SEASIDERS KEEP ON CLIMBING

FELIXSTOWE & Walton leapfrogged Barking in the table with a 4-2 victory at Mayesbrook Park.

The visitors stamped their authority on the game with two early goals from Josh Kerridge and Jack Ainsley putting them in a commanding position after just 12 minutes.

Miles Powell then added a third before the halfhour mark in what was a blistering start by Felixstowe who were without a win in four heading into the game.

But Daniel Cheema pulled one back for the hosts seven minutes before the break to give Barking a glimmer of hope in what had been a pretty dismal first-half display.

The game settled in the second half and it wasn’t until the 87th minute when Barking were awarded a penalty that Felixstowe began to finally feel the nerves creep in.

Joe Bruce converted the spot-kick to set up a tense finish.

But Joseph Francis scored with a minute to play to ensure the visitors came away with all three points in a thoroughly entertaining encounter.

The win leaves them in eighth and four points away from moving into the play-off places, while Barking slip down to tenth. Grays got the better of Tilbury 3-2 in an entertaining derby at Parkside.

Grays took the lead in the eighth minute after Lewis Jaggs scored an own goal and Kieran Bishop doubled Athletics’ lead in the 56th minute in what was up to then a dominant display by Grays.

But the game was not over yet as Ryan Mahal inadvertently put the ball into his own net with 30 minutes still to play as the game was suddenly there for the taking.

Grays seemed to reclaim the points five minutes from time when Aron Gordon gave them a 3-1 lead.

But Tilbury were awarded a penalty two minutes later which Lewis Smith converted in what was a manic end to the game.

However, Grays held on to move up to seventh and within a win of the playoff places. Canvey Island comfortably beat

Romford 2-0 to move up to ninth in the table.

Both sides had chances early on as Romford’s Ryan Read shot from the edge of the area, but Canvey keeper Harry Palmer was equal to it, before Jordan Cox headed wide for the home side in an entertaining opening quarter.

Cox then went close again in the 27th minute but was denied by a brilliant save by the visitors’ keeper Rhys Hughes who dove low to his right to tip the ball away.

Canvey took the lead in the 68th minute as Cox finally headed in and Ryan Melaugh made sure of the points for Canvey eight minutes later after his cross somewhat fortuitously evaded everyone and found the back of the net. Great Wakering Rovers and Sudbury played out a 1-1 draw in an enjoyable mid-table clash.

Brandy Makhendi scored for Wakering less than a minute into the second half which was immediately cancelled out two minutes later through an own goal from John Mbamarah.

The away side then went within inches of taking the lead as the game moved into the final stages, but captain Joe Whight was unfortunate to be denied by the frame of the goal and the game finished all square with honours even.

Brentwood suffered a second successive defeat after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Dereham Town.

David Hinton scored in the 38th minute to give Dereham the lead and Adam Hipperson doubled their advantage before the hour mark to effectively seal it.

Kojo Apenteng scored to give the hosts hope and set up an exciting final 20 minutes.

But it wasn’t enough as Brentwood slip to 16th in the table.