Urchins go six clear- and the Robins hit six goals

Leaders Hornchurch increased their lead over the chasing pack on Friday night- but only by one point, as visitors Lewes levelled right at the end to take a point. Liam Nash came on from the bench to put the Urchins ahead with twenty two minutes remaining- his fifteenth goal of the season, but first for more than two months- but right at the end the Rooks grabbed a point, Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala giving the visiting fans some post-Christmas cheer.

Second place Chatham Town didn’t have a game, and indeed could have been replaced in second place had Enfield Town triumphed at Cray Wanderers on Friday night- but the Towners slipped up. A goal in each half saw the Wands triumph, Tayo Oyebola putting them ahead on twenty six minutes and Ellis Brown finishing the job just before the hour mark, Town’s three match winning streak spluttering to an end whilst their hosts won for the first time in six matches.

Fourth place Wingate and Finchley travelled to Kingstonian and went ahead just before the half hour, Zack Newton with the goal- but the K’s struck back immediately and Emmanuel Adebiyi levelled just a minute later. Just before the hour the travelling Blues were ahead once more, Elliot Long’s thirteenth of the season unlucky only for the K’s, and it was enough to ensure three points and a continued grasp on fourth place for the visitors.

Hastings United climbed into the top five by hammering Folkestone Invicta, and they travelled to a different seaside, Concord Rangers, hoping to climb still further. An own goal gave the Beachboys the lead just before the half hour mark, but with Davide Rodari in fine form United were always likely to score, and indeed they did, levelling just after the half hour- Rodari scoring for the fifth game in a row, and for the eighteenth time this season. Rangers have looked much improved of late, with Harrison Day red hot in front of goal, and they restored their lead just before the break, the Beachboys number ten scoring his ninth goal in his last ten matches. Fourteen minutes from time Day took that total to ten, making it three-one, but United weren’t prepared to take that lying down. Rodari got one back with four minutes left, and right at the end Tommie Fagg made it three-three. Rangers stay bottom, United slip to sixth.

Whitehawk had seen their winless run extend to seven matches with defeat on Boxing Day, and it looked like it could stretch further yet as Frankie Merrifield put Billericay Town ahead on twenty five minutes at the Enclosed Ground. That turned out to be that, the Blues back into fifth, the Hawks down in fifteenth.

Folkestone Invicta, on a terrible run having lost four in a row, knew they wouldn’t have an easy task as Hashtag United came to call. The Tags were five unbeaten, including four wins, and were ahead after only four minutes, Sakariya Hassan scoring his second goal this week, but Invicta finally gave their faithful fans something to sing about, Tom Derry levelling fifteen minutes later. Five minutes from time the Tags went ahead once more, Pedro Carvalho making it two-one, and just before the end Luke May-Parrott’s superb form continued, the substitute scoring for the fourth match in a row. Hashtag United end the year in sixth place.

Haringey Borough, desperate for a win at the wrong end of the table, were quickly behind against Carshalton Athletic at Coles Park, Paris Hamilton-Downes putting the Robins ahead after just ten minutes. Ten minutes later it was two-nil, Olu Babajide with the second, and after the break the Robins ran riot. Brad Williams made it three just before the hour, Danny Bassett added a fourth, Luke Read got the fifth with a quarter of an hour left, and their was still time for a sixth, Babajide with his second of the afternoon. The Robins climb to eighth.

Dulwich Hamlet welcomed Horsham, and after forty three minutes without a goal we had two before half time. Charlie Hester-Cook put the visitors ahead, only for Luke Wanadio to quickly level with his eleventh of the season. That was that, the second half providing no more goals for the two thousand, seven hundred and ninety six to get excited about.

Bognor Regis Town have been on a good run, six unbeaten- but it looked like that run was going to come to an end as Canvey Island tried to reverse a four match losing streak. The Gulls went ahead just before the hour, Jamie Salmon with the opening goal, but the Rocks levelled six minutes from time, substitute Isaac Olaniyan earning his side a point- and stretching that unbeaten run to seven.

Image from Tommy McMillan.

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