Yellows extend their lead at the top...

AFC Sudbury welcomed Bury Town in that most fiercely-contested of local derbies, and our Pitching In Isthmian North leaders stretched their lead to four points by delivering a hard-fought victory.

The Yellows welcomed nine hundred and forty five fans to the MEL Group Stadium- the best they have ever had for a league match- and most of them will have enjoyed their afternoon. In the absence of Nnamdi Nwachuku, scorer of thirty goals this season, they needed someone else to take on scoring duties, and they found a willing volunteer in the shape of Josh Mayhew. The number nine controlled the ball and walloped home the opener five minutes after the break, and just after the hour he doubled the advantage and gave his side a cushion.

That cushion soon looked rather thin, as Cemal Ramadan quickly got one back for the visitors, converting from a tight angle for his eighteenth of the campaign- but that turned out to be that. The sides have now met three times this season, with the Yellows twice victorious- their earlier league meeting was a draw. The result leaves Bury eighteen points and nine places behind their rivals.

Image from Clive Pearson.

We had what looked to be a home banker as Felixstowe and Walton United welcomed bottom side Coggeshall Town. The Seasiders had won every home league match this season, whilst the Seed Growers hadn't delivered a league victory of any sort, so it was no surprise when Charlie Warren gave the hosts the lead just after the half hour, finding the corner of the net. It was perhaps more of a surprise when the equaliser arrived shortly after the restart, Ryan Dear heading home- but this was a much-changed Seed Growers side, with debuts from Ben Search, Darnell Kithambo and Josh Osude, and they didn't resemble their early-season selves.

The visitors had many of the best chances in the second half, but then perhaps cost themselves any chance of a victory with two red cards, Karl Kayembe and Mike Osei dismissed during the same off-the-ball incident. The match came to an end with both sides having to settle for a point, and with the Seasiders in sixth place, two points behind Heybridge Swifts.

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