Windsor & Eton dethrone Burnham with impressive win over Wallingford & Crowmarsh

Pawel Kowalkowski scored twice in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Wallingford & Crowmarsh. Photo: Richard Milam

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Newly promoted Windsor & Eton dethroned Burnham at the top of the Combined Counties Premier Division North this week after Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Wallingford & Crowmarsh.

Matty Angell’s side have made a magnificent start to the season at step 5, carrying the same winning mentality into the season following last season’s title-winning campaign.

They kicked off their league campaign with two deserved home victories over Hilltop (2-0) and Ardley United (1-0) and backed up those wins at Stag Meadow with their first three points on the road on Tuesday when they dispatched a Wallingford side who’ve made a decent start to the season themselves.

Like the Royalists, Wallingford had two wins to their name heading into Tuesday’s game at The Howden Stadium.

However, a seven-minute second half blitz from the visitors saw them take the game away from their hosts.

Two goals in the space of a minute from Pawel Kowalkowski (52’) and Alex Donville (53') put the visitors in a commanding position, while Kowalkowski was at it again in the 59th minute to put the seal on a comfortable away victory.

The win was good enough to see Windsor & Eton leapfrog Burnham at the top of the table on goal difference ahead of what’s shaping up to be an intriguing early season tie between the table-toppers at Stag Meadow on Saturday (August 23).

Windsor visit Wokingham Town on Monday while Burnham host Milton United at the 1878 Stadium.

The Royalists have lost just once so far this season, a narrow - but thrilling 4-3 defeat at Portishead Town in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup.

There’s been plenty of change at Holyport FC this summer, with joint managers Dan Rapley and Lee Ovens replacing Adam Hopkins at the helm and a raft of new players joining the playing squad.

But, after a challenging start that saw them humbled 5-1 by Wokingham Town in the league and lose to rivals Burnham 3-2 in the FA Cup extra preliminary round, they’re now recovering some early season form.

Edgware & Kingsbury were beaten 2-1 last week with a first half brace from Adam Forisky and, while they’d have been disappointed by Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Wallingford & Crowmarsh at Summerleaze Park, they bounced back in fine fashion on Tuesday evening (August 19).

Amersham Town were the visitors to Summerleaze for their second home match in the space of a few days and Port came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory with Kickie Dzimba - on loan from Marlow - scoring one of the goals.

The hosts fell behind to Kai Bartolo’s strike in the 32nd minute but Dzimba dragged them level in the 68th minute and Liam McVicar (77') scored the winner with 13 minutes to play. Dzimba scored and assisted McVicar as Port claimed their second three-point haul of the season to move up to 10th in the table.

Denzel Abia was voted man of the match after the game by supporters. Port are in FA Vase first qualifying round action on Saturday when they host Everett Rovers at Summerleaze and they’ll then play their fourth home match on the spin when Ashford Town (Mddx) visit in the league on bank holiday Monday.