STEP 5 & 6 ACTION
UNITED COUNTIES LONG EATON UNITED
moved a step closer to claiming the Premier North championship with a 2-0 victory at Leicester Nirvana after Alex Marshall opened the scoring with his 25th goal of the season and Mitchell Robinson added a second before half time.
Keeping up the pressure, Gresley Rovers triumphed 4-0 at Sleaford Town thanks to a hat-trick by winger Kane Lee and a goal from sub Louis Briscoe to make it seven straight away wins in the league and three consecutive clean sheets.
A seven-goal second-half goal blitz saw Loughborough Students trounce hosts Newark 8-0. Top Fadahunsi hit a first-half opener with Finn Brennan adding a double after the break and Cam Moore, Sid Kerr, Max Smallcombe, Matt Bowman and Anthony Lynn adding one apiece.
Anstey Nomads tore visitors
Deeping Rangers apart 6-0 thanks to a Kieran Wells hat-trick and goals from Zayn Hakeem, Corey Armeni and Mason Lee.
Heather St Johns forced winless basement visitors Holbeach United further towards the trap door with a 3-0 win, James Spruce hitting a double and Sam Ellis the other goal.
Paul Anderson and Sam Wilson found the net for hosts Melton Town in their 2-1 win over Quorn while Selston went down 2-0 at Skegness Town, Elliot Broughton and Luke Rayner-Mistry the scorers.
Struggling Pinchbeck United lost further ground in their battle to beat the drop when they lost 2-1 at home to Heanor Town while Eastwood CFC forced a 2-2 draw at Boston Town.
The shock of the day in Premier South came with bottom club
Northampton ON Chenecks beating second-placed visitors Hinckley LRFC 3-1, Gokham Ulcer with a brace and Emmanuel Annan with the other goal.
Leaders Harborough Town were held to a goalless draw at Long Buckby while Biggleswade United drew 2-2 with visitors Desborough Town.
Rugby Town beat visitors Godmanchester Rovers 3-0 while Wellingborough Town returned from Cogenhoe United with a 3-2 win thanks to two second-half goals, including a penalty conversion by Tom Iaciofano.
Elsewhere, Coventry Sphinx beat Newport Pagnell Town 2-1, Lutterworth Town won 2-0 at Potton United and GNG Oadby Town beat Rothwell Corinthians 1-0 away.
ROBIN JONES
COMBINED COUNTIES Jersey
TITLE-CHASING Bulls
found themselves on the wrong end of the biggest upset of the day in Premier South when they lost 3-2 to second-from-bottom Banstead Athletic.
Banstead led at half-time through a Scott Walker goal and after Kieran Lester levelled, Walker struck again with a penalty conversion. Jonny le Quesne levelled only for Connor Cullen to match the winner. Banstead boss Carl Taylor was sent off in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
It was the second loss in succession for the Bulls, having been beaten 2-0 by top-of-the-table Walton & Hersham
on Tuesday. The Swans’ victory came courtesy of a goal from Eddie Simon and a penalty by Harry Mills.
Fellow title challengers Beckenham Town opened the floodgates with a 6-0 away hammering of Frimley Green and can overtake the leaders in they win their games in hand. Louie Theophanous and Tunde Aduronmu both bagged braces with Callum Henry, Steve Townsend and Rod Carter, from the spot, adding the rest.
Raynes Park Vale recorded their ninth win in 11 games and their fourth clean sheet in a row when they beat visitors Fleet Town 3-0, courtesy of a double from Jordan Gallagher and one goal by Brad Sweeney.
Horley Town won 3-1 at Redhill with Matt Rapson, Adam Grant and Andy Hall netting as the visitors came from behind.
AFC Croydon Athletic lost 2-1 at home to Badshot Lea who scored through a Kane Fitzgerald spot-kick with Mac Ford hitting the winner.
Colliers Wood United saw off visitors Balham 1-0, Camberley Town beat Farnham Town 1-0 at home and Knaphill won 2-1 at Guildford City.
Unbeaten Premier North champions elect Hanworth Villa continued their superb winning run with a 1-0 triumph at Virginia Water, courtesy of a 30-yarder from Sam Merson.
Abbey Rangers lost 3-0 at home to
Southall who found the back of the net through Lewis Putman, Lewis Stead and Anthony O’Connor.
Reading City came back from two goals down at home to Edgware Town to win 3-2 after Tyler Crus, Josh Baines and Dan Davies netted.
Elsewhere, hosts Burnham beat Wembley 2-1, Windsor won 3-0 at Holyport and Egham Town beat
Spelthorne Sports 1-0 at home.
ROBIN JONES
WESSEX LEAGUE
HAMWORTHY UNITED strengthened their grip on the Premier Division summit with Saturday’s vital 2-1 home win over fourth-placed Horndean.
The game was goalless at the break but Lee Francis put the Hammers ahead early in the second-half. Cameron Munn doubled the advantage for Tim Sills’ side and although the Deans scored a late consolation goal, the Hammers held on for all three points.
Shaftesbury maintained the pressure on the leaders as they ran out 4-0 winners away at US Portsmouth. The visitors missed a penalty but still took control with two goals in each half to wrap up the win at the Victory Stadium.
Brockenhurst won a hard-fought encounter 2-1 at home to Fareham Town. Mitchell Speechley-Price put the Badgers ahead on the half-hour mark before Fareham netted a 77th minute free-kick equaliser but that wasn’t enough to earn the Creeksiders a point as Ben Dukes fired home a great goal in the 88th minute to give Pat McManus’ side the win.
