Seasiders sunk!

Felixstowe and Walton United went into last night’s match with Grays Athletic with a formidable home record. Twenty home matches in all competitions had delivered nineteen wins and one draw to delight the Martello Ground faithful- but Grays Athletic were made of sterner stuff than the myriad of previous visitors, and picked up three deserved points with a dominant second half display. 

The Seasiders went ahead after just six minutes, Thomas Warren the scorer, and we suspect that the home fans expected more of the same- but what they got instead was an Athletic onslaught. Shane Temple got the equaliser eleven minutes into the second half, his first for the club on his fourth appearance after moving from Cambridge City, and sixteen minutes from time a more familiar Athletic scorer, Luke Hirst, moved into double figures for the campaign when making it two-one. Five minutes from time the visitors were awarded a penalty, and up stepped Elliott Sartorius to make the points secure.

The Seasiders are a point clear at the top, whilst Athletic are twelfth- and ended a seven match winless run. 

A win for Bury Town would have sent them back to the summit given the Felixstowe’s result, but the Blues could manage only one point as they hosted Maldon and Tiptree. James Mauge’s first goal for the club gave them the lead just after the half hour, but the Jammers secured a share of the spoils with an equaliser just after half time, Kai Redgrave earning them a point. That’s three without a win for Bury, four without a win for their visitors.

Waltham Abbey welcomed a struggling Basildon United side and reminded them exactly why they are struggling. The Bees travelled on the back of a thirteen match winless run and were on the end of an Abbotts onslaught, five-nil the final score. It was only one-nil at half time, Kieron Cathline with the opener on seventeen minutes. But in the second half the floodgates opened. Kymani Thomas made it two from the spot just before the hour, Hassan Nalbant quickly made it three, and only two minutes later the hosts had a fourth, Nicholas Brown delivering a third goal in seven minutes, Right at the end Cathline finished what he’d started with the fifth goal, which ensures the fourth place Abbotts have opened up a seven point gap between themselves and sixth place Witham Town. The Bees are seventeenth, three points clear of the drop zone. 

Tilbury climbed back into the top five after scoring the only goal of the game against Walthamstow. The Dockers waited until sixteen minutes from time to delight the home faithful, Olly Sotoyinbo’s first goal for the club making the difference. Witham Town drop out of the play off spots for the first time this season. Image from In Focus Photos. 

Concord Rangers hosted Gorleston, the Beachboys looking to end a six match winless run- but the travelling Greens had other ideas, taking their own unbeaten run to three by scoring three goals and picking up three points. Rangers went ahead on thirteen minutes, Evernage Nyahunda the scorer, but ten minutes before half time they went down to ten men, El Hadji Oumar Ndao seeing red, and after the break the visitors took ruthless advantage. Zach Dronfield levelled on fifty minutes, and two minutes later the Greens took the lead, Christy Finch with his ninth of the season. On sixty four minutes it was three-one, Joe Jefford the scorer, and Gorleston ended the night in thirteenth, three places and three points above their hosts.

Ipswich Wanderers, without a win for more than four months, desperately needed one as they travelled to face another of the strugglers, Wroxham, at Trafford Park. The Yachtsmen have looked much improved of late, but they had to settle for a point as their visitors held out despite playing the closing stages with only ten men, Ben Stannard dismissed with fifteen minutes remaining. That point lifts Wroxham out of the bottom four on goal difference, whilst Wanderers remain ten points from safety, their winless run up to nineteen matches.