THE PITCHING IN ISTHMIAN NORTH DIVISION - THE SEASON SO FAR

Lowestoft Town currently lead the way in The Pitching In Isthmian North Division with five wins, one draw and one defeat in seven league games played.

The Trawlerboys were relegated from Step Three at the end of the 21/22 season and finished in third place last season losing out to Heybridge Swifts in the play-off semi-finals whom they had drawn 1-1 and 4-4 in the regular season. Club legend Jamie Godbold has been Manager since the summer of 2018 having previously been in charge of Kirkley & Pakefield, AFC Sudbury and Wroxham. He made over 500 appearances for the Suffolk club as a player. 

I think it's great to see a club sticking by their boss especially in the relegation season of 21/22 when they finished rock bottom of the Southern League Premier Division Central - Many non-league teams would of probably parted company with their manager in those circumstances but it's definitely proved a positive as they went close to promotion last season and look to set to be involved once again for the 23/24 campaign. 

Their only league defeat so far came somewhat surprisingly at home to Ipswich Wanderers on Tuesday 10th October when they lost 1-2. The Wanderers had lost all five of their league games prior to this game but thanks to goals from Andy Fennell and Paulo Coelho they recorded their first win of the season. 

After four seasons at Step Six The Wanderers were promoted twice in two seasons to join the Isthmian North for 23/24 - The Management duo of Mark Goldfinch and James Buckle who had been in charge for six years departed Humber Doucy Lane in September to be replaced by former Leiston and Braintree Town boss Glen Driver. 

Driver has made a number of new signings for the club with Matt 'Steak Bake' Blake returned to the club were he scored 35 goals during the 21/22 Thurlow Nunn First Division South title winning season .He was part of Driver's successful Leiston side winning the Isthmian Premier Division Golden Boot in the 16/17 season and has also played for Norwich United, Stowmarket Town, Thetford Town and Diss Town.

Former Bury Town, Braintree Town, Potters Bar Town and St Neots Town midfielder Charley Baker has also joined the club having started the season at Southern League Premier Division Central side Kettering Town. 

 

Striker Andy Fennell who scored his first goal for the club in the Lowestoft Town victory has also recently joined after starting the season with Essex Senior League side Stanway Rovers - He counts Felixstowe & Walton United and Heybridge Swifts as former clubs.

It's no surprise to see Jake Reed top of the scoring charts for Lowestoft Town with 11 league and cup goals so far having netted 25 last season. Reed started his career with Great Yarmouth Town before a move to Dagenham & Redbridge in 2011 when they were a football league side. He made 31 League Two appearances for The Daggers and then moved for his first spell with Town in 2013. Aside from a short spell with AFC Sudbury in 2014 and with Leiston in 18/19 he has been with them since. 

Harvey Sayer has also been a stand out player for The Trawlerboys. He was born locally in Gorleston and joined the club in the summer from League Two side Colchester United. He came played youth football for Norwich City, Bungay Town and The U's where he spent time on loan with Maldon & Tiptree, Billericay Town, Needham Market and Stowmarket Town. The left winger. aged 20, has chipped in with 8 league and cup goals so far. He made four football league appearances during the 20/21 season for Colchester United. 

After their defeat to Ipswich Wanderers last midweek Lowestoft Town got back to winning ways on Saturday in emphatic fashion with a 0-5 victory at Enfield FC - Their goals came from Reed and Sayer along with Dan White, Dave Hinton and Kyle Haylock. 

Attacking Midfielder Haylock joined the club in the summer of 2022 after a stand out season for Kirkley & Pakefield in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division where he scored 18 goals in 42 league and cup games. 

Last season he hot 12 goals in 40 league and cup games in his first season playing at Step Four. 

Off the pitch it's been a very difficult and traumatic season for Enfield FC - They were promoted to the Isthmian North Division after winning the Essex Senior League last season and were thought by many fans to be very strong contenders for the play-offs and maybe more. 

Sadly their much loved Director Simon Needham passed away at the end of August. He had sponsored the club via his company Croucher Needham which can no longer be provided due to the tragic circumstances. 

