Non-league round-up: Thetford Town hit eight, Hadleigh United make it seven on the bounce and Lowestoft Town and Felixstowe & Walton United leading the way at Step 4
In the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division, all five Suffolk sides avoided defeat with the two winners now back occupying the top two places.
Leaders Lowestoft Town kept their unbeaten start to the campaign going with a 3-1 home win over Grays Athletic, coming from 1-0 down with second-half goals from Adam Hipperson, Charlie Norman and Rhys Logan.
Felixstowe & Walton United reclaimed second spot, eight points adrift with a game in hand, with a pleasing 4-0 home win against eighth-placed Hashtag United.
Zak Brown put the Seasiders ahead in the first half before the returning George Clarke, Charlie Warren and Joshua Hitter got their names on the scoresheet.
Stowmarket Town - who announced the addition of a new striker last night – dropped out of the play-off places to sixth following an added time strike from Reece Stringer seeing visiting Great Wakering Rovers claim a point in a 2-2 draw.
It came after Paul Musgrove's side thought they had found the winner with Kane Munday's 90th minute goal making it 2-1, after Alex Hernandez's 70th minute penalty had levelled Reggie Lambe's early opener.
A late goal also went against Bury Town (9th) as they also drew 2-2 in their home game with Hullbridge Sports.
The Blues had trailed to an early Darius Guinea free kick but a pair of quickfire goals from Cemal Ramadan at the end of the first half put them in control.
However, a lapse in concentration at the back saw them concede a messy 88th minute goal that went in off Emmanuel Folarin via the post.
Read our match report of the game here.
The same 2-2 scoreline also befell AFC Sudbury in their game at lowly Basildon United, though it came after they equalised in the 81st minute through Nnamdi Nwachuku, in what was the striker's sixth goal in his last four outings.
Josh Stokes' strike had put the Yellows into a first-half lead before two goals in five minutes early in the second half saw them trail.
The point leaves them seventh in the table and two points outside the play-offs with games in hand, ahead of hosting Felixstowe & Walton United tomorrow (see full mid-week fixtures below).
Up a level at Step 3, Needham Market, who will play at League One Burton Albion in the Emirates FA Cup first round proper on Saturday, November 5 (3pm), returned to Pitching In Southern Premier League Central action with a 4-2 defeat at Stratford Town.
Their first league game in almost a month saw a three-match winning run halted with the hosts adding to their two first-half goals to make it 3-0 early in the second half.
Ross Crane pulled one back for the Marketmen but Stratford restored their three-goal cushion ahead of a late one goal consolation quickly following in the 84th minute.
It leaves Kevin Horlock's side 12th in the table ahead of tomorrow's trip to Nuneaton Borough.
Leiston lie third after stretching their unbeaten run to six matches following a 1-1 draw at home to Stourbridge.
Down at Step 5, Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division leaders Thetford Town bounced back from the previous weekend's 5-0 defeat at Mildenhall Town in style with an 8-0 home thrashing of second bottom Whitton United.
Dan Gilchrist got the scoring under way at Mundford Road with Cameron King and George Diggens goals making it 3-0 at the interval.
Former Norwich City professional King completed his hat-trick as the goals flowed in the second half with Gilchrist and Diggens adding another each while there was a first for the club's 17-year-old Santiago Davies, having come off the bench.
Gilchrist, who began last season at AFC Sudbury before moving to Thetford via Bury Town, now has 15 goals in 16 appearances to lead the divisional charts. Diggens, who joined in the summer from Sheringham, has 14 from 17 behind him and King eight from 11.
Harleston Town had been level with Thetford on goal difference but a 1-0 defeat at Lakenheath saw them lose ground and drop to third.
A second-half goal from Tom Thulborn proved the difference at The Nest to end Danny Crow's side's seven-game unbeaten run and leave Heath fifth in the table.
It was a game which saw former Hadleigh defender Ryan Taylor make his Lakenheath debut.
Hadleigh United took advantage to move up into second and two points behind Thetford with a seventh straight win for Steve Holder's men in a 2-1 home success against Soham Town Rangers.
Bury Town youngster Angus Mills proved to be the match winner with a last minute first time strike on a Jake Eady cross coming after Jon Kaye had got the Greens level in the 76th minute following Owen Betts' 28th minute opener.
