Darts up to fourth, Ambers return to winning ways, and Chats progress in the Cup

Dartford faced what looked like a difficult match as they travelled to Horsham, but they dealt with the Hornets challenge fairly comfortably to go fourth in Pitching In Isthmian Premier. The Darts have been in fine form, and took their unbeaten run to ten matches by recovering from going a goal down and then turning the screw in the closing stages. 

Horsham have been very good indeed on their own patch, and they delighted the majority of the seven hundred and thirty five watching on when Charlie Hester-Cook put them ahead on twenty three minutes. The Lardy Army had just begun basking in the warm glow of success when they suddenly developed a chill as the Darts immediately equalised, Samir Carruthers the scorer, and that was that until twenty minutes from time. Olly Box has been in red hot form of late, and he scored for the third match in a row- indeed he has scored in six of his last eight- to give the visitors the lead, and twelve minutes later they added a third, Denzelle Olopade ensuring their was no way back for the Hornets, who remain thirteenth- five poitns away from the top five with a game in hand. 

Chichester City welcomed Whitehawk for a Sussex derby, fans mixing with those heading to watch Cinderella at the theatre next door. The Hawks made the breakthrough just after half time, Emmanuel Mensah the scorer, but on sixty four minutes there was a shout of “he’s behind you,” and the pantomime villains were visiting keeper Jasper Sheik and defender Wasiri Williams, as Lloyd Rowlatt capitalised on a defensive mix up to ensure that his side grabbed a point. Oh yes he did! 

Whitehawk slip to twentieth, a point from safety, whilst City are seven points better off in sixteenth. Image from Tommy McMillan. 

Cheshunt played host to Bowers and Pitsea, twentieth v twenty first- and it was nineteenth v twenty first by the end. Cheshunt came into the match with only one win from eight, and were looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat- a challenge they accepted when Uko Oji got the only goal of the game six minutes before half time. The Ambers are a point from safety, whilst Bowers have now lost eight games in a row- and perhaps just as concerningly, haven’t scored since Jacob Bland got a consolation in defeat at Billericay Town on November 16th, which means they have gone five hundred and forty six minutes without a goal. They are seven points from safety.

Onto the Velocity Cup Fourth Round, and holders Chatham Town, in fourth place in Pitching In Isthmian Premier as we kicked off, welcomed Burgess Hill Town, who are in fifth place in our South East Division. The Chats were unbeaten in the league since October 1st, and indeed had lost only one of their last fifteen in all competitions- and that stretched to one in sixteen as a Kareem Isiaka masterclass gave them victory. 

Hill were never likely to be pushovers, as indeed they also had only one defeat in all competitions since October 1st- and they held their hosts at bay for the first forty nine minutes, before being hit by Isiaka’s first goal a minute later. The Chats number sixteen reacted quickly to a cross and deftly headed the ball across keeper Slav Huk into the corner of the net. The visitors weren’t about to lay down and be walked on, and they did their best to find an equaliser, but three minutes into added time a Chats break and there was Isiaka again, securing victory and a place in the Quarter Finals.