City and Brentwood slay giants- Felixstowe get four

Isuzu FA Trophy

Pitching In Isthmian North side Cambridge City travelled to take on one of our former North favourites, AFC Sudbury. The Yellows are in their second season in Southern Premier Central, and sit comfortably in mid table with an unbeaten home record- whilst City, still waiting for their new home to open, had been permanently away so far this season. City went ahead five minutes before half time, Samrai Gebrai with the goal, but they went down to ten men with twenty six minutes left, Giani Ashley dismissed. Could they hold on? They could- giant slain! 

Brentwood Town hosted Cray Wanderers in a North v Premier clash. The Blues were looking for a third successive win, whilst Wands had lost only one of eight in all competitions so certainly won’t have expected to end up as slain giants, but they looked in danger when Town went ahead on nineteen minutes, Conor Witherspoon the scorer. The Wands equaliser duly arrived ten minutes into the second half, Lateef Adaja the scorer, and that was that on the scoring front, so off we went to penalties. The Blues were victorious from the spot, four-three. 

Felixstowe and Walton United (pictured, Stefan Peck) played their eighth cup tie of the season as they welcomed Haringey Borough, but Borough scoffed at that number, as this was their ninth- and would have been their tenth had their Cup replay at Lowestoft Town not been called off in midweek. Borough had lost only one of nine in all competitions (we’d point out that the defeat was in one of only two league matches they’d managed to fit in since August Bank Holiday Monday), whilst the Seasiders had won every match they’d played on their own patch, eight of them so far- and scored thirty goals in front of their own fans. The opening goal took that number to thirty one, United going ahead on seven minutes through Josh Mayhew, and Mayhew had another on the half hour to extend the lead. It was three-nil ten minutes before half time, Cameron Forde-Brown with that one, and eight minutes into the second half half Forde-Brown made it four-nil. That’s where the story came to an end, along with Borough’s Trophy run. 

Maldon and Tiptree and Canvey Island met in a North v Premier showdown, and an Essex derby. The Jammers brightest moments of late had come in this competition, and indeed their only win in four came on penalties against Corby Town in the last round- but the Gulls were in flight in the early stages, and went ahead on eight minutes, Sonny Hart the scorer. The Jammers quickly levelled through Kien Connolly, but the Gulls were rather quick to reestablish that lead, Tom Stephen making it two-one. That was the end of the goals- but we did have a red card right at the end, the hosts Matt Price the culprit. 

Pitching In Isthmian North

Basildon United and Bury Town were separated only by goal difference at the top at kick off- and both had tricky fixtures. 

Basildon were at home to FA Cup heroes Gorleston. The Bees had lost only one league match all season, and were undefeated at home, and they went ahead fifteen minutes from time, Darren Esuka the scorer- his fifth of the season. That was the only goal, and the Bees remain top. 

Second place Bury Town, with boss Cole Skuse celebrating his latest Vita Risk Solutions Manager of the Month Award, were on the road to Grays Athletic, who picked up our uhlsport Golden Gloves award for the best defence. It took until seven minutes from time for the deadlock to be broken, and- of course- it was Town goal machine Cemal Ramadan with it, his eighth in eleven matches. Bury remain second- and that was only a fourth away win in eighteen contests between the sides. 

If both Basildon and Bury had ended up with nothing for their efforts, then Witham Town knew that they could go top if they defeated Walthamstow at Spa Road. Witham started the day as the only undefeated side in the Division, and had played some fine football this season- and they took only seven minutes to go ahead, Ryan Dear the scorer. It looked as if that would be that, and indeed the hosts still lead on ninety minutes, but the closing stages were rather crazy. First, Stow saw Ali Njie sent off, but they managed to equalise anyway, Te Wihongi the scorer, and twelve minutes into added time the visitors got a winner, too! Brian Moses was the match winner, his fifth goal in four matches. 

Brightlingsea Regent knew that they would break into the top five if they could defeat Newmarket Town- and win a fourth match in a row. Louie Kudiabor has been in good form for Regent, and he put them ahead from the spot just after the quarter hour mark, but the Jockeys took only four minutes to hit back, Josh Lee with the equaliser- and they went ahead seven minutes into the second half, Ally Conway making it two-one, before Lee added a third with twenty six minutes remaining. Regent gave themselves hope when Fletcher Alexander Hubbard got a goal back fifteen minutes from time, but we reached the last minute with the Jockeys ahead and looking certainties to take all three points. Instead, however, they got none!

Three minutes into added time Andy George got an equaliser for the hosts, and then, two minutes later, Kenzo Shabazz-Edwards somehow found the time to score a winner. Regent go third, with a fourth win in a row. 

Heybridge Swifts were the hosts for Tilbury, seventh v ninth. A win for either side gave them a chance of a top five spot, but Swifts hadn't yet managed a home win in the league- and indeed didn’t have any sort of home victory since Saturday 3rd August, and they fell behind on sixty five minutes, Alex Hernandez the scorer for the Dockers. It turned out that was the only goal, and it sent the Dockers sixth after a third win in a row. 

Waltham Abbey had only one win from six in all competitions, and having lost their previous two wanted to avoid that run continuing as they hosted Ipswich Wanderers- but the Abbotts didn’t have the best of starts, Chris Casement scoring for the visitors after just nine minutes. They were level twelve minutes later, however, Kymani Thomas with the equaliser, and completed the turnaround eight minutes into the second half, Kieron Cathline making it two-one. The hosts got a third with eighteen minutes remaining, Prince Domafriyie from the spot, and right at the end they made quite sure of victory, Nathan Koranteng with the fourth. 

Mildenhall Town were at home to Wroxham. Hall were on a three match losing streak, whilst the Yachtsmen hadn’t yet managed a league win this season and had lost each of their matches on the road- and the visitors perhaps thought victory was overdue, charging into a second minute lead with Jacek Zielonka the scorer. The visitors made it two-nil with twenty four minutes to go, Charlie Coyle doubling their lead, and although the hosts got a goal back five minutes from time- Ben Nolan with it- Wroxham held on for three points. A late red card for Jordan King didn’t ruin Wroxham’s day.