With the 243rd West Country derby now in the history books, it was the mighty Glovers who took the win, their 14th win of the season handing them a 6 point lead at the top WITH a game in hand! Let’s see what happened elsewhere on a wet midweek of football.
Action in the National League South was spread across 3 days, starting with the regular Monday night fixture for Aveley. They hosted Welling United, who found themselves down to 10 men in the 39th when goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook was sent off. Midfielder Antony Papadopoulos was subbed on and took the gloves for the remainder of the game, and did a good job, as Aveley could only muster a 2-2 draw!
The rest of the action came on Tuesday night, and we start with Weston-super-mare, who made it 4 wins in a row by hammering Worthing, the 4-0 scoreline sending the hosts up to 11th. Torquay United continued their revival in form by handling W*ymouth with ease, a stunning free-kick from Brett McGavin among the 3 home goals in their 3-1 victory. Meanwhile, Maidstone handled visitors Truro City in a 2-1 win, sending home the 22 visiting fans who made the 10 hour, 600 mile round trip on Tuesday night, huge credit to them!
Chippenham Town travelled to Hemel Hempstead and left as 2-0 winners, the win elevating the Bluebirds just above the hosts to 14th. The final game of the night was a 1-1 draw between Hampton & Richmond and Braintree Town, where a 94th minute Ben Seymour penalty rescued a point for the high flying hosts, who sit in 3rd.
There was a final match, meant to be played on Tuesday, but once again, Taunton were meant to play but their game against Slough was postponed and will be rescheduled.
National League South results – in full
Aveley 2-2 Chelmsford City
Hampton & Richmond Borough 1-1 Braintree Town
Hemel Hempstead Town 0-2 Chippenham Town
Maidstone United 2-1 Truro City
Taunton Town P-P Slough Town
Torquay United 3-1 W*ymouth
Weston-super-mare 4-0 Worthing
National League South table
A derby day win sees @YTFC extend their lead ?
They've also still got a game in hand… ?#TheVanarama pic.twitter.com/RUMzeLFc85
— The National League (@TheVanaramaNL) December 7, 2023