Bury hit four to increase their lead- with Witham on their heels

Four of our top five had to play each other.

Leaders Bury Town, top of the table on goal difference as we kicked off, welcomed fifth place Basildon United to Ram Meadow. The Blues had lost only once at home, whilst any Bees difficulties this season had tended to come on the road, so the hosts were very much favourites- and they went ahead just after the half hour, Cemal Ramadan taking his tally for the season to eleven. Town added a second six minutes before half time, Lewis O’Malley with that one, and the second half was just as comfortable, Ramadan getting another just before the hour, Ryan Horne adding a fourth twelve minutes from time, and that was finally that- and the Blues take a one point lead at the top. 

Second place Tilbury and third place Witham Town had a point between them at kick off, the Dockers heading to Spa Road hoping to extend that and perhaps return to the summit, whilst Town also had their eyes set on top spot. Tilbury had won their last five league matches and were ten unbeaten in all competitions, whilst Witham had won their last four and were hoping for revenge for their last defeat, which came at the hands of the Dockers last month. We waited seventy seven minutes for a goal, and when it arrived it went to Witham, Frederick King the scorer. Tilbury have been comeback kings of late, so their fans won’t have given up hope, but the match was finally settled nine minutes into added time when Deese Kasinga Madia made it two-nil to the hosts. Witham jump above the Dockers and close to within a point of the leaders. 

Felixstowe and Walton United had been invincible at home- indeed more than invincible, as they’d won every home match in all competitions, twelve victories at the Martello Ground prior to the arrival of Cambridge City. City lost two-nil to the Seasiders less than three weeks ago and went behind in this one just before the half hour mark, sadly due to an own goal, before adding a second a few minutes later, Charlie Warren with that one. The second half saw no addition to the scoreline, but the Seasiders faithful wouldn’t have minded, their side five points behind the leaders with two games in hand. Image from Stefan Peck. 

Waltham Abbey welcomed Heybridge Swifts to Capershotts. The Abbotts were looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches, whilst Swifts were three points further back but unbeaten on the road, and looking for some revenge after their hosts defeated them at Scraley Road in September. The visitors went ahead after five minutes, Andy Fennell with his sixth of the season, and they doubled their lead ten minutes later, Scott Sloots making it two. On fifty seven minutes Prince Domafriyie got a goal back for the hosts, but that was where the comeback ended, Swifts up to seventh. 

Brightlingsea Regent were on the road to Mildenhall Town. Regent had hit a bit of a rough patch, with only one win from six, whilst their hosts were looking to make it three matches unbeaten- and they did just that, but had to settle for a point in a goalless draw. Regent saw Charlie Durling dismissed in added time. 

Grays Athletic were at Chadfields, where they hosted Newmarket Town. Athletic’s league form had been very good, indeed they were looking for a fourth consecutive win, and they got their noses in front of the Jockeys on twenty seven minutes, Reon Smith-Kouassi the scorer. Luke Hirst added a second on the hour, and Athletic are up to sixth. 

Brentwood Town started the day five points away from the top five, albeit with three games in hand. The Blues were at home to managerless Ipswich Wanderers, and they broke through midway through the first half, Lee Noble the scorer. The Blues doubled their lead just before the break, Jesse Olukolu the scorer, and just after the restart made it three, Shad Ngandu with his fifth of the season. Wanderers then fell apart. Daniel Ogunleye added a fourth on fifty two minutes, and it was five only five minutes later, Kai Brown from the spot. Ngandu added a sixth, Olukolu a seventh, and ten minutes from time substitute Harry Elsey for number eight. Finally they showed mercy, and that’s where it ended, the hosts in tenth- but only two points away from the top five. Headline image from Roy Warner. 

Gorleston, in eleventh, travelled to take on Maldon & Tiptree. The Greens saw a three match unbeaten run come to an end at Witham last weekend, and followed that by being surprisingly knocked out of the Norfolk Cup after reaching the Final in three of the last four years, but they went ahead in this one, Christy Finch’s seventh of the season arriving in first half added time. Despite the Jammers best efforts, that turned out to be the only goal, Gorleston in eleventh, Maldon dropping into the bottom four, on the end of a Green double after losing against these opponents just over two weeks ago. 

Redbridge welcomed Wroxham to East London. The Motormen had won only one of their previous seven league matches- although they’d lost only two of those, becoming draw specialists- whilst the travelling Yachtsmen were looking for a third unbeaten match, and perhaps a win that might lift them out of the bottom four. The hosts were ahead just before half time, Tendi Quamina the scorer, but with only sixteen minutes to go the Yachtsmen got a goal back, scorer unknown at time of writing. That spurred the hosts into action and Quamina put them ahead again five minutes later, and this time they held that lead, to end the day in twelfth. 

Walthamstow welcomed Concord Rangers, and the hosts went ahead six minutes into the second half, Louie Johnson opening the scoring. It was a lead that lasted only seven minutes, Thomas Stagg levelling for the Beachboys, and that was that. 

Finally, we had a London derby, as Sporting Bengal United hosted Haringey Borough. United were looking for a third win in a row, whilst Borough were looking for a first win in five- and a double over these opponents, who they defeated as recently as October 15th, two late Georgios Aresti goals giving them a two-nil win at Coles Park. The visitors went ahead on ten minutes, Manny Yeboah opening the scoring, and that was that until the game sprang into life in the last twenty minutes, Borough going rather goal crazy. J’Ardell Stirling made it two, Ebenezer Addo Kufour got a third ten minutes from time, and with four minutes left Derek Asamoah got a fourth. Borough climb out of the bottom four as a consequence.