EASTERN COUNTIES
LEADERS Thetford Town to a 2-2 draw at home by Mulbarton Wanderers on Saturday but still hold a commanding 13-point advantage at the top of the table.
Ben Thompson and Josh Pond had tice put the visitors ahead but Dan Gilchrist and Jake Mann hit back to secure a point for the league leaders.
Joel Glover and Nathan Read were both on target for Ipswich Wanderers as they climbed up to second in the league after a 2-0 away win against Fakenham Town.
Harleston Town dropped to third after they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Newmarket Town and fourth placed Hadleigh United drew 1-1 away to Mildenhall Town.
Elsewhere, Armani Schaar struck a hattrick for fifth-placed Woodbridge Town and Mark Ray added a brace as they crushed Whitton United 6-2 away.
Bottom side Haverhill Rovers rescued a point in dramatic fashion as Nathan Scarborough’s 96th minute equaliser saw them draw 1-1 at home to Long Melford and Jamie Forshaw netted twice for
Sheringham as they climbed up to eighth place after a 3-1 home success over
Soham Town Rangers.
Michael Campbell scored twice for Norwich United as they beat Lakenheath 4-3 at home and the match between Walsham-le-Willows and Ely City finished in a 2-2 draw.
Saturday’s other game between Brantham Athletic and Kirkley & Pakefield ended in a goalless draw.
ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE
LEADERS Enfield were twice pegged back at Halstead Town after taking the lead through Gavin Cockman and Solomon Ofori.
Alfie Cleal and Joel Older got the two equalisers in the 2–2 draw while a stoppage time penalty from second-placed
Redbridge’s Tony Martin was the only goal in their 1–0 defeat of Buckhurst Hill, leaving them eight points off the top spot.
FC Clacton were beaten 3–0 by Athletic Newham, whose goals came from Joel Appiah, two, and Will Martin.
White Ensign won 3–2 at Little Oakley, taking the lead through Kian Bradshaw and Jake Chaplin.
The Oaks restored parity through Jack Sibbons and Harry Mann but Emmanuel Abudior popped up with Ensign’s winner.
Southend Manor went down 3–0 to
Stanway Rovers, where James Crissell, Max Sherlock and Jack Clampin all netted.
A double from Charlie Cole and a third from George Powell helped Saffron Walden beat Takeley 3–1, the hosts’ goal coming from Jack Martin.
A single goal from Billy Coyne gave
Stansted victory in their derby against
Sawbridgeworth Town.
Saturday’s other two games, between Ilford and West Essex and Clapton and
Barking ended goalless.
On Friday night, first half goals from Alejandro Machado and Jeadon Phillips gave Woodford Town a 2–0 home win against Romford. Woodford remain in fourth, a point behind Clacton and one ahead of Stansted.
DAVID BALLHEIMER
SOUTHERN COUNTIES EAST
FOUR GOALS in nine minutes saw
Erith & Belvedere move past the 60 points mark as they beat K Sports 5-1 at Park View Road.
Ryan Palmer’s ninth minute effort put the Deres in front but Richard Jimoh levelled just before half-time. Nathan Palmer made it 2-1 in the 54th minute, with Danny Lear netting twice, either side of a Bradley Ryan strike in the following eight minutes.
Phoenix Sports failed to overhaul
Rusthall into second place as they went down 2-0 to their rivals. Both goals came from the spot, with Louie Clarke and Yassin Fares converting either side of half-time.
Whitstable Town moved up into third spot after an own goal and Dean Grant’s last minute effort gave them a 2-0 win at home to Tunbridge Wells.
Stansfeld are fourth after a 3-0 win at bottom side Canterbury City.
Dan Parkinson’s ninth minute penalty set them on their way, with Ollie Milton and Ryan Fowler netting after the break.
Elsewhere, Harry Brown’s 90th minute penalty saw Hollands & Blair come from a goal down to win 2-1 at Glebe. James Philpot fired Glebe ahead n the 34th minute before Danny Walder’s equaliser
Sutton Athletic beat Kennington
2-1 with Liam Spellward scoring the winner while Luke Adams netted twice in Holmesdale’s 4-2 win at Welling Town, a result that slipped the hosts into the relegation places after Bearsted beat Punjab United 1-0 through Ollie Freeman’s goal.
PAUL CARTER
SOUTHERN COMBINATION CRAWLEY DOWN GATWICK
are the new league leaders after a 2-0 home win against struggling Saltdean United on Saturday, Guy Harding and Mark Zydonik finding the target for the home side.
Newhaven dropped to second in the table after suffering a shock 2-0 defeat away to Bexhill United as Harvey’s Mapstone’s brace proved to be decisive for the eighth placed side.
Broadbridge Heath are up to third in th league after a 2-1 home victory over Hassocks and Steyning Town have fallen to fourth after being held to a 1-1 draw away to Midhurst & Easebourne.
Elsewhere, Afold boosted their survival hopes with a crushing 7-3 home success against bottom side Roffey.
Ben Hughes netted twice for the hosts and Owen Flynn, Andrew Demby and Tyrese Sutherland were also on target as they routed Roffey.
Alfold are now just three points from safety whilst defeat for Roffey means they remain winless from 24 games played.
Leo Vowles struck twice for Crowborough Athletic as they beat Eastbourne Town 2-0 at home and the ten men of
AFC Varndeanians were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Lingfield.
Horsham YMCA ran out 3-1 winners at home to ten man Loxwood as Josh Neathley grabbed a brace and Tom Tolfrey added the other and in the day’s other game, AFC Uckfield Town lost 2-0 away to sixth-placed Eastbourne United.
RORY HAYWARD
WESSEX LEAGUE
Pagham earned a valuable victory in North Dorset on Saturday afternoon in their fight against relegation, the Sussex club recording a hard-fought victory with a 1-0 success over Shaftesbury at Cockrams.
Elsewhere, in another big game at the foot of the Premier Division table, Blackfield & Langley beat a spirited Alresford Town side 2-1 at Gang Warily.
Sam Shearer put the Watersiders ahead after good approach play from Joe Merrett. Nick Yeomans doubled the hosts’ lead on 17 minutes and although Alresford scored a late consolation goal, Blackfield & Langley held on for a vital win.
AFC Portchester maintained their title assault with a 2-0 home win against
Christchurch. Brett Pitman put the Royals ahead with his 36th goal of the season and the lead was doubled thanks to Scott Jones with his 10th of the campaign.
Bemerton Heath Harlequins won 5-3 away at US Portsmouth, former Winchester City and Sholing midfielder Stuart Green putting the visitors ahead, only for the hosts to equalise ten minutes later.
Greg Peel then restored Harlequins’ lead, only for US Portsmouth to equalise almost immediately. After half-time, Green scored his second to restore the visitors’ lead and Ronan Clancy was also amongst the goals for the visiting side at the Victory Stadium.
And Fareham Town edged a dramatic 4-3 win at home to Horndean, Curtis Robbins and Jack Breed firing the Creeksiders to victory at Cams Alders.