Non-league football round-up: Suffolk quartet make winning start to new Isthmian League North Division season
Stowmarket Town, AFC Sudbury, Lowestoft Town and Bury Town all made winning starts to the new Pitching In Isthmian League North Division season on Saturday.
Stowmarket – beaten play-off semi-finalists last term – welcomed Hullbridge Sports to Greens Meadow and it proved to be a competitive debut to remember for Ed Upson.
Having made more than 400 appearances in the Football League for the likes of Yeovil Town, Millwall and Bristol Rovers, Upson was the headline name in a batch of impressive summer incomings at Stowmarket – and he lived up to that billing by scoring a hat-trick from midfield in a 4-1 victory.
After a goal-less first half the hosting Old Gold & Blacks eventually broke the deadlock via Upson in the 53rd minute. The 32-year-old doubled Stowmarket's lead 10 minutes later and then added a third goal from the penalty spot with 68 minutes on the clock.
Tevan Allen opened his account for the campaign seven minutes from the end, while in stoppage time visiting Hullbridge grabbed themselves a consolation courtesy of Ross Elsom.
Also kicking off with four goals on the opening day was Sudbury as they ran out 4-2 winners on the road at East Thurrock United.
The Rocks, who were relegated from the Isthmian League Premier Division last season, lost defender Jack McQueen to a red card early on in proceedings but they still took the lead in the 26th minute through Darnell Kithambo. However, Rick Andrews' visitors responded positively, firstly thanks to Joshua Pollard's 38th-minute equaliser at the back post.
A quickfire brace from young forward Josh Stokes (53rd and 58th minute) then put the Yellows in command of proceedings before substitute Lionel Ainsworth stretched the lead further in the 72nd minute.
Amaree Robinson-Jones pulled a goal back for East Thurrock in the 90th minute but by that point the damage had been done by Sudbury.
Like East Thurrock, Lowestoft have also come down from Step 3 but they made a bright start to life at a lower level by running out 3-0 victors at Great Wakering Rovers.
All of the Trawlerboys' goals came in the last 10 minutes at Burroughs Park, where striker Jake Reed made the breakthrough. Experienced midfielder Chris Henderson made it 2-0 in the 84th minute, with Travis Cole going on to make sure of the outcome two minutes from time.
Meanwhile, the goals were not as free-flowing for Bury yet they still picked up all three points with a 1-0 home victory over Hashtag United.
Boss Ben Chenery named an unchanged starting line-up from the side that dumped Lakenheath out of the Emirates FA Cup seven days earlier for the encounter at the Atalian Servest Ram Meadow Stadium, which was watched by a crowd two shy of 600 supporters.
And it was Cemal Ramadan, who bagged a brace in the cup win, that scored the only goal of the game for the Blues in the 68th minute, while earlier in the contest the away side had seen Perry Kiangebeni handed his marching orders.
There was to be no day one clean sweep for Suffolk though after Felixstowe & Walton United were pegged back late on in their 1-1 draw at Brentwood Town.
It appeared that Joshua Hitter's 76th-minute goal was going to be enough to earn the travelling Seasiders all three points but in the fourth minute of stoppage time Callum Leahy rescued a share of the spoils for the home team.
Up in the Pitching In Southern League Central Premier Division it was Leiston who were celebrating a late leveller in their 2-2 draw at Ilkeston Town.
Twice the Blues found themselves behind in Derbyshire but they salvaged a point thanks to Finlay Barnes and George Quantrell – the latter scoring with virtually the last kick of the game.
However, it was not such positive news for Needham Market as they suffered a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Bromsgrove Sporting.
It looked like the two sides had cancelled each other out at Bloomfields but in the seventh minute of stoppage time Daniel Sweeney was adjudged to have been fouled inside the area and the striker dusted himself down before converting from the penalty spot to secure the victory for Bromsgrove.
Goals were the theme across the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, with a total of 42 being scored across the 10 fixtures and just one side failing to find the back of the net.
Six of those goals came at The Riverside Stadium where summer signing George Bugg racked up a hat-trick in Mildenhall Town's 4-2 win at the expense of Haverhill Rovers.
Liam Aves' Rovers twice took the lead through Rhys Hudson and Kade Ivatt, but on both occasions those goals were cancelled out by Bugg. The former Stowmarket striker then went on to put Mildenhall in front for the first time in the 75th minute before fellow attacker Tanner Call made sure of the outcome a couple of minutes from time.
Meanwhile, early leaders Woodbridge Town and Brantham Athletic went one better by playing out a seven-goal encounter which was edged 4-3 by the hosting Woodpeckers.
Tom Watkins' third goal in three outings and one from Asa Milliard twice put Brantham in front but they were pegged back by Mark Ray (penalty) and Callum Harvey.
