Athletic increase their lead on Premier Tuesday

Dover Athletic picked up another three points by recording a fifth Premier win in a row, this one coming along the coast at Folkestone Invicta. It was a tight affair, and perhaps the crucial moment was the sending off of Invicta forward Daniel Smith on the hour mark, as with ten men the Stripes managed to hold out against the Athletic onslaught for only nine minutes, Luke Baptiste making the breakthrough and earning his side three points with his eighth goal of the season. Two thousand, nine hundred and six mainly disappointed folks watched on, but the away contingent will have been delighted to see their side get revenge for Invicta’s win at Crabble in August.

Billericay Town remain unbeaten, but have now drawn more games than they have won, which is why they are four points behind in the race for the title. It did look like they’d picked up three points as they hosted Chatham Town last night, after a goal from Tyrell Miller-Rodney sixteen minutes from time gave them the lead, but right at the end the Chats were awarded a penalty, and Jack Evans made no mistake for the equaliser. Both matches between the sides this season have now had the same outcome. 

Cray Valley PM hosted the Cray derby, and for the second time this season emerged victorious against their local rivals. It looked good for Wanderers when Lateef Adaja gave them the lead after just a few seconds, but that left the Millers plenty of time to respond, and they scored two goals in two minutes midway through the second half to turn the match on its head. Sonny Black got the equaliser on sixty six minutes, and then Tom Beere’s first of the season saw them go ahead. They held on to take the points, and are five points behind the leaders in third place.

Wingate and Finchley abandoned any thought of a manager of the month curse as they defeated Carshalton Athletic. The Blues were quickly out of the traps, Ben Frempah opening the scoring on fourteen minutes and Andronicos Georgiou doubling the lead three minutes later, but Athletic were back in the match just before the break, David Smith continuing his fine start to his Robins career by scoring in both matches so far. Unlike the first of those, however, his intervention didn’t turn out to be decisive, the hosts holding on to end the night in fourth place. 

Sixth place Dulwich Hamlet travelled to Hendon hoping to break into the top five, but instead left with nothing- and perhaps Jameson Horlick’s golden gloves award for October came with a curse, as his defence conceded three goals- all in the closing stages. Hendon, who had gone four league games without a win, finally made the breakthrough seventeen minuets from time, Lonit Talla with the opener- and six minutes later Dave Diedhiou made it two. A third from Niko Muir, two minutes into added time, rounded off a fine Green victory and lifted Hendon to eighth, three points away from the top five.

Potters Bar Town are in seventh after a draw with Dartford. After a goalless first half the Darts went down to ten men on fifty seven minutes, Duane Ofori-Acheampong seeing red, but five minutes later were awarded a spot kick, and Samir Carruthers held his nerve to put the visitors ahead. The lead lasted only nine minutes, Brandon Adams levelling for the Scholars with his fifth goal in ten matches, and that’s where the scoring stopped. 

Horsham, their FA Cup heroics over for another year, travelled to Chichester City for a Sussex derby. We waited until fourteen minutes from time for a goal, Jimmy Wild opening the scoring from the spot for the hosts- and in so doing taking his tally for the season to fifteen (picture from the club, we suspect taken by Neil Holmes); but the Hornets replied seven minutes later, substitute Charlie Hester-Cook earning them a point. City are ninth, Horsham tenth- but the Hornets have two or three games in hand over all of the sides ahead of them. 

Hastings United ended a three match winless run by defeating Whitehawk at Pilot Field. The hosts went ahead after nine minutes, Jack Dixon scoring for his second match in succession- and rounded things off on sixty seven minutes, Finn O’Mara with his second goal in three matches securing three points and lifting his side to fourteenth place. The Hawks are in twentieth, without a League win for six matches and without a goal in any competition for five hundred and eighty minutes, their last one coming from now-Lewes striker Gianluca Botti in a Sussex Senior Cup win over Broadbridge Heath on October 8th.