Blues take charge

Bury Town and Felixstowe and Walton United started Tuesday night separated only by goal difference in the Seasiders favour- but ended it with three points the difference and the Blues leading the way. This was the fourth meeting between the sides this season, and Town hadn’t previously managed a victory, but that will now be forgotten.

The opening goal arrived on nine minutes, Ryan Jolland making the breakthrough. Jolland picked up a ten year long service award from the club in the summer, and he’ll very much be enjoying the eleventh. 

Charlie Warren had a couple of chances for the visitors in the first half but couldn’t add to his twenty five goal tally, but early in the second half another striker proved to be- as usual- rather reliable. Cemal Ramadan has been scoring copious amounts of goals for Town for seven years, and he took his tally to nineteen for the season when making it two-nil on fifty three minutes. That was that, no way back for the visitors, who drop to second, their fifteen match unbeaten run at an end. 

It is perhaps still too early to suggest that the title race is between only these two sides- third place Brentwood Town, certainly, look to have some momentum- but Bury are eleven points ahead of their third place rivals, and, in the race for a play off place, sixteen points ahead of the side in sixth. 

That sixth place side are Brightlingsea Regent, who won for the fifth match in succession and proved there was no Manager of the Month curse, defeating Basildon United on the road. Regent were too strong for their hosts, going in at half time two goals to the good courtesy of Charlie Durling and Louie Kudiabor on thirty one and thirty eight minutes, and although a Nidal Berri spot kick in the early stages of the second half gave the managerless Bees hope, that was soon extinguished, Kudiabor taking only six minutes to make it three-one. Basildon’s winless run now stretches to eleven matches, but they remain fifteenth. 

Image from Nicky Hayes. 

Cambridge City had climbed into the top ten after a run of five games undefeated- the first four of which were victories- and they added a fifth win in six, winning a five goal thriller in Wroxham. We waited forty minutes for a goal, and then rather like London Buses got three in quick succession. The opener went to City, Ramiah Mills with his second in four matches since his arrival, but Ryan Miles quickly drew the Yachtsmen level, with his fifth of the season. Within three minutes- and the half time break- an own goal had restored City’s advantage, but again the hosts hit back, Ryan Hawkins levelling from the spot midway through the half. The critical moment arrived nine minutes from time, Jayden Gipson delivering the winner. City are eight points away from the top five, Wroxham third from bottom and four points from safety. 

Finally, managerless Maldon and Tiptree travelled to take on Mildenhall Town, hoping to bounce back after their nine match unbeaten run came to an end on New Years Day. Hall had gone six matches without a win but drawn their previous four, and the hosts made it five unbeaten but actually picked up three points by scoring the only goal of the game. It arrived eight minutes from time, Samuel Adetiba scoring it, and it opened up a six point gap between the hosts and the drop zone. The Jammers are four points better off in twelfth.

The sides meet again on January 25th, so Maldon won’t have to wait long for a chance of revenge.