A top two draw- and the Chats get seven!

Leaders Dover Athletic started the day five points clear at the top, and they ended it the same way, as second place Cray Valley PM took a point at Crabble in the most dramatic circumstances. Athletic went ahead after eleven minutes, courtesy of Ruben Soares-Junior, and that looked as if it had won them the match, only for Matthew Vigor to equalise with only three minutes left. Into added time we went, and with eight minutes of that played Athletic delivered what appeared to be a sucker punch, Roman Charles-Cook putting them ahead again, only for Mohammed Idris Oshilaja to go straight up the other end and equalise- and then to pick up a red card! There was no time for any more goals, and the one thousand and twenty watching on had certainly been entertained- apart from those who left five minutes from time to beat the traffic! That’s ten unbeaten for both sides. 

Third place Wingate and Finchley headed to Aveley, to take on Hashtag United, and they ended up in fourth after taking a hammering. The Tags went ahead in thirteen minutes courtesy of Sak Hassan, only for Ogo Obi’s eighteenth of the season to draw the Blues level. The second half, however, was one way traffic. Misha Djemaili restored the hosts advantage ten minutes into the second half, and with nineteen minutes remaining Harrison Day made it three. Seven minutes later Djemaili added a fourth, and the Tags are sixteenth- and are unbeaten in three encounters with the North Londoners this season and last. 

Billericay Town, who had lost two of their previous three, hoped to get back to winning ways as a confident Hendon side made the trip to New Lodge. The Greens were four unbeaten, wining three of them, and had scored twelve goals without reply in their previous two- but they have had their difficulties on the road this season, and indeed were without a travelling away win- whilst their hosts were unbeaten at home. We expected a close match, and we got one, the only goal arriving seventeen minutes from time- and it went to the Blues, Moses Emmanuel’s seventh of the campaign sending them up to third. 

Folkestone Invicta had charged into a play off spot after winning four matches in a row, and hoped to stay thereby by defeating rock bottom Whitehawk- but the Hawks had other ideas. The hosts had gone ten matches without a win, ten matches which had seen them score only one goal, but they managed to find the back of the Invicta net four minutes into added time- and that was the only goal of the game. The Shaun Saunders revolution has begun- and Andrew Briggs was the goalscorer, as the Hawks climbed to twentieth. Invicta drop to sixth. 

Lewes welcomed Canvey Island to the Dripping Pan, seventh v ninth. The Rooks had lost their way a little, with only two wins from their previous ten, whilst the Gulls had been particularly effective on the road, five of their previous six away matches seeing three points head back to the Island. Three of the last four meetings between the sides had ended in away wins, but this one did not, as the Rooks took the points. An own goal gave the hosts an early lead, and on sixty six minutes Gianluca Botti made it two. Chris Harris quickly hit back for the visitors, but the majority of the eight hundred and sixty three went home happy, the Rooks back into the top five. 

Carshalton Athletic, two points away from the top five at kick off, travelled to take on Cray Wanderers. Athletic were looking to go six unbeaten, and they managed that, but they made it three draws from three, holding on for a point with ten men. They took the lead seven minutes before half time, Abdul Sankoh the scorer, but were ahead for only two minutes before Nathan Jeche levelled for Wands. A red card for Kwaku Frimpong ensured the Robins had to play the whole of the second half with ten men, and they held out to take a point. Athletic are eighth, Wands eighteenth, and the Robins haven’t defeated Wanderers in seven attempts. 

Dulwich Hamlet travelled to Cheshunt, both sides looking to regain their form. Hamlet had lost three of their previous four, the Ambers had won one of their previous five, and both sides needed points. They both ended up with one, Tommy Wood giving the Ambers the lead midway through the first half, Luke Wanadio’s fourteenth of the season drawing Hamlet level just after the hour. 

Hastings United bounced back from their Hendon hammering last weekend with a draw against Carshalton Athletic in midweek, but find found themselves only a point above the bottom four as Dartford came to call. The Darts had gone six unbeaten, and stretched that to seven with a comfortable victory. Samir Carruthers put them ahead from the spot on fifteen minutes, Jeremiah Pinder made it two sixteen minutes from time, and in added time Eddie Dsane’s sixth of the campaign made it three. One thousand, four hundred and thirty eight were in attendance, and the majority of them would have been dismayed as their side dropped into the bottom four. Dartford are ninth, only three points away from the top five. 

Chatham Town travelled to take on second bottom Bognor Regis Town, and the Rocks faithful must wish they’d stayed away. The Chats had put together an eight match unbeaten run, and took that to nine, but the manner of the defeat will have shocked the home crowd, as their side was demolished, seven-one the final score. It was six-nil at the break, Kasim Aidoo, a John Ufuah double, a Jack Evans double and a goal from Freddie Sears doing the damage. The second half saw the Chats add a seventh, Sears also completing a brace, and a late consolation from Siyabonga Ligendza wasn’t much of a consolation for the hosts, who drop to the bottom, four points from safety and with the worst goal difference in the Division. The Chats are up into the top ten. 

Potters Bar Town had plummeted down the table to fourteenth, courtesy of a seven match winless run, but that run came to an end in a seven goal thriller against Chichester City- the Scholars triumphant despite playing more than half the match with ten men. Steve Cawley’s eleventh of the season put Bar ahead in sixteen minutes, but the Hawks hit back to equalise ten minutes later, Jimmy Wild taking his tally up to seventeen. Ayo Shogbeni saw red on thirty eight minutes, and Wild scored from the spot to make it two-one, but the hosts were level by half time, Bailey Stephenson equalising in added time. Another goal from Cawley put the hosts ahead six minutes into the second half, but City looked to have taken a point when Emmett Dunn levelled with eighteen minutes to go. Into added time, a point each looking a certainty, and up popped Chaynie Fage-Burgin with a winner three minutes into added time. The Scholars climb a place. 

Horsham have been a surprise this season, magnificent in cup competitions, but alarmingly inconsistent in the league. The Hornets found themselves in fifteenth place at kick off, but have ben very good at home- and that continued as they put Bowers and Pitsea to the sword, running out five-nil winners. The Hornets were out of the traps- nest- at top speed, and were ahead after two minutes, Jack Brivio the scorer- and added another on eleven minutes, Chris Dickson the scorer. We waited until twenty minutes from time for another goal, Dickson scoring that, and eight minutes from time Shamir Fenelon added a fourth. There was still time for a fifth, Reece Myles-Meekums rounding things off three minutes from time.

One thousand and thirty six people watched on, and the Sussex contingent will have ended their afternoon delighted. Bowers have now lost five in a row.