Seasiders held- so Bury have a five point lead at the top

Felixstowe and Walton United hoped to close to within three points of leaders Bury Town with victory at Basildon United- but the Bees had other ideas. The Seasiders had the perfect start, as it took only one minute for Charlie Warren to put them ahead with his twenty second goal of the season, but Basildon, who were looking to avoid a sixth consecutive defeat, drew level just after the hour, Karl Kayembe the scorer. Try as they might, neither side could find a winner. 

The Seasiders stay second- and go ten matches unbeaten- whilst the Bees are thirteenth. 

Cambridge City have a wonderful new stadium, but so far they’ve narrowly lost both matches they’ve played in it. Last night the victors were Waltham Abbey, the Abbotts winning their third game in a row and moving into the top five as a consequence. The match had only one goal, and that went to Jason Hallett, ten minutes before the end. 

Abbey’s time in the top five could be short lived, as the side they displaced, Grays Athletic, play at Gorleston tonight. 

Heybridge Swifts were once again undermined by their dreadful home form as they took on Brentwood Town. Swifts have the best away record in the Division, but send them out at Scraley Road and it seems a different team emerges- perhaps they should try using the away dressing room and wearing their change strip! It looked as if they’d done everything right, going ahead against Brentwood Town with only fourteen minutes remaining- Scott Sloots the scorer- but they somehow managed to concede three goals in six minutes right at the end. The equaliser arrived on eighty six minutes, Kai Brown getting it seven minutes after emerging from the bench- and then two minutes later Daniel Ogunleye gave the Blues the lead. Two minutes into added time Ogunleye struck again, his seventeenth goal of the season, and it sealed a victory which saw Brentwood leapfrog their hosts into seventh place- two points away from the top five.

Image from Alan Edmonds.

Haringey Borough welcomed Redbridge. If we had a pound for every time Borough had surrendered a lead this season we could take the entire squad for a slap up meal at Mrs Miggins pie shop, and last night they did it in style, surrendering a three goal advantage to somehow only take a draw from a match that looked won at half time. The hosts had a fantastic start, Joe Waight converting from the spot after only three minutes, and before the half hour was reached Damilola Taiwo-Pratt had doubled their advantage. Waight got another just before the break to leave them sitting pretty by half time, but just before the hour James Love began a Redbridge fight back. Even then it seemed as if Borough would hold on, but with only nine minutes remaining Oscar Shelvey-Negus brought it back to three-two, and we suspect the fabulous home fans watched the remainder from behind their programmes as the inevitable became reality, Malachi Napa with the equaliser two minutes from time. 

Borough remain in the bottom four, three points from safety, whilst Redbridge climb into the top ten. 

We also had two sides in action in the Velocity Cup Fourth Round.

Pitching In Isthmian North side Brightlingsea Regent saw a five match unbeaten run come to an end on Saturday, and hoped to start another as Premier side Hashtag United came to call. The Tags were also in good form, with only one defeat in eight in League, Cup and Trophy- but they were made to work for victory in this one, and indeed only got it via a penalty shootout after an added time equaliser.

Regent went ahead with only seventeen minutes to go, Teddy Collis the scorer, the forward keeping up his record of a goal every two matches since his return to the club with his sixth of the season. It looked as if they’d hold onto that lead and record a famous victory, but three minutes from added time Toby Aromolaran, on from the bench half an hour earlier, managed to deliver an equaliser- and the Tags won the shootout four-three.

Hendon welcomed North Division Tilbury. The Greens had lost only once at home in the league all season, and indeed had won four of their last five at Silver Jubilee Park, drawing the other- and were looking for a fifth consecutive home clean sheet. They didn’t get that clean sheet, but they did get another win- although they left it late and certainly did not have things all their own way. 

Hendon went ahead midway through the first half, Kai Brosnan getting his fifteenth goal of the season, but the Dockers drew level midway through the second half, Alex Hernandez continuing his fine run with a fourteenth goal in fifteen matches. Eight minutes from time the Greens were ahead once more, Stefan Ilic getting what proved to be the winner- and deep in added time Hernandez blotted his copybook by picking up a red card.