Farnham march on- but Leatherhead, Hartley and Binfield take our headlines

Farnham Town suffered a shock on Saturday- they could only draw- but our leaders extended the gap at the top to five points last night, winning a tight match at Raynes Park Vale- who ended with nine men. The game came to life just before half time, Owen Dean’s fourteenth goal of the season putting the visitors ahead before an own goal immediately drew Vale level- but on sixty six minutes the visitors restored their lead through Great Evans, and this time they held it. Right at the end Vale saw two players sent off, Cameron Black and Daniel Hector departing only seconds before the match ebbed to a close. 

Image from LJP Photos.

Six points further back in third place we find Kingstonian, and their irrepressible striker Eddie Simon. The K’s were in Portsmouth taking on Moneyfields, and the Moneys had hardly left the dressing room before they were two down, Simon scoring in the first and second minutes. A red card just before the break- Reuben Duncan- for the K’s gave the Moneys hope, and they did get a goal back on sixty five minutes, Jafer Mahhammedkier the scorer, but four minutes later the K’s restored their two goal lead, Simon stepping up to convert a penalty to make it three-one. That took his tally for the season to eighteen goals from fifteen matches- and given it coincided with a sending off for the hosts Jack Lee it rather ended the contest.

South Park Reigate won a league match for the first time this season on Saturday, but if they thought that would spark a run of victories they were rather disabused of that notion at Hartley Wintney. This was The Row’s fourth home game in a row, and they’ve won all of them- this one by the most impressive margin, five-nil- and scored fifteen goals in the process. George Wallace put them ahead on sixteen minutes, and it was two-nil by the break, Charlie Postance doubling their advantage. Just before the hour Aderi Dede’s eleventh of the season made it three, and he quickly took that tally to twelve by making it four-nil. Five minutes from time substitute Sam Bartlett added a fifth, only moments after entering the field- and the Row are fourth. 

Leatherhead have had a rather disappointing start to the season, but they put Rayners Lane to the sword at Fetcham Grove to climb out of the bottom four. Lane were three unbeaten as they travelled to Surrey, and it took them only five minutes to go ahead, Frank Keita scoring his ninth of the season- but the Tanners then took a stranglehold on the match.

It isn’t long (30th March) since Alex Laing and Lukas Franzen-Jones were playing together for Lancing, but, newly reunited at Fetcham Grove after the latter’s transfer last week, they shone for the Tanners. Laing levelled on thirty two minutes, and Franzen-Jones put his side ahead eight minutes later before Alex Pearce made it three-one just before the break. On fifty five minutes Deondre Date’s ninth of the season made it four, and only one more minute had gone before Franzen-Jones made it five. The sixth goal arrived fifteen minutes from time, Date taking his tally into double figures, and finally for the shellshocked visitors, that was that. 

Velocity Cup Third Round

Dulwich Hamlet welcomed Pitching In Isthmian South Central side Binfield and made a large collection of changes, with only Max Hudson of the side that started against Hastings United on Saturday kicking off against the Moles. Hamlet were quickly made to pay for those changes, as Mitchell Parker put the visitors ahead after just three minutes, and on thirteen Rahzir Smith-Jones added a second. Six minutes into the second half Lorenzo pulled a goal back for Hamlet, but their chances of a comeback departed when Parker made it three-one eight minutes from time, and in added time the visitors got a fourth, Connor Jeanes rounding off a memorable night for the visitors, four-one the final score.