Manager Jamie Cureton, whom had been in charge since September 2020 left the club along with the bulk of the playing squad with former player Alex Salmon coming in in as new Manager joining from Thurlow Nunn First Division South side Benfleet. 

Salmon brought in new players and started with a 0-3 defeat at Redbridge who had finished as runner's up in the Essex Senior League last season and were promoted via the play-offs. 

Since then they have won in the Velocity Cup against Bowers & Pitsea and recorded an impressive 3-2 win at home to Wroxham in the league. They then lost by the same score-line at Maldon & Tiptree and drew 1-1 at Witham Town before entertaining Lowestoft Town yesterday. 

Former Brightlingsea Regent, Little Oakley and Redbridge Midfielder Rigers Kabashi has scored goals against Witham Town and Maldon & Tiptree. He started the season with Thurlow Nunn First Division South side Cannons Wood where he made 7 league appearances. 

Billy Purdy, Jay Nash and Frankie Franz were on target in the 3-2 win against Wroxham. 

Purdy who had previously played for Basildon United and Sawbridgeworth - He followed Salmon from Benfleet where he made 

Jay Nash is a well travelled striker having started the season with Essex Senior League side Great Wakering Rovers. He has also played for Grays Athletic, Romford and Catholic United. 

Frankie Franz is currently on loan from Vanarama National League side Dagenham & Redbridge. 

Maldon & Tiptree parted company with Manager Peter Taylor after just a few weeks of the season - He had been in charge since December 2022. 

Liam Bailey is now in charge having been on the coaching staff at the club for a number of years and he had a familiar face in the dug out in their recent win against Enfield FC with Jamie Cureton recently joining his coaching team. 

Defender Alfie Mason has recently joined The Jammers - He was Enfield FC's player's player of the 22/23 season and was with the club during the 20/21 season. He has joined along with 18 year old Matthew Yates who moves on loan from League Two side Colchester United. Both made their debut with Yates in the starting XI and Mason coming on as substitute in this weekend's 4-3 defeat at Redbridge who have made a good start to the their first season back in Step Four since the 15/16 campaign. Jack Chawner got the winning goal in the 4-3 game in the 90th minute. 

Their Manager George Christou will be very pleased with their start to the season following their promotion via the play-offs in 22/23. The Motormen last played at Step Four in the 15/16 season and have lost just one in their seven league games played so far. The loss came away at Bowers & Pitsea where they lost 3-0. 

I'm sure at half time in the play-off final when they were 2-0 down at Haywards Heath Town they wouldn't of expected to the be in the position they are today. Three second half goals saw them victorious 

Bowers & Pitsea are currently in second place and will be very pleased with the start they have made following their relegation from the Premier Division last season. Like Lowestoft Town the Essex club stuck with their manager after dropping down from Step 3 last season. The former Chatham Town, Faversham Town and Cray Valley PM boss has seen Ben Williamson net six league goals in three games having played against Redbridge at the end of August and more recently against Stowmarket Town and Gorleston. The 34 year old is well experienced having played for Concord Rangers, Dover Athletic, Eastleigh, Cambridge United, Gillingham, Port Vale, Worthing and AFC Bournemouth. 

Manny Oluwasemo has scored 5 goals since re-joining the club in September. He played 24 times for Bowers last season where he also played for Ashford United and Margate. He also counts Faversham Town as a former club. 

Felixstowe and Walton United are the only side left without a defeat with four wins and three draws so far. They are also the league's top scorers with twenty goals in seven games. They have won all three of their home games with three draws and one win on their travels. 

Walthamstow have made a good start to their season with Nicky Ironton in charge of his first full season with the East London side. The former Welwyn GC boss joined the club last September and signed a two year contract in May to take the club through to 2025. The Stow got to 4th place of The Pitching In Southern League Central Division last season after winning the 21/22 Essex Senior League title. They were knocked out in the play offs at the semi-final stage by eventual winner's Didcot Town. They have just one defeat in seven league games which came recently at home to Brentwood Town who recorded a 1-2 victory at Wadham Lodge on Saturday 30th September. 