A fourth defeat in their last five leaves Soham 12th in the table.
Woodbridge Town are fourth after losing 2-1 away at lowly Fakenham Town while Mildenhall Town complete the top six as Phil Weaver's side posted a third straight win, 3-1 at Brantham Athletic (14th).
The hosting Imps had taken the lead through Asa Milliard but Mildenhall levelled before half-time via George Bugg.
Brantham saw a 59th minute penalty come back off the post a few minutes before Bugg tucked one away up the other end before a rifled Daryl Coakley shot 20 minutes from time wrapped up the three points.
Down at the other end of the table injury-hit Haverhill Rovers were thrashed 6-0 at home to Walsham-le-Willows in a match their interim manager Peter Betts had said they could not afford to lose.
There were three goals in each half with Ryan Twinn, Kyran Cooper and Henry Harvey strikes followed by Karl Saffrey, Ryan Clark and Olly McKenzie Vince.
It was a first win in seven for the Willows who are under the interim management of Chay Budd and Ian Hubbard.
Elsewhere in the division the honours were shared with draws between Ipswich Wanderers (8th) and Kirkley & Pakefield (18th), which finished goalless at Humber Doucy Lane, and Long Melford and Mulbarton Wanderers.
The latter ended 1-1 at Stoneylands with Will Wingfield's stunning first-half strike levelled by Harry Jack Gagen early in the second half.
It stretched David Hennessey's side's unbeaten run to five matches though, leaving Melford a place behind seventh in the table.
Newmarket Town were in Isuzu FA Vase action but saw their recent poor run of form ultimately continue as they exited the competition at the first round proper stage following a 4-3 home defeat to Romford.
A thrilling game at The Tristel Stadium saw Joe Asensi covert a penalty on the stroke of half-time to draw the Jockeys level.
Romford then scored the next two, including a re-taken penalty following Alex Archer's save having been ruled out for being off his line, heading into the final 12 minutes.
But late goals from Lewis Whitehead (81') and youngster Jacob Mingay (86') looked to be sending the tie to penalties before a last-gasp winner for the visitors in the dying seconds of stoppage-time came from close-range from defender George Allen.
Ely City saw their FA Vase tie at Bunrham Ramblers go all the way to penalties after neither side could find a goal, with the Robins going on to lose 4-2.
Across in the Essex Senior League Premier Division, a depleted Halstead Town side failed to make the most of their possession and chances as they lost 2-0 at Athletic Newham.
Their sixth defeat in their last seven games leaves Mark McLean's side third from bottom.
Thurlow Nunn League First Division North side Diss Town exited the Isuzu FA Vase after a penalty shootout in their first round proper tie at divisional rivals Whittlesey Athletic, following a 2-2 draw.
The Tangerines had clawed their way back from 2-0 down at the interval before ending the game with 10 men via a second yellow card for their number 9.
But it was not to be in the penalty shootout for Mark Sutcliffe and Matt Coote's side as they lost 4-3.
In the league action, a last-minute strike saw Framlingham Town win their second-versus-third clash at a depleted Cornard United 2-1.
Josh Lucraft and Oliver Smith got the goals for the Castlemen as they bounced back from a defeat at Diss Town, leaving them five points behind Heacham with four games in hand. George Day netted for Cornard.
The leaders were 5-2 winners at home to Leiston Reserves while AFC Sudbury Reserves also lost, 3-1 at home to top six side Holbeach United and bottom side Needham Market Under-23s, 2-1 at home to Great Yarmouth Town.
Debenham LC fell to a sixth straight defeat with a 3-1 defeat at mid-table Harwich & Parkeston leaving them third from bottom.
Callum Stone was on target for Haverhill Borough at Swaffham Town but it came in a 2-1 defeat to see them on the end of back-to-back defeats leaving Darryl Tate's side 12th.
Midweek fixtures (kick offs 7.45pm unless otherwise stated)
Tuesday, October 25
Pitching In Southern League Premier Central
Leiston v AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Nuneaton Borough v Needham Market
Pitching In Isthmian League North Division
AFC Sudbury v Felixstowe & Walton United
Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division
Sheringham v Thetford Town
Thurlow Nunn League First Division North
Framlingham Town v Leiston Reserves
Haverhill Borough v Cornard United
