Rhys Henry (ex-AFC Sudbury) gave Leiston the lead after 17 minutes and the remaining goals followed in a six-minute burst either side of half-time. Michael Brothers (ex-AFC Sudbury) and Henry made it 3-0 at the interval and Daniel Ottley-Gooch struck soon after the restart. Wakering had Ashley Hawkins sent off and completed a bad day by finding that they had been dumped at the foot of the table.

Enfield looked set for a 1-0 home victory over Heybridge after Liam Hope converted a 19th-minute penalty. Then Luke Callander’s 82nd-minute equaliser produced a swift reaction: Michael Ewang restored Town’s lead a minute later and Hope made it 3-1.

Leiston and Enfield will doubtless be uncomfortably aware that the team which loses out in these straight fights for the title very rarely goes on to gain promotion via the play-offs.

Indeed, that was Needham’s fate last season after East Thurrock had outlasted them in the title race. The Marketmen crashed out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage.

They will be relieved to have gained a point from a 1-1 draw at Tilbury yesterday. Emiel Aiken put Dockers ahead with a 20-yard drive in the 13th minute and a red card for Duane Wright reduced the visitors to ten men before half-time.

But Bradley Barber levelled matters in the 61st minute, snapping up the rebound after a Sam Newson shot was parried.
Needham are now only one point ahead of Harlow, who have a game in hand. The Hawks came out on top in the day’s highest-scoring game, beating visitors Cheshunt 5-3.

It was 1-1 after only 11 minutes, with Josh Hutchinson replying to Mark Taylor’s opener for the hosts. Harlow then took command. Dave Cowley, returning to the club from Grays, restored their lead on 28 minutes, Danny Brown’s penalty made it 3-1 at the break and Jeff Hammond notched the fourth immediately after the restart.

Cheshunt netted the other three goals but, alas for them, one was an own goal by Dan Roles. Either side of it, Kevin Ashwood and Chris Sargent kept the Ambers’ distant hopes alive.

That was not the only five-goal haul among the play-off contenders. Grays remained fifth with a 5-1 win at Thamesmead and Brentwood moved up to sixth with a home victory over Waltham Forest by the same margin.

Grays took control with goals by Paul Olima in the 33rd minute and Nathan Gordon, a new arrival from Redbridge, three minutes later. An Ashley Probets penalty shortly after the interval gave Thamesmead hope but Joao Carlos restored the two-goal margin in the 55th minute. Olima headed his second and Anthony Ryan completed the nap hand.

It was the same scoring sequence at Brentwood. Ryan Doyle’s 27th-minute strike was the only goal of the first half and Ryan Edgar doubled the lead four minutes after the break. Jamie Moore replied midway through the half but Danny Dafter immediately headed home a corner to make it 3-1 and Forest’s hopes vanished when Antone Douglas was sent off after conceding a penalty in the 74th minute which Doyle converted. Robert Rees notched the late fifth.

AFC Sudbury trail Brentwood on goal difference – both clubs moved above Tilbury – after taking the points at Chatham with three unanswered goals. James Baker scored the first after 17 minutes, following up after his penalty was saved. Nathan Clarke headed another on 38 minutes and there was then a long wait for Dave Wareham’s goal in added time.

Potters Bar moved into the play-off race by romping to a 4-0 victory at Romford. After a goalless first half, Rob Magwood put the Scholars in front on 48 minutes and Paul Kavanagh’s own goal seven minutes later left Boro in trouble. It deepened after another seven minutes when James Gershfield scored from the spot and Gershfield also netted the fourth with ten minutes left.

Redbridge, though, lost vital ground when their half-time lead at Maldon turned into a 3-1 defeat. Ryan Wade’s 20th-minute strike gave the Motormen a promoising start but an own goal by Ryan Murray soon after the interval squared it and by the hour mark Ross Wall and Ollie Berquez had wrapped it up.

Great Wakering are on the bottom after victories for the two teams who have been disputing last place all season. Ilford edged ahead of Wakering on goal difference after coming from behind to beat visitors Waltham Abbey 3-2, only their third win of the campaign.

Adam Bolle netted a seventh-minute opener for the Abbotts but Rob Carter equalised ten minutes before the break, then put Ilford ahead in the 58th minute. Loui Hazlewood made it 3-1 nine minutes later and Ayrton Coley’s reply came with only a couple of minutes left.

Ware, the only team in the league without an away win, ended that record in style and moved three points clear of the bottom two as a hat-trick by Wingate loanee Lewis Jones powered them to a 4-1 victory at Soham.

Liam Foster’s eighth-minute goal for Ware brought an instant reply from Scott Carter but the rest of the game belonged to Jones. He was on target after 22, 58 and 88 minutes as Ware scored four times in a league game away from home for the first time in three years and a week.