Ryman League Division One North Review ~ 12/03/13
The top three in Ryman North were all in action on Tuesday, and all of them won to steal a march on their pursuers.
A James Robinson hat-trick earned leaders Maldon a 3-2 victory at lowly Ware, who caused a stir by scoring twice in four minutes either side of half-time to haul back a 2-0 deficit.
Robinson netted twice in the first 25 minutes but Elliot King pulled one back in added time at the end of the first half and Louis Rose squared it in the 49th minute.
Maldon recovered from the shock and captured all three points when Robinson struck again in the 63rd minute. It was Maldon’s 89th league goal and they are the highest scorers in any division.
Grays remained eight points behind with four games in hand after thumping Wroxham 4-0 at Rush Green.
Trouble came at Wroxham from all sides in the first 13 minutes, when Dave East and Jack West put Grays 2-0 up.
With no-one named North or South in the line-up, it was left to Lee Flynn to make it 3-0 not long before the interval. West added the fourth early in the second half.
Thamesmead stayed three points behind Grays, though they have played two more games, by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Waltham Abbey.
James Peagram struck for the Abbotts on the half-hour and they stayed in front until the 75th minute, when Lea Dawson equalised. Stuart Zanone hit the winner five minutes later.
Soham, in sixth place, had the chance to narrow the gap on the two sides above them but could only a 1-1 home draw with Romford, which leaves them still six points below the play-off places.
Nick Reynolds scored for Boro in the 18th minute and Luke Stanley replied late in the first half. Soham’s Buster Harradine was the most embarrassed man on the pitch after he booted the flag instead of the ball while attempting to take a corner.
Ilford threatened to give themselves some breathing space in the battle to avoid the drop when Chinedu McKenzie’s penalty gave them a 13th-minute lead at Brentwood.
Sam Bantick turned it round with two goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half and Steve Butterworth wrapped up a 3-1 Brentwood win in the last minute.
Ilford remain two points ahead of bottom club Redbridge but the Motormen now have a game in hand on their local rivals.