They drew 1-1 with Felixstowe and Walton United at the weekend with a really impressive crowd of 446 present - If you  go back to the 13/14 season when they were known as 'Waltham Forest' there was an attendance of 23 people against Sawbridgeworth Town on Saturday 4th October! 

Next in the table are a group of clubs all on 12 points - Heybridge Swifts, Brightlingsea Regent, Redbridge and Brentwood Town. 

Former Southend United and Canvey Island boss Steve Tilson has been in charge of Heybridge Swifts since September 2021. Since relegation from the Isthmian Premier in 2009 a return to Step Three has come close at Scraley Road on a number of occasions. 

They have reached the play-offs four times - 

1) 13/14 (3rd place and lost to Harlow Town in the SF)

2) 17/18 (5th place and lost to Haringey Borough in the SF)

3) 18/19 (5th place and won the play-off final against Maldon & Tiptree*)

4) 22/23 (4th place and lost to AFC Sudbury in the play-off final) 

 * They were denied promotion as only five of the Step four play off winners  rated on a PPG basis were promoted.

They have also finished 6th on two occasions in 09/10 and 12/13 and were in 4th place when football was abandoned due to the pandemic in the 19/20 season. 

After defeats to Witham Town and Bowers & Pitsea they returned to winning ways in impressive style at the weekend running six goals past Bury Town in front of 272 people at Scraley Road. Lewis Watson, Rob Harvey, Sam Park, Kieran Jones and Ross Wall (2) were on the scoresheet. 

Harvey and Jones were two of four players who recently achieved 50 appearances for the club alongside Quba Gordon and Lee Harvey. . 

Brightlingsea Regent have started well after relegation from the Premier Division which ended their six year spell at Step Three of the non-league pyramid. 

They have won four of their five games played with their defeat coming away from home last Tuesday when they lost 5-3 at Felixstowe & Walton United. Up until this game they had let in just one goal in four league games. 

Brett Munyard's team have also had some good FA Cup and FA Trophy results. In the Cup they Stansted and Sawbridgeworth Town before losing at home to Premier Division Billericay Town. In the Trophy they beat Wroxham and AFC Dunstable before losing away at Premier Division Horsham who went on to beat Vanarama National side Dorking Wanderers a week later. 

Olly Sotoyinbo has been in good scoring form for Regent netting 8 league and cup goals so far. He started last season in the Premier Division for the club scoring twice in 12 appearances before moving on to Stowmarket Town where scored 8 goals in 13 games. He finished the season with South-East Division champion's Chatham Town. He was also played for Welling Town and Hullbridge Sports.

Former East Thurrock United, Hashtag United and Hullbridge Sports left sided midfielder Harry Honesty has also been one of the stand out players for Regent this season. 

Brentwood Town have finished 3rd (lost in play-off final on penalty kicks at Canvey Island) and 8th in the recent seasons. Former Chelmsford City boss Rod Stringer departed as Manager in February and was replaced by Craig Shipman who made his return to The Blues having been in charge before between 2017 to 2019. 

It's a much change squad at The Arena with just Matt Price and Jack Humphrey remaining in the starting XI for the season opener against Bury Town compared to the 21/22 season opener against Felixstowe and Walton. Connor Hogan started the Felixstowe game and was on the bench against Bury Town.

Basildon United are in 9th position under the management of Darren Manning. Since promotion from the Essex Senior League in 2018 The Bees have finished in 17th, 17th and 14th in the completed seasons - they were bottom of the table in 19/20 campaign which ended in March due to the pandemic and 19th in the shorter 20/21 season. So this year it's looking like the they will have their best season in the Isthmian League since the 89/90 when they finished 7th in Division Two (North) with Tilbury just above them and Collier Row just below them. 

With Bowers & Pitsea relegated their will be a return of the Basildon Derby for the first time since the 18/19 season. Just over three miles separate the two New Town rivals with the last two league game seeing Bowers win 4-0 at home in front of 492 people and by the same score line at The Hive with a crowd of 408 watching on. 

