Urchins go top- after Hastings super subs subdue Stortford

Hornchurch had what appeared- on paper, anyway- like a guaranteed three points, although bottom side Brightlingsea Regent hoped to shock the Urchins, and they did just that midway through the first half, Andy George putting them ahead. Hornchurch quickly retrieved the situation, Ade Yusuff with his fourth Urchins goal, and they went ahead with twenty five minutes to go, Liam Nash with the second. Ellis Brown quickly added a third as Regent capitulated, and Chris Dickson’s fourth wasn’t long in arriving- three goals in six minutes for the Urchins, who hit the top of the table once more, going two points clear with two games in hand.

Bishop’s Stortford needed a goal deep into added time to avoid relinquishing their hold on top spot in midweek, and after that escape against fifth place Canvey Island they welcomed…sixth place Hastings United. The Blues, with Hornchurch breathing down their necks, had seen their title charge slow with only one win from their last four matches, but they were quickly out of the traps and went ahead after just six minutes, talisman Frankie Merrifield taking his tally for the season to nineteen. It was two-nil on the hour, Darren Foxley putting daylight between the sides, but the visitors got back into the match when substitute Freddie Legg scored- and they had seventeen minutes to find an equaliser. It arrived right at the end, another replacement, Sam Adams, scoring four minutes after coming on- and then it got even worse for the Blues, Ben Pope curling a shot home from the edge of the box. On this occasion added time wasn’t so kind to the Blues, who slip to second.

Hastings are sixth, a point away from the top five.

Another contender for Match of the Day came from Parkside, where Aveley looked to avoid any manager of the month curse as Folkestone Invicta came to call. The Millers hit five on their visit to the Kent coast to November, and nobody expected a repeat of that, but the hosts went ahead ten minutes before the break, Ryan Scott heading home the opener. Invicta levelled just after the hour through Ian Gayle, and both sides pushed for a winner- and it arrived three minutes from time, the hosts taking the points through a Benas Vaivada header (pictured, courtesy of Lambpix). Aveley end the day in third, two points behind the leaders, having taken twenty five points from their last twenty seven.

Lewes are difficult to defeat- only Hornchurch had lost fewer matches- but have seen their play off push stall due to draws, twelve of them. The Rooks welcomed Enfield Town and went ahead three minutes before the break, Deon Moore with his seventh of the campaign- and this time there was to be no equaliser, Lewes defeating the Towners for the fourth time in succession. Eight hundred and thirty six watched on.

Canvey Island came within a hairs breadth of defeating leaders Bishop’s Stortford for the second time this season when the two met in midweek. The Gulls were back at home and taking on another set of Blues, Margate, and with only one defeat from their last ten matches the home faithful were expecting another three points- but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time, Ben Greenhalgh with the opener from the spot. The Gulls levelled nine minutes after the restart, Elliott Ronto beating the visiting rearguard with his head, before wing wizard Evans Kouassi made it two three minutes later. Kouassi then quickly added another, three goals in six minutes for the hosts, but the visitors made the closing stages interesting when Freddy Barton scored with two minutes remaining. They weren’t interesting for long- Canvey roared back up the other end and scored two more goals, Kouassi with his hat trick from distance, Bradley Sach with a fifth, and the Gulls up to fourth.

Carshalton Athletic, four points away from the play offs at kick off, travelled to a side with far bigger problems, Corinthian-Casuals, their hosts without a win since Monday 2nd January- and those problems got bigger still when Karl Arinwande scored for the Robins after just seven minutes. It was two-nil on the half hour, Crossley Lema heading home that one, his sixth of the campaign, and any chance of a Casuals comeback seemed to have departed when substitute Jared Myers saw red on sixty five minutes. The Robins capitalised and added a third goal, Calvin Ekpiteta with that one, and in the closing stages Chinedu McKenzie added a fourth. Casuals did get a goal back, Morgan Williams with a consolation, but that was all it was- and Athletic are now only two points away from fifth place.

Cray Wanderers play off hopes have been damaged by their inability to turn one point into three, after drawing twelve matches this season- but they didn’t have that problem this weekend. Wands welcomed a side in freefall, Potters Bar Town with only one win from their previous ten and having fallen from first to thirteenth during their last fourteen matches, and went ahead just before the half hour, Yahaya Bamba opening the scoring. The Scholars then made their own lives even more difficult, Alieu Njie seeing red, and the ten men were further behind when Dan Bassett made it two, ten minutes after half time. Destiny Oladipo added a third with twenty three minutes remaining, Sam Wood quickly got a fourth, and eight minutes from time Rio Campbell made it five. That was that, Wands up to eighth- three points away from the promised land.

Kingstonian saw their four match unbeaten run come to an end at Hornchurch in midweek, and welcomed a side who also saw a good run end on Tuesday night, Horsham, who lost at Herne Bay. The Hornets were ahead on fourteen minutes, Kadell Daniel with his first Hornets goal- and Daniel had another eight minutes before half time, and then another six minutes later, a fine first half hat trick. The Hornets continued in the same manner after the restart, Daniel Ajakaiye making it four, and although Imran Kayani got a late consolation for the K’s it made little difference to the outcome. The Hornets are ninth, the K’s cushion over the bottom four cut to five points.

Billericay Town hosted a battle of the Blues as Wingate & Finchley headed to New Lodge. The travelling Blues had only one defeat from seven, and took the lead nine minutes after half time, Elliott Long opening the scoring with his head- and that turned out to be that. The visitors eleven points clear of the bottom four, Billericay in twelfth.

Herne Bay hoped to move themselves closer to safety by defeating their second Sussex side this week, as Bognor Regis Town travelled to the Kentish seaside. The Rocks did Bay a favour in midweek, hammering Brightlingsea Regent, but they did them no favours after three minutes of this one, Sam De St Croix firing them ahead. The lead lasted until the very last minute, when Bay grabbed a goal, Laurence Harvey with the leveller- and somehow they then found the time to score another, Connor Dymond earning what may be a vital three points for the hosts, who are five points from safety with a game in hand.

Finally, Bowers & Pitsea welcomed Haringey Borough. Bowers, nine points from safety at kick off and having lost their previous seven matches, fell behind six minutes before the break when Ben Allen opened the scoring, but they hit back with twenty one minutes remaining, TQ Addy with the equaliser- and the same player then completed the turnaround with another four minutes later, putting his side ahead. The Len Salmon faithful finally had three points to celebrate, and have cut that gap to salvation to six points.

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