Trawler Boys Stay Ahead–But Only on Goal Difference

Another setback for Lowestoft as Swifts restart their play-off drive, Felixstowe go level at the top with victory, Bury win a seven-goal thriller, Brentwood ascend to fourth place, and Wroxham (pictured) defeat the Jammers

Bury Town, in third position, welcomed the Ipswich Wanderers, who had recently defeated leaders Lowestoft Town.

Town have been in fantastic form, with six victories in a row and nine wins in ten, and they took the lead in this one after twelve minutes, with Ollie Canfer’s sixth goal in thirteen matches opening the scoring–and it was fast two-nil, with Max Maughn adding a second goal in four minutes.

It was three-nil and appeared like the game was finished nine minutes before halftime when Ethan Mayhew headed home, but Wanderers responded with a goal from Jamie Eaton-Collins, giving them twenty-seven minutes to salvage the situation.

On 78 minutes, the visitors got another, Adam Dunnage pulling it back to 3-2, and the home crowd were surprised when the visitors equalized, with Eaton-Collins making an Eaton-Mess of the Town defence to make it three-three with three minutes remaining.

Could anyone find a winner? They could, and it was the hosts. Mayhew managed to make it four-three midway through extra time, and they held on to take three points. The seven hundred and sixty-nine people watching will have chewed their fingernails down to their elbows!

Felixstowe & Walton United, who finished second, traveled to Enfield, or rather Bishop’s Stortford, as it is the E’s home base. After a goalless first half, the Seasiders struck almost immediately, with Andre Hassanally–back with the club after half a season at Maldon–making an excellent debut–but the visitors’ lead lasted only two minutes, as Jack Leech promptly responded for the hosts.

The visitors went ahead again on 56 minutes, with Josh Mayhew finding the back of the net, and they held on to join Lowestoft at the top with 62 points.

Heybridge Swifts welcomed leaders Lowestoft Town, the Trawler Boys hoping to quickly put their defeat against Ipswich Wanderers behind them.

However, things did not go their way in the first half, and they fell behind seven minutes before halftime, with Jack Adlington-Pile scoring his eighth Swifts goal of the season, possibly by accident, after the visiting keeper misjudged his cross.

Three minutes into added time, the Trawler Boys were holed below the waterline again, with Adlington-Pile adding another, beautifully finding the bottom corner. Could they recover? A red card for the hosts Ben Sartain with fifteen minutes remaining gave them optimism, and they ultimately got on the scoreboard five minutes into extra time, with Travis Cole scoring.

It was Three minutes into added time, the Trawler Boys were holed below the waterline again, with Adlington-Pile adding another, beautifully finding the bottom corner.

Could they recover? A red card for the hosts Ben Sartain with fifteen minutes remaining gave them optimism, and they ultimately got on the scoreboard five minutes into extra time, with Travis Cole scoring. It was too little, too late: the Swifts had risen to sixth place, while Town was now only in first place due to goal differential.

New Salamis hosted fifth-place Brentwood Town, who had won six of their previous seven games but had been without a game for two weeks.

The Blues appeared to benefit from the break, as they went up in three minutes, with Andy Freeman scoring the first North goal of the afternoon.

The visitors extended their lead midway through the first half with to George Sykes’ fourth Blues goal of the season, and they were out of sight when Sykes did it again, making it three-nil with 25 minutes remaining. That was it; the Blues had moved up to fourth.

Wroxham, who had two wins in three games, welcomed Maldon and Tiptree, the Jammers’ promotion hopes having been dashed by two defeats in a row.

The With twenty-three minutes remaining, the Yachtsmen took the lead, with Joao Rangel scoring the lone goal of the game; even the entrance of Jamie Cureton five minutes before the finish couldn’t earn the Jammers a score.