Saturday 25th November see the first game between the two local rivals at Bower's Len Salmon Stadium - It would be brilliant for both clubs for a big crowd to be in attendance. The Town has a population of just over 100,000 so it is possible for many more fans to catch a match? 

Kai Brown has been in great form for The Bees with 10 league and cup goals so far. He started last season with Premier Division side Hastings United before moving on to Whitehawk and then Burgess Hill Town. He played for Grays Athletic in the 17/18 campaign making 27 appearances despite being only 16 years old at the time. His impressive form attracted many football league clubs and he got a move to Ipswich Town where he played in their under 23 side with loan moves to Dagenham & Redbridge, Hemel Hempstead Town and East Thurrock United. He played for Welling United and back at Grays Athletic in the 21/22 season. 

Wroxham are next up in the table currently in 11th place - The Yachtsmen finished in 10th place last season which was their first season back at Step 4 since the 16/17 campaign. They had two good results in the Emirates FA Cup beating Bury Town and Premier Division Concord Rangers in a replay before losing to Barton Rovers in another replay by a score of 3-4

Former Norwich City academy player Ryan Hawkins has scored 8 league and cup goals for Wroxham this season so far. He has also played for Kings Lynn Town, Lowestoft Town, Dereham Town and Peterborough Sports. 

Below Wroxham are a Suffol club and a Norfolk club in Bury Town and Gorleston. 

The Blues are well supported side and always get decent crowds at their Ram Meadow ground - this season they have an average attenancde of 523 in their three home league games played so far.

They have finished in 12th and 11th positions in the last two seasons and did finish in 3rd and 5th place of the Premier Division in 10/11 and 11/12 losing at the play-off semi-final stage to Lowestoft Town and AFC Hornchurch. 

Cole Skuse is in first season in management after 37 year old retired from playing at the end of the 22/23 season. He played for Ipswich Town, Colchester United and Bristol City making over 600 football league appearances. 

Gorleston after ground sharing with Lowestoft Town last season following their promotion from the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division have moved to the historic Wellesley Ground which has been the home of their local rival's Great Yarmouth Town who are currently playing in the Thurlow Nunn First Division South. 

The Greens struggled for the first few months of last season with Darren Cockrill came in as Manager in October after Scott Butler departed. 

When he came in they had lost all 6 of their league games conceding 22 goals in the process. They eventually finished in 13th place which was 16 points clear of the bottom four and they also won the Norfolk Senior Cup beating Dereham Town 3-0 at Carrow Road in front of 1,382 people. 

This season they've had a brilliant run in the Emirates FA Cup beating Heacham, Woodbridge Town, Heybridge Swifts and Bedford Town before losing 0-2 to Vanarama South side Hemel Hempstead Town in the Third Qualifying Round - this was The Greens best run in the competition since the 1984/85 season when they lost to Aveley at the same stage. 

Witham Town after a one season stay in the Premier Division in 14/15 after winning the 13/14 play off final have struggled towards the bottom of the North Division since finishing in 19th, 13th, 11th, 18th, 15th*, 20th*, 18th and 16th. 

In the 21/22 season they played in the inter-step play-offs where a defeat would of seen them relegated to the Essex Senior League - thankfully for the loyal fans at Spa Road they beat ESL runner's up 3-0 to preserve their Step Four status. 

This season they have just 1 win in their 8 league games played. They won 0-1 at Heybridge Swifts at the end of September but since then have lost 1-5 at home to Basildon United and drawn 1-1 versus Enfield FC followed by a 0-2 defeat at Ipswich Wanderers. 

They are currently the lowest scoring team in the division with just 4 goals scored - They do have a very good defensive record which if you exclude the heavy defeat to Basildon United they have conceded just 5 goals in 7 games. 

They did have a good in the Emirates FA Cup reaching the 2nd QR losing 1-5 to Premier Division table topper's Hornchurch. 

