Urchins go five clear

Hornchurch have opened a five point gap at the top of Pitching In Isthmian Premier- and made it thirteen points from their last fifteen- after coming from behind to defeat Folkestone Invicta at Bridge Avenue. Invicta opened the scoring on seventeen minutes, Ade Yusuff converting his nineteenth goal of the season, this one from the spot after he was fouled. That was his one hundredth Invicta goal, but it didn’t turn out to be a happy celebration. The equaliser arrived eight minutes before the break, Lewwis Spence with it- and five minutes from time Rickie Hayles (pictured with his man of the match award) grabbed his first goal of the season to give the Urchins all three points, and that five point cushion.

Bishop’s Stortford moved back up to second place after scoring the only goal of the game at a resilient Corinthian-Casuals.
The breakthrough came seventeen minutes from time, and it came from Ryan Henshaw, who headed home his first goal of the season and gave his side all three points- also securing their third one-nil win from their last four matches. Casuals remain in twentieth place.

Hastings United grabbed a point with a goal in the very last minute, as they denied an away win for Canvey Island. The Gulls went ahead early on, Bradley Sach scoring in the eleventh minute- his eleventh of the season- and it looked like the visitors had held out to take three points until Finn O’Mara popped up to smash home a corner, deep into added time. He was perhaps helped by the fact that the Gulls had gone down to ten men shortly beforehand, Sam Mvemba getting a slightly early walk back to the changing room. Canvey would have been fifth had they held on, but instead they are seventh, four points and two places above their hosts.

Herne Bay and Billericay Town played out a two-two draw at the MBS Stadium. The hosts went ahead early on, Kymani Thomas opening the scoring after just three minutes, but the visitors levelled eleven minutes before the break through Imran Uche. Thomas then gave his side a half time lead, making it two-one in the forty fourth minute, only for Bradley Stevenson’s twelfth goal of the season to earn Billericay a point from the spot. Stortford’s promotion ambitions are being hampered by the fact they’ve won only two of nine away matches so far this season.

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