The Southern League Division One East play-off final between Maldon Town and Uxbridge at the Wallace Binder Ground on Saturday was expected to be a tight affair given the records of the respective sides in league action – and so it was.

Maldon finished the campaign a place and two points ahead of the Middlesex side, who possessed one of the meanest defences in the division.

However, that defence was breached after just 5 minutes when Judd Coe put the Essex men in front.

However, Uxbridge pulled themselves back into the game and eventually levelled 10 minutes into the second half when Stuart Lake scored from the penalty spot.

Ninety minutes saw the scoreline level at 1-1 and it was the visitors who drew first blood in overtime when Lake grabbed his second of the game 6 minutes into the second half of extra-time.

But with just 4 minutes remaining top scorer Simon Parker (pictured) equalised to take the game into penalties that Maldon eventually triumphed 5-4 to make it into the Premier Division just one season after coming up from the Ridgeons League – a feat that perhaps should be noted by ne or two other clubs in that league!

League Form Guide (Last six matches)

1DIVISION ONE NORTH W   D    L    F    A    Pts

1    Concord Rangers            6    0    0   15    3      18

2    Lowestoft Town               5    0    1   22    7      15

3    Wingate & Finchley         4    2    0   12    7      14

4    Great Wakering Rovers    4    1    1   14   10      13

5    Thamesmead Town         4    0    2   11    7      12

6    Enfield Town                   3    2    1   12    7      11

7    Brentwood Town              3    1    2   10    8      10

8    Romford                         3    1    2   11   10      10

9    Cheshunt                        3    1    2    9    8      10

10   Waltham Forest              3    0    3   13   13       9

11   Heybridge Swifts             3    0    3   11   11       9

12   Tilbury                            3    0    3    8    8       9

13   Northwood                      2    2    2    9   10       8

14   Maldon Town                  2    1    3    8   12       7

15   Ware                              2    1    3   11   16       7

16   Potters Bar Town            2    0    4   10   11       6

17   East Thurrock United       1    3    2    9   11       6

18   VCD Athletic                   1    1    4    7   11       4

19   Redbridge                       1    0    5    3   16       3

20   Ilford                               0    1    5    7   15       1

Division One North

Second half specialist Joe Francis was at it again on Saturday, firing a 20-minute hat-trick as Lowestoft beat fourth-placed East Thurrock 4-3 in a thriller watched by 857 at Crown Meadow.  The Trawlerboys have made a habit of hitting back hard after falling behind but for once they were on the receiving end.  Craig Bussens fired them ahead after 36 minutes only for Rocks to turn round with a 2-1 lead thanks to Sam Berry and Kye Ruel.  Francis equalised on the hour and struck again within two minutes.  Back came the visitors to make it 3-3 through Max Cornhill before Francis had the last word with ten minutes left.

The other big match in the division was at Thames Road where second-placed Concord took on Thamesmead, who trailed them only on goal difference.  Lyle Taylor’s 26^th of the season gave Concord a half-time lead which was wiped out seven minutes after the restart when Andy Constable took his personal haul to 20.  Nicky Cowley quickly restored Concord’s lead and Danny Glozier made it 3-1 with a 62^nd minute penalty.  That was how it finished, although Taylor was sent off for a wild challenge with 20 minutes left.

Thamesmead stayed in third place but East Thurrock dropped two places to sixth.   Enfield Town moved up to fourth with a 2-0 home win over Northwood while Wingate & Finchley moved into the play-off zone by beating Ware 3-1.

Jon Moore gave Enfield the lead on the hour and they clinched the points when Michael Peacock headed an Adam Wallace cross into his own net.  Wingate, unbeaten in nine games since the turn of the year, maintained their progress in a hard-fought game.  Gary Burrell put them ahead in the first half and further goals came midway through the second period from Chris Chase and James Edgerley.  That was harsh on Ware and Dan Buglione managed a deserved consolation goal.

Heybridge are still in contention after an injury-time goal by Perry Sansford completed their comeback from a 2-0 deficit at Cheshunt.  Chris Meikle opened the scoring in the 32^nd minute and David Hicks doubled the lead nine minutes after the interval.  Tom Broadhurst put Swifts back in the picture on the hour and he levelled the scores after 83 minutes, leaving Sansford to do the rest.

Romford were the only team in the bottom eight to pick up points, winning 1-0 at VCD.  The hosts were on top for long periods and almost took an early lead when Lee Maskell’s chip beat keeper Neil Finn.  But the assistant referee was well placed to rule, correctly, that James Gammons had cleared it off the line.  Jack Barry then put Romford ahead in the 15^th minute and they held on to record their third successive away win despite constant pressure from the home side.

Harlow remain 14 points adrift at the bottom, though they came within nine minutes of a draw at Brentwood. Recent signings Darren Ebsworth and Joe Stevens scored late goals to give Brentwood a 2-0 victory.  Redbridge, in 21^st place, had yet another home game postponed, this one against Great Wakering.  Their last outing at Oakfield was on 12^th December, when they lost 5-0 to Lowestoft, and since then they have played only three times, losing them all.  They are still only a point behind Leyton, who have now played five more games after their 2-1 defeat at Tilbury.  Ben Bradbury scored twice in the first 19 minutes for the home side and might have had a third before Tom Prendergast replied midway through the second half.

Maldon went down 4-0 at home to Potters Bar, who were two up in 12 minutes through Jake Parratt and Joe O’Brien.  Guy Helman got a third shortly before the interval and Sam Adejokun completed the rout with a late penalty.

Ilford found themselves in the away dressing rooms at their own ground as they faced tenants Waltham Forest, who cruised to a 3-0 victory.  Rob Carter’s first-half double put Forest in command and Ilford went down to ten men when Samuel Sunday was sent off in the 64^th minute.  Danny Gabriel made it 3-0 with a penalty shortly afterwards and Ilford’s misery was complete when Anton Dwyer was also dismissed.  The league’s lowest crowd of the day, just 40, watched this most local of derbies.