Brickies defeat Dover- again- whilst Becks extend their lead

Isuzu FA Trophy

Dover Athletic and Sittingbourne had already met twice this season, and our Premier leaders were looking for a little revenge having been knocked out of the FA Cup by the South East promotion chasers back in September. Athletic had won their last four and looked consistently impressive of late, but they made their lives difficult, going down to ten men on the quarter hour, Roman Charles-Cook sent off, and the Brickies took advantage, Mitchell May putting them ahead with his seventeenth goal of the season seven minutes before half time. Twelve minutes from time Codey Cosgrave made sure that lightning struck for the second time this season, making it two-nil, and the Brickies magnificent campaign continued with another victory. Athletic must be delighted they won’t have to play the Brickies again this season. 

Former Pitching In Isthmian Premier leaders Lewes played host to South East opponents, Ashford United making the trip to the Dripping Pan. The Rooks were unbeaten at home, whilst the Nuts and Bolts seemed to have found form, and were looking for a fourth win in a row- and a fourth win in a row against Sussex opposition! United broke the deadlock just before the half hour, an own goal doing the damage, and six minutes into the second half they scored one for themselves, Gary Lockyer taking his tally to fourteen for the season. Giant killing confirmed? Not just yet, as ten minutes from time Shae Hutchinson got one back, and in added time at the end Alfie Allen equalised for the hosts. Off we went to a shootout, and the Rooks triumphed eight-seven. 
 

Pitching In Isthmian South East

Leaders Beckenham Town started the weekend with a five point lead- but they’d also played five more matches than second place Ramsgate so couldn’t afford to slip up as Deal Town came to call. Becks had lost only one league game on their own patch- against Margate last month- and went ahead in this one four minutes before half time, the evergreen goalscorer Louis Theophanous with his seventh goal of the campaign in only his tenth match. The visitors drew level in the early stages of the second half, Ben Chapman with the equaliser, but in the closing stages the hosts turned on the style. Theophanous added a second with sixteen minutes to go, and within two minutes it was three-one, Akheem Belford with that one. A fourth soon arrived, Jack Holland with that, and Becks extended their lead to seven points as the Rams could only draw. 

Second place Ramsgate came into their match with Burgess Hill Town having played eight matches- four at home and four on the road- and won them all, a perfect record, the only one left in the League. The Rams faced a tough task, however, as sixth place Hill were only two points behind them and were in fine form, having lost only one of their previous nine in the League- and they started in superb fashion, silencing the home faithful not once but twice, Oli Davies opening the scoring on fifteen minutes and Alex Malins making it two ten minutes later. Twelve minutes before half time the Rams struck back, goal machine Joe Taylor making it seventeen for the season, and he made it eighteen from the spot- and two-two- just before the hour mark. That was that, nine hundred and fourteen watching on. Hill stay sixth. 

Sheppey United, in fourth, were on the road to the seaside, taking on Herne Bay. The Ites are having a positive season, and they had a positive first half, Danny Leonard giving them the lead on eighteen minutes and James Taylor doubling it six minutes later. They had a positive second half, too, as Gil Carvalho got a third from the spot on the hour, and Dan Bradshaw added a fourth six minutes from time. They climb to third. Image from Marc Richards. 

Margate are having a fine season, our fifth place side having lost only once prior to the arrival of Eastbourne Town. The Blues were looking to maintain their unbeaten home record- and deliver a third win in a row- and they looked well on their way as Ibrahim Olutade gave them the lead just before half time, his thirteenth of the campaign certainly unlucky for the visitors. In the early stages of the second half Jordon Ababio made it two, and in the closing stages of the match they scored two more, boss Ben Greenhalgh with his eleventh of the season and Ben Allen coming on from the bench to get the fourth- and send Gate up to fourth. 

Erith Town welcomed Broadbridge Heath to Thamesmead. The Dockers had hit a bit of a slump, with only one win from six, but they went ahead din this one after just three minutes, Ollie Milton the scorer, and we hope that everyone had arrived on time as the match brought no further goals. Erith are seventh. 

Merstham played host to bottom side Phoenix Sports. The Moatsiders had lost only once at home- although they’d only won once, too, the other three matches ending in draws- but by half time in this one a draw looked most unlikely, as they were three goals to the good. They waited until ten minutes from half time to open the scoring, Sam King the scorer, but quickly added a second through Sam Drage and then on forty three minutes Aidan Brown made it three. It was four-nil seven minutes into the second half, Charlie Greenwood with a spot kick, and right at the end new arrival Aaron Smith-Joseph came on from the bench to score a fifth. The Moatsiders are eighth, Sports eight points from safety. 

Sevenoaks Town headed to Sussex to take on Steyning Town. Oaks put up a fight before losing against Premier Division Cray Valley PM in the Velocity Cup in midweek, and prior to that were three unbeaten- whilst the Barrowmen had dropped into the bottom four after losing their previous five and hoped to get their first win since the end of last month. The hosts didn’t look much like getting that victory after a two goals spell midway through the first half gave the visitors a distinct advantage, Kevin Diomande and Rodney Eruotor the scorers, and it looked even less likely when Warren Mfula added a third just before half time. The second half saw no addition to the scoreline, and Oaks are into the top ten. 

Three Bridges welcomed East Grinstead Town- to Chatham, which is rather a long way from home, and rather a long way for the Wasps to travel for what has always been a fiercely contested A264 derby. Bridges had delivered some improved performances of late, winning two of their last three as they began to get used to being on the road all of the time, but it was the Wasps who stung first, new arrival Jabari Christmas opening the scoring on twenty two minutes. The rest of the match saw no further goals, but it did see two red cards right at the end, Bridges keeper Luke Glover and Alex Andrade Filipe for the visitors both departing only slightly early. 

Hythe Town and Lancing, twentieth versus twenty first, were both rather desperate for points. The Cannons had lost their previous half a dozen league matches and were rather in freefall, whilst the Lancers had taken only one point from their previous six, so we thought that this one might be close- but it was anything but. Riley Court put the hosts ahead on seven minutes, and a double from Ellis Brown on his debut- on thirty six and forty five minutes- made it three-nil at the break. The second half brought no more goals, but it did lift the Cannons out of the bottom four.