Football Match Reports from Eastern Counties and Spartan South Midlands Leagues

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, September 20, 2026

Ely City upset Eastern Counties League leaders Stowmarket Town with a 4-1 away win, featuring goals from Alfie Rogers, Stephen Periera, and Samuel Townshend. Despite the heavy defeat, Stowmarket retained their narrow one-point lead at the top as other teams like Thetford Town and Great Yarmouth Town also secured important victories.

Ely City delivered a commanding performance to defeat Eastern Counties League leaders Stowmarket Town 4-1 on the road, with goals from Alfie Rogers, Stephen Periera, and Samuel Townshend. Despite the loss, Stowmarket maintained a one-point lead at the top of the table.

In other Eastern Counties matches, Thetford Town climbed to third place with a convincing 3-0 home victory over Dereham Town, highlighted by a brace from Harvey Lott and a goal from Elliot Smith. Fourth-placed Ipswich Wanderers secured a narrow 2-1 win at Soham Town Rangers thanks to strikes from Ben Stannard and Paulo Coelho. Great Yarmouth Town moved up to fifth after Louie Duffield scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 away triumph against Haverhill Rovers. At the bottom of the table, Heacham earned their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Cornard United on the road.

Brantham Athletic recorded a 4-2 home win over Lakenheath, with Josh Ambrose, James Lee, Issac Ventura, and Zach Elseidy all contributing to the scoreline. Meanwhile, Wisbech Town secured a 3-1 away win against Walsham-le-Willows, with goals from Ryan Lennon, Jack Saunders, and Josh Williams. Sixth-placed Downham Town fought back twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Mildenhall Town, courtesy of a brace from Tobi Lawal.

In the Spartan South Midlands League, Sawbridgeworth Town ended a four-match losing streak with a high-scoring 8-3 victory over Arlesey Town. The game was level at 1-1 at halftime, with Callum Fisher scoring for Sawbridgeworth and Peniel Mayiza equalizing for Arlesey. The visitors pulled away in the second half with goals from George Powell, Sam Ince, Austen Garrod, Teddy Hall, and a penalty from Josh Riza. Fisher completed his hat-trick with two goals deep into stoppage time, while Arlesey netted twice through Ugonna Ndudi.

Kings Langley secured a 2-1 away victory at Cockfosters, moving above their opponents in the standings. Edu Toiny-Pendred opened the scoring early, Cockfosters’ Tobi Coker equalized before halftime, but George Hughes’s strike in the 63rd minute ensured all three points for Kings Langley.

Several teams across the Premier and Division One tiers competed in the Gladwish Challenge Trophy. Top-flight AFC Welwyn were eliminated in a surprise 3-2 defeat by Division Two side Redbourn, with Kojo Quartey scoring twice alongside a Mal Bowyer goal. Newport Pagnell Town progressed with a 4-1 win over Caddington, featuring braces from Jake Watkinson and Corvell Pickering.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.