Billericay hit the top!

Leaders Dover Athletic travelled to face in-form Hashtag United, looking to get back on an even keel after three wins and three defeats from their previous six. Athletic’s issues had all come on their own patch- they remained unbeaten on the road- but they had seen their lead at the top cut to one point so were vulnerable for the first time in months, and looked even more vulnerable when Misha Djemaili put the Tags ahead from the spot in the early stages of the second half. It got worse for the visitors just before the hour when Josh Osude made it two, and although George Wilkinson got a goal back in added time there was not enough time for another. Athletic drop to second- the Tags, with only one defeat in eleven, are seventh. 

Second place Billericay Town had the chance to take over at the top last weekend but then Horsham decided to get in the way, inflicting their first defeat in ten matches. The Blues faced a side with much bigger problems at New Lodge, Dulwich Hamlet having slipped to fifteenth after a a run of one defeat in ten- a run which left them only five points above the drop zone, although with a new manager to impress. He might not have been too impressed when De-Carrey Sheriff put the hosts ahead just after the half hour, and the same player continued his fine recent form in front of goal with another ten minutes into the second half. What they had, they held- and they climbed above Dover to the summit, two points clear having played a game more. 

Cray Valley PM hosted a green ‘derby,’ with Bognor Regis Town making the trip north. The Millers started the day three points from the top, and had only one defeat from ten, whilst the Rocks were rock bottom but full of optimism after coming from behind to defeat Dulwich Hamlet with ten men last time out. The hosts were ahead after just seven minutes, Kurtis Cumberbatch with his first goal for the club, and it quickly got worse for the Rocks when Tom Beere made it two only four minutes later. Three minutes into the second half and it was three-nil, Kenny Aileru with that one, and right at the end the hosts added a fourth, Adam Coombes rounding off victory- and seeing them go level on points with Dover Athletic. 

Dartford were looking for a seventh successive win as they took on Wingate and Finchley in North London. The Darts came into the weekend as our form team, unbeaten in the league since October 19th, when the victors were…Wingate and Finchley! The Blues had gone nine matches without a win, a run which had seen them slip to fourteenth, and they had a rather tricky start to this one, too, George Whitfield putting the Darts ahead after just eight minutes. Ten minutes before the break Samir Carruthers made it two-nil from the spot, but the hosts gave themselves hope when Camilo Restrepo halved the deficit eight minutes later. A red card for the visitors Sam Okeye gave the hosts even more hope just after the hour, but they couldn’t take advantage, and the visitors held on for that seventh straight victory- and closed to within three points of the top. 

Horsham were in magnificent form as they travelled to face Lewes in a Sussex derby. The Hornets had won seven in a row- the last three to nil- and had opened up a nine point gap between themselves and sixth place. They were looking to do a double over the Rooks, and they went ahead eight minutes before half time, James Hammond deadly from the spot. Only five minutes later it was two-nil, Reece Myles-Meekums making most of the ground miserable, and they were given nothing to cheer them up, the visitors holding on for victory. Horsham have now opened up a nine point gap between themselves and sixth place. Image from Lee Wellings. 

Chichester City, in seventh at kick off, were at home to Bowers and Pitsea. City were six unbeaten and looking for a fifth win in a row, whilst Bowers started the day eight points from safety and with only one win in ten. They were looking for a rare double, having defeated City two-one when they last met, but they fell behind on sixty nine minutes when wild and deadly Jimmy Wild scored for the twenty third time this season. The hosts held on to climb to sixth, the gap between the visitors and safety extending to nine points. 

Cray Wanderers headed to Hastings United hoping for another one-nil win. Wands had climbed to ninth after a run of only two defeats in ten- a run which included six single digit victories, including their last three- and when Nyren Clunis put them ahead in this one on twelve minutes it looked rather ominous for United. Still, it was confirmed that they wouldn’t lose one-nil soon afterwards, because Wands got another, Nathan Jeche doubling the lead. United hit back, Ben Wells halving the arrears, but that was as good as it got for the hosts, who are now four points from safety. Wands are ninth. 

Folkestone Invicta welcomed Canvey Island for a seaside ‘derby.’ Invicta were tenth, with only one defeat in five- although it was the last time out, a hammering against Cheshunt, so they wanted to quickly consign that to the memory banks, and a goal from Ade Yusuff on the half hour will perhaps have helped. Yusuff made it two in first half added time, and it got worse for the Gulls when they had Tobi Tinubu dismissed just before the hour, his red card arriving only ten minutes after his first yellow. Dean Rance quickly made it three-nil, and although Bradley Sach got a goal back for the visitors on sixty six minutes Yusuff quickly completed a hat trick, making it four-one. Emmanuel Adebiyi did bring it back to four-two, but Invicta took three comfortable points, whilst their visitors are only two points above the drop zone. 

Hendon were under new management and really needed a new manager boost, as they’d lost eight matches in a row, and hadn’t scored for five hundred and seventy one minutes. Visitors Carshalton Athletic, five without a win, went ahead on the hour through Soul Kader, and eleven minutes from time David Smith got another to make it two-nil to the Robins. Tommy Bradford added a third four minutes from time, and that scoreless run continued for the Greens, who drop into the bottom four. Athletic are eleventh. 

Cheshunt hosted Whitehawk, seventeenth v nineteenth. There were three points between the sides at kick off but both were in decent form. Cheshunt looking for a fifth unbeaten match, whilst the Hawks had one defeat in seven and a new-found confidence. The Ambers defeated the Hawks two-nil in October with a goal at the end of each half, but within half an hour of this one they were two-nil down, Charlie Lambert doing the damage with both goals. The hosts halved the deficit on the hour, Raul Da Silva getting a goal back, but a minute from time the Hawks added a third through Josh Nandhra, which was quickly followed by a red card for the hosts Darion Furlong. Six minutes into added time Kai Jennings made it four-one, and the Hawks climbed out of the bottom four. 

Our other match is on Sunday, as Potters Bar Town welcome Chatham Town. The sixth place Chats got back to winning ways against Wingate and Finchley last weekend, after three defeats, whilst the Scholars have lost three of their last four but have lost only three times at home all season. The Chats came from two down to draw with the Scholars in October.