A look at the fortunes of north Essex’s clubs in the Ryman League this weekend

Ryman League Division One North

Maldon & Tiptree 2 Bowers & Pitsea 3

League leaders Maldon & Tiptree lost their proud unbeaten home record, at the hands of in-form Bowers & Pitsea at Park Drive.

The Jammers had won all of their first 16 home league games of the season, but they couldn’t make it 17 in a row against the 10-man visitors.

Lewis Clark headed home Brad Warner’s 31st minute corner to put Bowers & Pitsea 1-0 up, although Liam Nash equalised just six minutes later.

Nash then set up Tyler Brampton on the hour mark, for a 2-1 lead, and victory seemed to be in the bag when ex-Jammers player Ben Sartain was sent off just a minute later, given a second yellow card for kicking the ball away.

But the visitors levelled through David Knight on 62 minutes, before Warner converted a penalty just two minutes later to seal Maldon’s fate.

Great Wakering Rovers 1 Brightlingsea Regent 2

Brightlingsea moved up to second in the table, just six points behind leaders Maldon & Tiptree with two games in hand, following a hard-earned win at bottom club Great Wakering Rovers.

The R’s were ahead in the 24th minute, Aaron Condon’s corner being diverted home for an own goal by Dylan Skinner, with Tom Richardson in close attendance.

Goal-machine Condon doubled the R’s lead in the 40th minute, volleying superbly over the keeper and into the net from Jake Turner’s free-kick.

Jake Gordon pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 79th minute, but James Webster’s men held on to stretch their unbeaten run to eight matches, with six wins and two draws.

Tilbury 1 Heybridge Swifts 1

Heybridge secured a precious point in their quest to remain clear of the relegation zone.

Lewis Francis handed Tilbury a 15th minute lead, but an own goal by Reece Conway rescued a point for the Swifts on 71 minutes.

The visitors had to play the last 17 minutes with 10 men, following Guillem Ramon’s sending-off, but they held on to keep a three-point buffer between themselves and the bottom three.