Urchins hit five, whilst Worthing are ten clear with five to go

Our leaders, Worthing, looked to extend their lead at the top of the table as they travelled to Cheshunt, but with the Ambers in such good form we expected that it would be difficult for the Mackerel Men- and so it proved. It didn’t look like it would be difficult when Ollie Pearce scored his thirty sixth goal of the season after just eight minutes, but the Ambers created a number of chances, had a goal disallowed for offside, and held on to hope of a comeback until the seventy third minute, when Adam Crowther saw red. The visitors immediately capitalised on their man advantage, Will Seager heading home a second goal, and that was that. Worthing remain ten points ahead, and only five games remain.

Our headline image shows Cheshunt fans who are anything but downhearted, and comes from the expert lens of Mandy Davies.

It's difficult to tell whether the chasing pack are still harbouring hopes of the title or just trying to stay ahead of Lewes and Cheshunt in the race for the play off’s, but Bishop’s Stortford, in second place at start of play, were on the road at Wingate & Finchley hoping for another three points. It took an hour for a goal to arrive, and it came to Chris Harris for the visiting Blues- but like London buses once we had one there was another one immediately, Frankie Merrifield pouncing on a loose ball and making it two-nil just a minute later. That was the last goal of the afternoon, and it kept Stortford in second place.

Enfield Town have found form again at just the right time. The Towners, who were on the road to Merstham on the back of four consecutive wins, made it five in a row, but they had to fight hard against the relegation-threatened Moatsiders. Sam Youngs gave the visitors the lead after twenty six minutes, but we were level by the break, Tahjae Anderson equalising. Youngs, who scored the winner against Leatherhead last time out, found the net again just after the restart to restore his sides lead, and twelve minutes from time Mo Faal, fresh from appearing on Soccer AM, added a third- his thirty seventh of the campaign- to seal victory. The Towners are third, the Moatsiders still in a pickle fourth from bottom.

Hornchurch went goal mad in the first half of their match at Carshalton Athletic- but it wasn’t just the team, it was their number six Tom Wraight, who scored FOUR GOALS in in twenty six minutes to give them a four-nil lead at the break. Liam Nash got number five midway through the second half, but the headlines go to Wraight, who has now grabbed fifteen goals in nineteen matches this season.

Folkestone Invicta have hit a rough patch, and really couldn’t afford to lose as Lewes came to call, but they were two down as we approached the break, Bradley Pritchard and Will Salmon scoring for the Rooks after Invicta hadn’t managed to covert their own chances. Scott Heard pulled one back just before the half time whistle, but the equaliser didn’t arrive, which allowed Lewes to close to within three points of their fifth place hosts. Seven hundred and thirty six watched on.

If Margate still had hopes of gatecrashing the play off party they were shot down in flames by Bognor Regis Town. Nathan Odokonyero opened the scoring for the Rocks on seven minutes, delighting most of the crowd of seven hundred and seventeen, and it was two nil midway through the first half as Charlie Bell clanged home another. Calvin Davies charged forward to add a third just after the break, and Alfie Bridgman got number four on sixty three minutes. Ben Greenhalgh did get his customary goal for the Blues just before the end, but it did them little good.

Cray Wanderers, under new management and desperate for points, went ahead against Kingstonian, Anthony Cook opening the scoring on eighteen minutes, but the K’s hit back almost immediately, Daniel Ajakaiye getting his twentieth of the season two minutes later- and ten minutes after the restart Walter Figueira made it one-two. That was that- and Wands remain third bottom, albeit heartened by the fact that all the sides directly above them also lost, whilst simultaneously alarmed that the two sides below them both won!

Potters Bar Town have been in super form of late, and were perhaps one of the last sides Brightlingsea Regent wanted to face given their desperate need for points. Tyler Christian-Law put the Scholars ahead after just eight minutes, Corey Parchment got the hosts second twelve minutes after the restart, but the visitors made a game of it and Aaron Blair got one back with twenty minutes left. Could they? The couldn’t, and remain just a point ahead of third bottom Cray Wanderers.

Both Corinthian-Casuals and East Thurrock United needed the points- the visitors desperately- as they met at King George’s Field. The hosts scored first, six minutes before the break through Misha Djemala, but the Rocks equalised five minutes after the restart, Ollie Miles drawing them level, and then took the lead with twelve minutes to go, Oli Coker giving them the advantage. United held on, closing to within five points of Cray Wanderers, six points of safety.

Haringey Borough and Bowers and Pitsea are both relatively safe from excitement, so they didn’t give us all that much, delivering a goalless draw at Coles Park.

Leatherhead, trying to pull off a great escape, took the lead at Horsham on twenty one minutes through Cameron Black, but then made their lives more difficult, Shaun McAuley picking up a second yellow and a resulting red card just before half time. Could the ten men hold out? They could, and are four points behind Cray Wanderers, five from safety.

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