Walthamstow 3-2 Maldon & Tiptree
Walthamstow rounded off the 2025/2026 Isthmian League season with a brilliant 3-2 win over champions Maldon & Tiptree.
It was a very spirited performance from Stow, coming from two goals down after the 70th minute.
The visitors were the ones who started brightly hitting the frame of the goal in the opening four minutes through Freddie Sears, but the offside flag was raised.
Stow also came close when Chris Regis brought down a cross from Jared Small into the path of Charlie Heatley who volleyed over the bar. Heatley was then forced off the pitch on the 27th minute through injury, meaning Ferhat Canlier came on to replace him.
Just after the half hour mark, Maldon were awarded a penalty when Louis Dunne was brought down in the box. Freddie Sears stepped up and sent David Hughes the wrong way to give the visitors the lead.
Stow were pushing for the equaliser and hit the frame of the goal themselves. Shawn Joseph’s long throw found Brian Garzon at the back post where his shot came back off the crossbar and was cleared away.
Up the other end, Maldon came very close to a second if it weren’t for some superb defending from Shawn Joseph. Mikey Faulkner found himself on the edge of the box with David Hughes in no man’s land, but Faulkner’s shot was cleared off the line with a diving header from Joseph to keep the score at 1-0.
The second half began with Stow on the front foot, nearly levelling the game on two occasions. Callum Ibe received the ball on the turn, and his shot was well saved by Elliot Justham. Chris Regis’ shot was then destined for the bottom corner, but Justham produced another brilliant save to keep him out.
Maldon doubled their lead straight after the chance up the other end. A ball from the left-hand side found Matt Yates, who took a touch around goalkeeper David Hughes who had come rushing out to clear the ball but misjudged the bounce. Yates found himself with an open goal and rolled the ball into the net to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
Two minutes later, Stow were back in the game. Chris Regis found Brian Garzon standing on the 6-yard box and calmly slotted home to give Stow a goal back and hope for a comeback.
Stow then found themselves level with a peach of a strike from Jordan Peart. A cross from Callum Ibe found Jordan Peart standing on the penalty spot who took a touch and struck the ball into the top corner to level the game for the Stow.
With two minutes from time, Stow completed the comeback. Jordan Peart got down the left-hand side and found substitute Ferhat Canlier in the box who poked the ball home after a goal mouth scramble to give Stow the lead for the first time in the afternoon.
That was the last action of the game and of the season. Walthamstow end the season in 10th place, sitting on a total of 58 points.
