got back to winning ways with victory against Horsham on New Years Day, and were hoping to move up the table as they welcomed Margate to the Enclosed Ground. That Hawks win followed eight matches without one, whilst their visitors hadn’t won since November 4th- twelve matches- and knew that another defeat could see them drop into the bottom four, but they started badly, the Hawks ahead after just nine minutes through Charlie Lambert. It got worse for the Blues when Imran Kayani made it two-nil before a quarter of an hour had been played, but the visitors had hope when Steve Cawley pulled a goal back ten minutes later- and they were level five minutes into the second half, Cawley scoring once more- his fifteenth of the season. With twelve minutes to go, Margate’s Ben Greenhalgh was dismissed- could the Hawks take advantage? They could- but they left it late, and they needed an own goal right at the end to claim a three-two victory.

Note to all clubs- please upload any goal of the month contenders as soon as you can, to the address we sent you!

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