Let’s start this round-up up the table toppers AFC Sudbury. Having lost the Thurrock at home 4-0, they have recovered well and last night kept up the 10 point gap between themselves and Harlow Town.
Jack Wilkinson scored directly from a free-kick in the last minute of the added on time at the end of the first half. Sudbury’s second came in the second half, twenty minutes from time as George Clarke slotted the ball under the advancing Maldon & Tiptree keeper. That has given AFC a 10 point gap at the top of the league, but have played two more matches then Harlow Town.
Speaking of Harlow Town, after tipping them last week of now being title favourites, they defeated Wroxham 4-0 on Tuesday Night to move within 10 points of AFC Sudbury. Not only are they on an amazing run, that means that they have equalled the 37 year record of successive wins in the Ryman North with 11 on the trot.
Junior Dadson scored within 5 minutes, before adding another in the first half to take his tally for the season to 26. Alex Read scored a delightful goal to pile the pressure on Wroxham, before an own goal compounded their misery.
For Wroxham this defeat sees them third bottom and going three months without a win, it almost looks like they could be on the down this season. But there is light for them with 2 games in hand on Waltham Abbey who are only three points above them. And with Heybridge Swifts, the Yachtsmen they have 3 games in hand, but Swifts after their superb recent weeks are four points better off.
Waltham Abbey have been unlucky so far this season, manager Martin Hayes has got his side playing good football but the results just haven’t seemed to match that. Although they have been playing well, their shining light of the season has been striker Christian Assombalonga, who is being looked at by various National League Sides for his performances and all round play. And last night he showed exactly what he’s got with a brace which gave the Abbey all three points against Dereham Town.
The win leaves Waltham Abbey above the bottom three, but have played two more matches then Wroxham who are only three points off. For Dereham Town their season hasn’t really seemed to get going. The Magpies are now 11th in the league and a massive 13 points off of the playoffs with 13 left to play.
For Cheshunt, their hunt for a playoff place has grown after their magnificent turnaround win at home to Tilbury after being 2-0 down after 48 minutes. two goals in a matter of four minutes completely changed the state of the game. In the 68th minute substitute Marshall got on the end of a long ball and fired home into the bottom corner. And then in the 72nd minute it was another sub that grabbed the equaliser. On debut Hope popped up when a corner was nodded back across, and he tapped in to level the game. And seven minutes later the comeback was complete. Jason Hallett beat the offside trap down the left and jinked his way to the line. His shot went past Bogard and Hope was on hand to tap in for his second. This leaves the Ambers in 6th only three points off of the playoffs, and you never just know. With Jason Hallett upfront and Liam hope recently getting on the scoresheet you wouldn’t bet against them to break into the top five.
After that defeat the Dockers are now 8 points off of Cray Wanderers in fifth. But Tilbury have two matches in hand on last night's opponents and are only five points behind them due to that defeat in North London.
The last match came from Oakside. Must be said that you would’ve banked on this match being off, but amazing work from the ground staff at Redbridge got this match underway and after ten minutes they would’ve regretted doing so. Goals from Barry and Johnson made it 2-0 to Thamesmead. But the Motormen came right back into the match, a brace from Portway made it 2-2 going into half time.
Thamesmead started well and on 55 minutes they made it 3-2, Johnson got his second of the match. Mead then put a two goal lead between themselves and Redbridge with Jack Barry getting his second of the match to make it 4-2. The Motormen didn’t give up and came back with Jay Knight pulling a goal back, but it just wasn’t enough and the epic ended 4-3 to Thamesmead.
For Thamesmead this puts them with a possibility of playoffs, if they can now hit form and get wins back to back. They at the moment are ten points off of the top five, and also have two matches in hand on Cray Wanderers. For Redbridge however, after their spectacular late show against relegation rivals few Saturday’s back you thought they would now pull themselves out of the bottom three. But they now sit in 23rd with only 12 matches left with only 21 points. They are five points behind of Waltham Abbey and have played one match more also.