Jeffrey Cobblah who spent last season with Essex Senior League champion's Enfield FC has netted 8 goals in the league and cup so far. 

New Salamis finished a very respectable 9th place in their debut season at Step Four in 22/23 after 3 promotions in 4 seasons when joining the non-league football pyramid at step 7 in 2018. 

This season the North London side have scored in all of their league and cup game beating Redbridge and Grays Athletic in the Emirates FA Cup but have had to wait to game number six in the league to record a win in the league which came courtesy of a 4-2 win at Grays Athletic where Derek Asamoah netted a hat-trick. It's great to see a player aged 42 still playing football and playing it well - He has scored 11 goals in the league and cup so far. 

He had four full International caps for Ghana during his career which saw him play in the football league for Northampton Town, Mansfield Town, Lincoln City, Shrewsbury Town and Carlisle United. He also spent two seasons in the French top tier for Nice, for Hamilton Academical in Scotland, for Lokomotiv Sofia in Bulgaria, Pohang Steelers and Dageu in South Korea. 

He played alongside his son Maleace Asamoah, 20, for New Salamis last season. The striker signed for League One Fleetwood Town in the summer where he is currently part of the their development squad. 

New Salamis have a good squad - I think they will finish higher up the table their current 17th place. 

Grays Athletic and Stowmarket Town currently occupy the two relegation spots. 

For Grays Athletic it's all been about the positive news off the pitch where Thurrock Council have recently ratified their decision to supports the club's joint application alongside Group 1 to use Ship Lane (the former home of Thurrock Football Club) as their new home. 

The club have been homeless since the loss of their New Recreation Ground in 2010 - they have since ground shared at East Thurrock United, Rush Green, both Aveley's old and new ground and are currently with local rival's Tilbury.

On the pitch their new look side under the new management of former boss Mark Stimson they are without a win in all competitions. They have lost in an FA Cup replay to New Salamis, in the FA Trophy to Hertford Town and in the Velocity Cup to Brightlingsea Regent. 

Stowmarket Town were promoted from the Thurlow Nunn First Division in the 16/17 season and then moved up to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history for the 21/22 season. 

Paul Musgrove (now assistant to Cole Skuse at Bury Town) stepped down as manager in January with former Northern Ireland International, Ipswich Town, Dundee, Portadown and Linfield defender Chris Casement taking over as player/manager. He stepped down in May and is currently playing for Leiston. 

Former Bury Town, Needham Market and Leiston boss Richard Wilkins who was part of the coaching team under Musgrove and Casement was appointed as new manager in June. His job was to rebuild the team under a report reduced playing budget than the club has had in recent seasons. 

The Old Gold and Blacks have just one point from their   league games played which came in an impressive 2-2 draw at home to Felixstowe and Walton. 

They have a tough Suffolk derby coming up at the weekend against Ipswich Wanderers followed by a home game against Maldon & Tiptree. 

They need to pick up wins sooner rather than later or it will be relegation back to Step Five at the end of the season. 

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Tuesday 17th October

Brightlingsea Regent v Basildon United 

Saturday 21st October

Basildon United v Enfield 

Brentwood Town v Heybridge Swifts 

Brightlingsea Regent v Redbridge 

Felixstowe & Walton United v Wroxham

Ipswich Wanderers v Stowmarket Town 

Lowestoft Town v Bowers & Pitsea 

Maldon & Tiptree v Gorleston

Walthamstow v Grays Athletic

Witham Town v New Salamis 

Tuesday 24th October

Bury Town v Brightlingsea Regent 

Felixstowe & Walton United v Redbridge 

Heybridge Swifts v Gorleston 

Saturday 28th October

Bowers & Pitsea v Brentwood Town

Enfield v East Thurrock United 

Gorleston v Witham Town

Grays Athletic v Felixstowe & Walton United 

Heybridge Swifts v Walthamstow 

New Salamis v Ipswich Wanderers 

Stowmarket Town v Maldon & Tiptree 

Wroxham v Brightlingsea Regent

league tables used courtesy of footballwebpages.co.uk