Seasiders come from behind to go two points clear

Leaders Felixstowe and Walton United were at home, which we thought might send a shiver through their opponents, Sporting Bengal United- but the visitors just took the game to their hosts early on, Jayden Silcott-Brown putting them ahead after just two minutes. Felixstowe were undefeated at the Martello Ground- indeed had won every match but one- and they drew level midway through the first half, Billy Holland with the equaliser. The visitors weren’t downhearted, and on the hour they regained their lead, Rohat Matyar making it two-one, and then the hosts showed exactly what they were made of. Nine minutes from time they drew level, Jack Ainsley scoring from the spot, and then, three minutes later, they went ahead for the first time, Charlie Warren’s twenty sixth of the season earning them three points and a two point lead at the top. The East Londoners will be devastated, and they are only one point above the drop zone. Image from Stefan Peck. 

Second place Bury Town had to pick themselves up after their midweek thumping at Brentwood Town. The Blues travelled to Walthamstow, their hosts in eighth place- six points away from the top five. Stow had five wins in a row before travelling to Redbridge last weekend and coming undone, but they had lost only one of their last eight on their own patch, and went ahead in this one on eighteen minutes, Jared Small eventually awarded the goal after it was first recorded as coming off a Town player. The equaliser arrived just two minutes from time, and as we write we don’t know who scored it, but it sees Bury drop two points behind the leaders.

Brentwood Town are doing their very best to become the third horse in what had previously appeared a two horse title race. The Blues were protecting an eleven match unbeaten run as they travelled to take on fourteenth place Mildenhall Town, but Hall had also been on the up, a run of six unbeaten matches seeing them open up a nine point gap between themselves and the bottom four prior to their narrow defeat at Gorleston on Wednesday. The travelling Blues made the breakthrough on twenty nine minutes, the usual culprit claiming the goal, Daniel Ogunleye with his twenty seventh of the campaign. As it turned out, that was the only goal, and it leaves Brentwood five points away from the top, and- of course- twelve unbeaten. 

Waltham Abbey, in fourth, headed to Maldon and Tiptree. The Abbotts had won eight and lost two of their previous ten, and they went ahead in this one twelve minutes before half time, Luke Deslandes scoring his fourth of the season. Try as they might, there was no way back for the Jammers- and the Abbotts remain fourth but open up a five point gap between themselves and sixth place. 

Fifth place Witham Town seemed to have hit something of a bump in the road, their previous six matches seeing them win twice and lose four times- including their last two. They found themselves hanging on to a top five spot at kick off, but must have thought their luck had changed when Fred King put them ahead on fifty two minutes. Three minutes later, however, Athletic were level, Louie Remi the scorer, and four minutes later Luke Hirst put the visitors in front. Town levelled fourteen minutes from time through Oscar Shelvey-Negus, and both sides had to settle for a point. Witham stay fifth, a point ahead of Tilbury having played a game more. 

Tilbury, with their thoughts firmly fixed on climbing back into the top five, needed to make up only one point to achieve that- and after taking ten points from the previous twelve available looked to have banished their recent blip to history. The Dockers welcomed Gorleston to Chadfields, and it was the Greens who made the breakthrough courtesy of a familiar name, Jake Reed with his first Gorleston goal. The hosts levelled right at the end of the match, an added time goal from Jack Hayes earning them a point. 

Seventh place Brightlingsea Regent were in fine form. Only three points away from the top five at kick off, Regent had lost only one of their last ten and, perhaps more impressively, were searching for a sixth successive victory, but travel specialists Heybridge Swifts went ahead at the Taydal on eighteen minutes, Eddie Carrington-Alberdi opening the scoring. Regent worked hard, but that goal remained the difference at the end, Swifts now behind their hosts only on goal difference, 

Cambridge City were six points away from the top five after a run of seven unbeaten matches, including six wins, and would have been confident of adding another three points as they entertained fourth from bottom Haringey Borough. Borough, however, struck first, Zayshaun Asamoah putting them ahead after four minutes, but it was a lead they couldn’t hold, George Smith levelling just after the half hour and Jack Thompson quickly putting the hosts ahead. What they had, they held, and the gap between them and the top five is now down to four points. 

Borough slip to second bottom. 

Concord Rangers played host to Redbridge, fifteenth v eleventh. The Beachboys were five matches without a win, including four defeats, whilst the Motormen seemed to have ended a sticky patch of their own by winning their last two matches, and looked well on their way to picking up another victory when Fotsing Pitoula Wabo put them ahead on three minutes. It got worse for the hosts eight minutes later when Robert Bagnall made it two-nil, and just after the half hour it was three, Fotsing Pitoula Wabo finding the net once more. Rangers shut up shop at that point, but it was far too late, the Motormen heading back to East London with three points. 

Basildon United had slipped to seventeenth- only six points above the drop zone- after a long winless run which new boss Billy Cove was trying to end. The Bees- who had taken only three points, all draws, from the last thirty available, hosted Wroxham, and the Yachtsmen went ahead on twenty six minutes, Aston Jaggard the scorer. New United arrival Joe Last drew the hosts level ten minutes into the second half, but from then onwards it was one way traffic, and steered by tiller. Harvey Peters put the visitors ahead with twenty one minutes left, Asa McGeachy added a third eight minutes from time, and right at the end Harry Sparrow added a fourth. Wroxham are now only a point from safety, and only four points behind their hosts. 

Finally, we had a bottom two battle, Newmarket Town welcoming Ipswich Wanderers. There were six points between the two at kick off, the Jockeys five points from safety, the gap between their visitors and salvation eleven points. The hosts went ahead on thirty six minutes through James Chivers, and five minutes later the lead was doubled, James Moore with their second. On the hour Ashley Blow got a goal back for Wanderers, and thirteen minutes from time Owen Andrews drew them level- but that was the only thing they drew. Two minutes later, penalty- and up stepped Oscar Dean to win it for the hosts, who are now only two points away from eighteenth place Sporting Bengal United.