IT'S 'as you were' in the Isthmian Premier this evening (Saturday, 4 February) as the top five sides all won.
Among them were Aveley who remain in third place after a 2-0 home win against Bowers & Pitsea.
Both goals came in the second half, the first on 65 minutes when George Sykes converted a penalty. And with eight minutes to go Manny Ogunrinde added the Millers' second.
Afterwqard manager Danny Scopes was full of priase for the way hgis side struck to their task, saying: "Job done. Bowers showed their resilience, they are a good team who defend well and they came, maybe for a point - to defend it and see how they got on.
"We were not perfect in the first half, but we stuck patient and no-one got frustrated. We knew what was going on and we got a penalty, sometimes you need that bit of luck, and the second one was the icing on the cake."
The penalty came after man-of-the-match Ryan Scott was brought down in the box and was converted by Sykes, atoning for his last spot-kick which he missed.
The second came from a cross delivered by Kenny Aileru and it was headed home by the diminutive Ogunrinde.
It was a different story in the Isthmian North though, with all three borough sides losing out.
The biggest shock came at Rookery Hill, where East Thurrock failed to stop the rot after four successive league defeats and an exit from the Essex Senior Cup.
The disappointment was compounded as the 2-1 home defeat was at the hands of bottom club Coggeshall Town - only their second win of the season - and was in front of millionaire club owner Alfie Best who flew in by helicopter to watch the match!
After 20 minutes things looked good for the Rocks, who scored first through the recently-returned Alex Hernandez.
Town drew level two minutes for the break and in a dramatic end to the half both sides lost a player with Brian Moses for East Thurrock and Mike Osei for Coggeshall sent off.
The winner came ten minutes into the second half when Darnell Kithambo scored.
East Thurrock will hope to bounce back against fifth-placed Felixstow and Walton at Rookery Hill on Tuesday.
Less unexpected was the defeat by Grays at second-placed Hashtag United, though the 3-0 margin of defeat will have been disappointing.
The hosts had a two goal lead by the break through Jermaine Francis (19 minutes) and Emmanuel Okunja (42) and Okunja made it a personal brace just after the hour.
Tilbury gave a decent account of themselves at high-flying Stowmarket Town who held a one goal lead through Jack Ainsley's 39th minute finish.
Roman Michael Percil put Dockers on level terms from the penalty spot after 55 minutes but the final goal of the match went Town's way, again through Ainsley, on 65 minutes.
Fortunately for the 16th-placed Dockers, everyone below them except bottom club Coggeshall also lost so they remain outside the relegation zone.
Their next challenge will be a tough one though. Next Saturday they play host to league leaders AFC Sudbury - though there is a chink of hope as the Yellows' ten match winning streak was ended today by Lowestoft to show they are not invulnerable.
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