Wins for the top five mean no change in the promotion race

Bury Town took on bottom side Ipswich Wanderers in a local derby, and picked up a fifth successive win, maintaining their six point lead at the top of the table- but they found it more difficult than the form guide might have suggested. The visitors had taken two points from ten matches prior to their trip to Ram Meadow, and they ended the day with a sixth consecutive defeat, but it was rather more narrow than many of their previous losses, goals from Cemal Ramadan- his fifteenth of the campaign- and Ollie Canfer, both coming during the first ten minutes of the second half, the difference between the sides. 

Second place Felixstowe and Walton United have been close to invincible on their own patch, only Brightlingsea Regent escaping with as much as a point- and that continued as Mildenhall Town were the latest side to leave the Martello Ground with nothing. The match was as good as won by half time, as at that point the Seasiders were three goals to the good and their visitors down to ten men. A Rob Harvey double- had left the hosts comfortable with half an hour gone, and a red card for Joshua Collins for Hall three minutes before the break was quickly followed by a third United goal, Willie Clemons the scorer. That’s only a second defeat in six for the visitors, who are seventeenth. Image below from Stefan Peck. 

Witham Town welcomed Sporting Bengal United, but they weren’t very welcoming! Town have been particularly good on their own patch, with seven wins from nine prior to this one, and they quickly got back to winning ways following defeat last weekend- and how! The first half was tight, Town only one goal to the good at the break- an eleventh minute effort from Kamani Mcfarlane- but the second half brought with it a massacre. Anton Matthews got a second on fifty five minutes, Liam Whipps made it three five minutes later, and Ayomide Adelaja got goals four and five on seventy five and eighty three minutes. In added time Isaac Skubich made it six. 

Fourth place Tilbury rather spoiled the Cambridge City party, as a late goal from Sam Bantick earned them a narrow win as their hosts opened their new stadium (pictured). You can read all about it in detail here, as it was our featured match, but City broke the deadlock just before half time, Shane Temple with a fine finish, only for an Alex Hernandez penalty on sixty seven minutes and a Bantick header three minutes from time to get the Dockers back to winning ways. 

Grays Athletic, in fifth, bounced back from an unexpected hammering at the hands of Wroxham last weekend to deliver an unexpected hammering to Brentwood Town in midweek. On form, Athletic were a match for anyone, and they welcomed Haringey Borough to Chadfields, the visitors four points from safety and still searching for some consistency. Athletic had won six of their previous seven, and they made it seven from eight with a goal in each half, Alejandro Machado scoring both of them on forty one and seventy one minutes. 

Brightlingsea Regent, five unbeaten, hoped to leap into the top five- but Brentwood Town had other ideas, and ended Regent’s unbeaten run by scoring the only goal of the game at North Road. Daniel Ogunleye got that all important goal just after the half hour, his fifteenth of the season, and as it turned out, it was enough, as the Blues put that midweek defeat by Grays firmly behind them. Brentwood are eighth, Regent slip to ninth. 

Waltham Abbey travelled to Gorleston for a Green on Green battle. The Abbotts were superb in scoring seven against Grays last weekend, and had only lost one of their last nine- and two early goals meant that run continued. Richard Asamoah opened the scoring on ten minutes, an own goal made it two twelve minutes later, and although Harley Black quickly pulled a goal back for the hosts that was as good as it got for the home support, who also saw Cameron Beazer dismissed in the early stages of the second half. Their chances of an equaliser perhaps departed with him.

Abbey are sixth, two points away from the top five.  

Heybridge Swifts were on the road to Newmarket Town, and were probably rather happy about that as they’d been much more successful on their travels than on their own patch this season. Their fine away form was evident once more, as Vinnie Bowman put them ahead just after the half hour, Eddie Carrington-Alberdi made it two ten minutes into the second half, and they held out after Ally Conway reduced their lead sixteen minutes from time. Swifts are seventh, three points away from the play off places, whilst the Jockeys are second from bottom, four points from safety. 

Walthamstow welcomed Wroxham, and were three goals to the good when the match was abandoned on the hour after a partial floodlight failure.

Maldon and Tiptree, revitalised under new management, were the hosts for Redbridge. The Jammers were looking to go five games unbeaten and extend the gap between themselves and the bottom four, and they did just that, a Kia Redgrave goal three minutes before half time the difference between the sides. Maldon are up to fourteenth, now seven points clear of the bottom four, and are perhaps now looking at the nine point gap between themselves and the top five. The Motormen are two points and three places better off. 

Concord Rangers and Basildon United met in an Essex derby. Neither side were in good form coming into this one, the hosts with two wins from ten, the Bees three- but the visitors were looking to avoid a fifth successive defeat, and sadly for the travelling faithful, they failed in that quest. Jamal Allen opened the scoring three minutes before half time, and that looked to be that, until Montrell Deslandes sealed the victory in added time right at the end.