Urchins go top!

Two early goals for Hornchurch were enough to take three points and move to the top of the Pitching In Isthmian Premier table despite a Dulwich Hamlet fightback at Bridge Avenue.

Urchins striker Liam Nash started the evening on six goals for the season, and within ten minutes had taken his tally up to eight. The first, after just four minutes, was a tap in after good work from Tom Wraight, and the second, just six minutes later, saw George Saunders take the role of provider. From that point it was an uphill struggle for Hamlet, but they did make the closing stages interesting after Adrian Clifton headed home from a corner with eleven minutes to go. Sadly for the pink and blue faithful that was that, and Hornchurch go a point clear at the top.

We had a Sussex derby at the Dripping Pan as Lewes welcome Hastings United. The visitors- along with Billericay Town- had the best defensive record in the Division as they kicked off, but they didn’t have it at the end as the Rooks scored three to take victory and move up to sixth.

Jake Elliott broke the deadlock on the quarter hour, firing home from the edge of the box, and seven minutes later the advantage was doubled, Tommy Wood heading home after an effort from Elliott rebounded to him off the bar. Two minutes before half time the visitors created some tension amongst the home fans after Adam Lovatt pulled a goal back, but that was eased on the hour when Ronnie Vint made it three-one. Seven hundred and fifteen watched on.

Image from the lens of James Boyes.

Potters Bar Town hoped to build on their first win of the season at Hastings on Saturday, as they welcomed another set of Seasiders, Folkestone Invicta, to the Lantern Stadium. The Scholars were on their best run of the campaign so far, three matches- including a Hertfordshire Cup tie- undefeated- and they made it four, but they had to hold on a little in the closing stages to take a point in a pulsating three-three draw, particularly as they were down to ten men and had a full back in goal!

Brandon Adams was the hero at the weekend, scoring the winner, and he was the Scholars hero again, with a first half hat trick, his goals arriving in the sixteenth, thirtieth and thirty ninth minutes, the last two from the spot. His first was an equaliser, cancelling out Ibrahim Olutade’s seventh minute opener, his second and third putting his side into the lead on two occasions, David Smith making it two-two for the stripes eight minutes before the break, Ian Gayle with Invicta’s third on sixty five minutes. The Scholars had another hero, however. Six minutes after the break home keeper Preston Edwards saw red, and between the sticks went full back Prosper Keto. Having ten men and no keeper must have been something of a burden, so credit to the Scholars for holding on for a point- a result which lifts them to nineteenth. Invicta are up to tenth.

In Pitching In Isthmian North, Wroxham welcomed Witham Town to the Norfolk Broads.

The two sides managed to cancel each other out, and an eighty ninth minute red card for the visitors Luke Ige didn’t leave the hosts with enough time to take advantage of their man advantage. Nil-nil was the final score.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central had a match between two of last season’s most successful sides, as Hanworth Villa welcomed Northwood. The Villains were undoubtedly the Woods bogey side last season, defeating them three-nil in the FA Trophy, and then four-one and two-one in the league, and that run continued as a first half double from Sam Merson- both spot kicks- saw the hosts come from behind to take the points. Dan Williams gave Northwood the lead on twenty minutes before Merson kept his nerve on twenty eight and forty five minutes.

Villa are up to eighth.

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