Baffins Milton Rovers bagged a 3-0 away win at Blackfield and Langley, the visitors scoring twice in the firsthalf before James Cowan scored an incredible third for the visitors by lobbing the keeper from fully 35-yards.
Elsewhere, Hythe and Dibden picked up a vital 2-1 win at the foot of the Premier table at Alresford Town.
In Division One, Verwood Town beat Totton and Eling 4-0 while Andover New Street edged a hard-fought game with a 1-0 home win against New Milton Town, Ross Cook heading home.
MATT RICHBELL
SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS
THE TITLE RACE is going to the wire with New Salamis just three points clear of Risborough Rangers, having played two games more.
New Salamis recorded their 25th win of the campaign, 3-1 at home to Dunstable Town. Arti Krasniqi opened the scoring for the hosts in the 10th minute before Elijah Ogunseye doubled their lead. Remell Stirling pulled one back but top scorer Derek Asamoah completed the scoring in the 66th minute.
Risborough Rangers remain hot on their heels after they drew 1-1 at home to fourth-placed placed Leighton Town. Abuzar Khan’s header gave Leighton a 54th minute lead but Ash Yearwood earned the hosts a share of the spoils after he headed home midway through the second half.
Hadley make up the top three after they drew 2-2 at Ardley United. In a game of four penalties, two of them missed, Ed Davis was among the scorers for Hadley. At the foot of the table, the bottom three all won as the form book was turned on its head.
Crawley Green remain bottom despite winning 4-2 at London Colney with Mathieu Racine scoring twice.
Holmer Green are still in the bottom two despite winning 4-1 at Oxhey Jets and Baldock Town also won, in their case 3-1 at Broadfields United with Ashley Hay, Josh Furness and Finlay Aldridge notching their goals.
Elsewhere, Harpenden Town beat
Tring Athletic 2-0 and sub Aiden Higgs netted in a 1-0 win for Flackwell Heath at Leverstock Green.
CHRIS MITCHELL
NORTHERN LEAGUE
NORTH SHIELDS’ title bid suffered a setback when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to an in-form Whickham, Gary Ormston rescuing a point for the Robins with a late equaliser.
Leaders Consett won 2-1 at lowly
Bishop Auckland, Colin Larkin’s 86th minute header winning it for the Steelmen after Adam Burnicle had given Bishops a 47th minute lead.
The bottom-two clash between Penrith and Billingham Town saw the Cumbrians edge a seven-goal thriller. Billingham fought back from three down only for Connor Shields to win it in stoppage time for hosts Penrith.
Ashington were hammered 6-1 at home to Guisborough Town with Cole Kiernan netting a hat-trick and Ashington’s Paul Robinson seeing red early in the second half.
Crook Town lost their mid-table battle against Newcastle Benfield by a single goal while Ryhope CW’s hopes of a top-three finish were boosted by a 2-0 win at Redcar Athletic. Ahead after a first half penalty, Robbie Bird confirmed victory 11 minutes from time.
The biggest crowd of the day, 484, saw Whitley Bay beaten 2-1 at Hillheads by West Auckland, a goal in each half from Corey Nicholson and Liam Potter enough to secure victory.
Alex Bruton scored twice in Northallerton Town’s 2-1 win at Seaham Red Star, whose goal came from the spot.
Elsewhwere, third top Thornaby drew 2-2 with West Allotment while Sunderland RCA beat Newton Aycliffe 2-1.
JEFF BOWRON SOUTHERN COMBINATION
SALTDEAN UNITED remain a point clear at the top of the table after a crushing 6-0 away win against
Alfold on Saturday, Harry Shooman and Jack Langford both netting twice for the league leaders.
Second-placed Littlehampton Town ran out comfortable 4-0 winners way to Little Common with George Gaskin grabbing a brace and Tom Biggs and Lee Garnham also on the score sheet.
Newhaven are still in third place, just two points behind Saltdean, after a 3-1 away victory over Broadbridge Heath, with Henry Watson scoring twice and Robbie Keith adding the other.
Elsewhere, bottom side East Preston suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat at home to Eastbourne United Association with Tigana Quebe and Max Thompson both netting twice for the visitors.
AFC Varndeanians boosted their survival hopes as Tommy Boyle and Ali Rainford both netted in a 2-1 home success over Loxwood and Josh Short’s goal was enough to hand
Hassocks a 1-0 away win against
Pagham.
Charlie Pitcher, Oli Leslie and
Phil Johnson were Crawley Down Gatwick’s scorers as they beat Eastbourne Town 3-1 away and Lingfield lost 2-0 at home to Steyning Town.
In the day’s other games, John Evans and Jordan Pryor were Peacehaven & Telscombe’s goal scorers in a 2-1 home win against Horsham YMCA while fourth-placed Bexhill United were held to a goalless draw away at
AFC Uckfield Town.
RORY HAYWARD
emerge as 2-1 winners, Jamie Ture and Dan Walker doing the damage.
It was a late show at Eccleshill who came from behind to beat Staveley Miners with goals in the 85th and 89th minutes from Jordan Emery and Luke Aldrich.
Ten-man Handsworth won 3-0 at Knaresborough with goals from Ant Mackie, Mitch Dunne and Jimmy Eyles.
A stunning strike from
Josh Baker set Barton Town
on their way to a 2-1 victory against Thackley while Nash Connolly scored the first of Hemsworth’s goals in their 2-0 defeat of Albion Sports.
Elsewhere, Joe Austin own goal gave Silsden a point at Maltby Main who had led through Connor Cutt’s 13th minute strike while Tom Claisse and George Doyle both netted as Emley picked up the points in a 2-0 win at Goole.