Dwade James continued his remarkable scoring form by scoring his second brace in as many weeks as Walthamstow beat Sporting Bengal United 2-0 away from home on Saturday.

James scored twice in the opening 16 minutes of the game as Stow stay two points behind leaders Saffron Walden Town in the Essex Senior League Senior Division with a game in hand.

It also opens up a two-point gap on Hashtag United after they surrendered a lead late on to lose 2-1 at Hadley.

Stow were quickest off the mark and had the lead after just four minutes. A cross to the far post was met by Benji Crilley, who saw his header tipped onto the post by home goalkeeper Bilal Khan, but James was there to tuck the rebound home.

The visitors kept the pressure up and Callum Ibe had a chance to extend his side’s lead, but he dragged wide of the target when well-placed.

A second goal did arrive shortly after, however, and it was James again to notch his 27th goal of the season with a simple header from a cross.

Bengal had a couple of chances to make their mark on the game towards the end of the half, but Bobby Redwood screwed an effort over the bar and David Vaughan failed to get his shot off.

The hosts were forced into a goalkeeping change midway through the second half as outfield player Raul Gazi donned the gloves in place of the injured Khan.

He would go on to keep a clean sheet in his part of the game, although Stow ran him very close with efforts from Lewis Francis, which went narrowly over, and Steven Carvell, whose strike crashed back off the crossbar.

Stow maintained their comfortable margin until the end, and now prepare for a huge second-v-third clash away at Hashtag United this Saturday.

Ilford extended their unbeaten league run to four games after a 2-1 win at home to Sawbridgeworth Town.

The home side went ahead after just two minutes when Anastasius Antoniou scored his first goal of the season, but just as it looked like they were going to take the lead into half-time, Louis Mackham struck a leveller for Sawbridgeworth.

With 20 minutes remaining, Andre Embalo Junior put Ilford back in front, and that was how it stayed, moving them up to 12th in the division.

Woodford Town remain without a win since November 8 after a 2-0 defeat at home to Hoddesdon Town on Tuesday night, where two first-half goals did the damage.

Waltham Abbey played out a goalless draw with Chalfont St Peter in the Isthmian League South Central Division.

The result keeps the sides four points apart in the table, with Abbey sat a point outside the play-off spots behind both Chertsey Town and Westfield.

Finally, Epping Town drew 3-3 with Wakering Sports in their Essex Olympian League Division Two game.

Epping went a goal down but levelled through Glen Warwick’s penalty before Alex Paraskeva put them 2-1 ahead at the break.

Warwick netted again in the second half but Wakering scored twice to take a share of the points to leave Town fourth in the table.