Ray's second goal of the game then put Woodbridge in front before it was the visitors' turn to show good powers of recovery when defender Ellis Girling equalised to make it 3-3.
Both teams had chances to snatch a winning goal in the dying embers and it was Woodbridge that eventually delivered via Andrew Crowe's headed effort.
It is two wins from two league outings for Soham Town Rangers after they overcome Fakenham Town 4-1 at Julius Martin Lane.
The Greens shared the goals around with Luke Brown, Joe Carden, Ollie Ward and Jordan Gent all finding the back of the net, while Fakenham's Jake Ward had earlier cut Soham's advantage to 2-1.
Down the A142 neighbouring Ely City were also enjoying a home victory as they saw off Whitton United 3-1.
Lawrence Hammond continued his positive start to life with the Robins with another goal, taking his tally for the campaign to four. Jack Chandler and Ash Walter also netted for Ely, who have picked up six points from the first nine on offer after a hectic summer of comings and goings.
Also coming out of the traps in impressive fashion are Harleston Town – Danny Crow's side having now made it three wins from as many matches in their first ever season as a Step 5 club.
On this occasion they recorded a 3-2 victory at Long Melford with Ryan Crisp's double being accompanied by a goal from Nathan Stone.
The result sees Harleston sit second in the table, level on points with pace-setters Woodbridge – and with a game in hand.
As for Melford, summer addition Jack Brame netted his first goal for the club from the penalty spot along with an effort from Jacob Brown.
Elsewhere it was a positive weekend for Hadleigh United and Lakenheath as they chalked up their first wins of the season – both with 2-1 scorelines.
Goals from Jake Eady and Liam Wales got the job done for Steve Holder's Hadleigh and in doing so inflicted a first league defeat of the campaign on Thetford, who had levelled proceedings up at one point through Elliot Smith.
Lakenheath, meanwhile, came out on top in their home encounter with Kirkley & Pakefield. Shaun Avis and Dan Olive were on target for Lakenheath, who had manager Ben Cowling back on the touchline after he returned from holiday.
Under the lights on Friday evening Walsham-le-Willows sit bottom and are still searching for their first win of 2022/23 after two goals from Jamie Smith was not enough to prevent them from slumping to a 3-2 defeat at home against Norwich United, while on the same night Jack Madley's goal earned Ipswich Wanderers a 1-1 draw with visiting Mulbarton Wanderers.
The only Premier Division team not to trouble the opposition's net was Newmarket Town, who suffered a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Sheringham.
Both of the newly-promoted visitors' goals – scored by George Diggens – came late on at the Tristel Stadium, leaving the Jockeys with one point from their first two league games.
In the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North, Debenham LC went goal crazy in their 6-1 home win over Holbeach United.
Much of the damage was done by Reece Golding as he helped himself to four goals while Elliot Ballard and Danny Thrower also added their names to the scoresheet.
Also celebrating a victory was Haverhill Borough, who successfully fielded a side after they were recently forced to call off a fixture due to a lack of players following a turbulent pre-season.
Darryl Tate's charges triumphed 3-2 at FC Parson Drove where Oliver Santry (2) and Billy Bush scored the goals.
It was also a three-point Saturday for Diss Town as they got their campaign started with a 2-1 home win over Whittlesey Athletic.
The hosting Tangerines went into the break 1-0 down but second-half goals from Tom Blair and Kyle Baker ensured they recovered to collect all three points.
Leiston Reserves also celebrated victory by overcoming Huntingdon Town 4-3, but Needham Market Under-23s were on the receiving end of a 7-0 drubbing a Norwich CBS.
The Norfolk side currently lead the way with six points – the same tally as second-placed Framlingham Town after they ran out 4-0 winners from their trip to the Essex coast to take on Holland FC.
Max Willett helped himself to a brace, with further gloss being added to the scoreline by George Exworth and Charlie Smith.
Meanwhile, over the border in Essex, Halstead Town hosted their first Step 5 fixture since the 2006/07 season and started in positive fashion with a 1-0 win over Athletic Newman. Joe Thomas' second-half penalty was enough to earn the Humbugs the spoils in the Essex Senior League Premier Division encounter.
Midweek fixtures (kick offs 7.45pm unless otherwise stated)
Tuesday, August 16
Pitching In Southern League Central Premier Division
Needham Market v St Ives Town
Royston Town v Leiston
Pitching In Isthmian League North Division
AFC Sudbury v Witham Town (follow @russclaydon on Twitter for updates)
Lowestoft Town v Stowmarket Town
Wroxham v Bury Town (follow @liamapicella on Twitter for updates)
Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division
Mulbarton Wanderers v Harleston Town
Essex Senior League Premier Division
Little Oakley v Halstead Town
Thurlow Nunn League First Division North
Framlingham Town v Diss Town
Leiston Reserves v Needham Market Under-23s
