Bouimane hat-trick sees Burnham extend lead but title race is far from over

Photo credit: Paul Butler/Burnham FC

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Wokingham Town 0, Burnham 3

Youssef Bouimane hit a hat-trick for Burnham as Mo and Omz Bakali’s side swept past Wokingham Town on Tuesday with little difficulty, stretching their lead at the top of the Combined Counties Premier Division North table to eight points in the process.

With such a lead the Blues will hope they’re uncatchable. But rival sides have games in hand, and they’ll be looking to use them in the coming weeks to eat away at that lead and depose those currently on the throne.

So, while their lead is a big one on paper, in reality it’s precarious.

On Tuesday evening, Bouimane was the Blues’ main man, just as he was in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Harefield United. At the weekend he scored twice, on Tuesday night at Lowther Road he went one better, notching a hat-trick with goals in the 14th, 25th and 77th minutes. The first two killed the game as a contest and the third merely outlined Burnham’s superiority over their hosts.

But what about Burnham’s superiority over the rest of the division?

Can they continue to hold off the teams who plan to knock them off their perch? And there isn’t just one, there are many.

The Blues are doing their part, winning matches and knocking back rivals, doing what they can to stay in top spot. But their matches are running out.

They have just five league games left to see out the season, the next two at home against North Greenford United and Holyport and then three straight away at Edgware & Kingsbury, North Leigh and Harefield United. They’re favourites to win them all, but even if they do, will it be enough?

Fourth placed Windsor & Eton are certainly in the mix to run them close, though the postponement of tonight’s (Wednesday) game at British Airways won’t help a side who’s schedule already looks overpacked. They’re 13 points off Burnham with seven matches in hand but must squeeze in 11 more league games - and some cup matches - before the campaign wraps up on April 18 with a trip to Ardley United.

Rivals will surely take points off each other and that may go in Burnham’s favour, but still, if Windsor put together a run, they’ll finish clear of the Blues and seal a second title and promotion in as many seasons.

The Royalists aren’t the only ones capable of catching Burnham either. Third placed Broadfields United look like they might be playing their way out of title contention after two straight league defeats, but they remain within striking distance sitting nine points back with three matches in hand. They go to Harefield United this Saturday.

Second placed Wallingford & Crowmarsh are the closest to Burnham on paper but the least likely to lift the title as they sit eight points back without any matches in hand.

Ashford Town in fifth and Ardley United in sixth also remain in the hunt and have games in hand on the Blues, but fewer than Windsor & Eton do. While their recent form suggests they may not have the consistency to reel in the leaders.

It could yet come down to a straight slug fest between Burnham and Windsor & Eton and they’ll both be favourites to pick up maximum points this weekend, with the Blues at home to North Greenford United and the Royalists entertaining Amersham Town. North Greenford however, got the better of them when the sides met in January. Amersham also held Webb’s side to a goalless draw in awful conditions at Spratleys Meadow so perhaps these home matches won’t go entirely to script.