Goals galore for our South Central sides in the Trophy

Our FA Trophy weekend started on Friday night, with two South Central v South East meetings. 

Ascot United played host to Merstham. The Yellas, who defeated Ashford Town in the last round, were full of confidence after three consecutive wins; whilst the travelling Moatsiders had also won their last three and had a fine start to the season, six wins from seven in all competitions, and a one hundred percent record on the road. That away run came to an end with a bit of a thump, as United hit their visitors for five, scoring four in the first half. Anas Igozouln scored the first and the third, Sean McCormack the meat in that particular sandwich and Liam Tack making it four just before the break. Eight minutes from time Ben Harris made it five. 

Kingstonian, at their new home of Raynes Park Vale, welcomed Eastbourne Town. After three wins from three at the start of the season- including one against Town’s neighbours United in the Cup- the K’s had conceded four goals in each of their previous two matches. Town had won their last two away matches, and indeed have been better on the road than on their own patch, so we thought this one would be close, and it was for sixty six minutes, before the K’s took a stranglehold on proceedings. Stan Flaherty got the opener, and it remained one-nil as we moved into added time, only for Flaherty and Taurean Roberts to make the result look rather one-sided in added time, with goals two and three. 

Badshot Lea of the South Central are still searching for a first League win, although they had won twice in knockout competitions prior to the visit of South East side Broadbridge Heath. The Bears were looking for a fourth unbeaten match, and they went ahead just after the half hour, Tadley Bromage with the opener, before quickly doubling their advantage, Owen Cranmer-Flynn with their second. The visitors added a third just before the hour, Callum Dowdell putting them out of sight, and they weren’t finished, Charlie Parameter adding a fourth fourteen minutes from time.

Farnham Town were at home to Flackwell Heath, the visitors in third place in Pitching In Southern Division One Central. Town have had a superb start to the season, and came into this one with only an FA Cup defeat blotting their copybook- every other match had been won, indeed won comfortably, and so far they’d scored eighteen goals and conceded six, with clean sheets in their last two victories. Their visitors had won four of their five league matches so far, and had scored fifteen goals of their own, so we didn’t expect a goalless draw, and Town broke the deadlock eight minutes from half time, Harry Cooksley with the opener. Five minutes after the restart the visitors equalised, and fifteen minutes from time they went ahead- things getting even worse for Town as Lewis Flatman saw red. Heath held on for victory.

Hanworth Villa looked to bounce back after midweek Cup defeat as they welcomed Margate, the visitors making their second trip to West London in four days and looking for a similar outcome, after defeating Hayes & Yeading United three-one on Tuesday night. The Villains were undefeated on their own patch this season, but they were behind on thirteen minutes, Gate boss Ben Greenhalgh with the opener. The visitors added to their lead just after the hour mark, Ibrahim Olutade scoring from the spot, and then they rather ran away with the match, Greenhalgh adding a third and Jordan Ababio making it four-nil eight minutes from time. A minute from time Greenhalgh completed his hat trick, five-nil the final score. That’s five clean sheets in seven matches for Gate. 

Hartley Wintney have had a positive start to the season, and hosted yet another South Central v South East battle as East Grinstead Town made the trip. This was the hosts first match for a fortnight, but they’d won three of their four fixtures this season and went ahead in this one just before the break, George Wallace with the opener. Aderi Dede made it two-nil just before the hour, but the Wasps got back into the match when Charlie Harris pulled a goal back, with eighteen minutes left to find an equaliser. It didn’t come, and the Row held infer victory. 

Hayes & Yeading United were looking to bounce back from their midweek Cup defeat as they welcomed Leatherhead, the Tanners still glowing from the success of their midweek endeavours, when they defeated Premier Division side Dulwich Hamlet. Up until the arrival of Margate on Tuesday our hosts were unbeaten, and indeed had won their first four matches of the campaign, but they fell behind in this one with twenty two minutes remaining, Andre Date with the opening goal. It turned out that it was also the only goal. 

It was South Central v South Central as Horndean hosted Binfield. The Deans have had a superb start to their league campaign, three wins from three, whilst the Moles were still looking for a League win but did defeat Badshot Lea in the Velocity Cup in midweek, and also had our biggest win of the season so far under their belts, that nine-one cup win at Longlevens. It took forty nine minutes for a goal to arrive, Kelvin Robinson scoring for the Deans, and they eased home, Robinson and Zack Willett adding a second and third. A red card for Mitchell Parker ended a miserable afternoon for the visitors. 

Raynes Park Vale welcomed Beckenham Town- another of those South Central v South East ties- both sides having had positive starts to the campaign. Vale’s unbeaten record departed with a narrow cup defeat against Chertsey Town last weekend, whilst Becks left the cup at the first hurdle but hadn’t looked back since, taking ten points from twelve, so we thought this had the look of a cracker. Vale took only two minutes to break the deadlock, Jordan Gallagher with the opener, and Gallagher added another six minutes later. It was three-nil on twenty minutes, Olly Sotoyinbo making it a long way back for Becks, and it was soon further still as Gallagher added a fourth and completed his hat trick. The second half saw something of a turnaround as Becks decided to make a match of it, and they caused a scare, Steven Townsend and a Louie Theophanous double bringing it back to four-three and leaving them ten minutes to find an equaliser and complete a remarkable comeback, but that was how it ended. 

Sevenoaks Town played host to Harrow Borough. Borough have had a superb start to the season, four league games bringing four victories and three clean sheets, but their only defeat came at the hands of South East opposition, and Oaks meant to make sure that lightning struck again, going ahead seven minutes before the break through Rodney Eruotor- but the hosts then made their own lives difficult, as Adejola Lahan saw red soon afterwards. Not too difficult, it seemed, as in added time at the end of the first half they went two goals up, Jefferson Aibangbee converting from the spot. The same player added a third, also from the spot, just before the hour, and that was the last goal of the game. 

Sittingbourne were bouncing Brickies after their performance against Premier promotion chasers Dover Athletic, who they removed from the Cup at the Crabble in midweek. The Brickies welcomed Sutton Common Rovers to Woodstock  Park, the visitors looking for a second win of the season, but it was the hosts who broke the deadlock just after the break, Codey Cosgrave with the opener. Deep in added time Richie Hammill added a second from the spot, and that was that. 

Southall were victorious against a Sussex side in the previous round of the Trophy, and indeed had to defeat Lancing twice after the first result was annulled due to an ineligible player issue, but they didn’t have the best of starts against Burgess Hill Town, as Ben Pope opened the scoring for the Hillians after just three minutes. It got worse for The All as Alex Brewer made it two twenty three minutes later, and that was where the scoring ended, Hill comfortably through. 

Uxbridge welcomed Phoenix Sports to Honeycroft. This was a match between two sides who were rather desperate for a victory, the hosts having lost their opening three league matches and been knocked out of the cup, the visitors having lost their previous three, four of their previous six, and yet to pick up a victory of any kind. The hosts went ahead early on, new signing Leo Decabo starting his career at Honeycroft in a positive manner, and they doubled their advantage when Wilson Chingoka added a second midway through the first half. The second half was one way traffic, Decabo quickly added a third, and almost immediately Alex Witham got a fourth, before Chad Goulter got number five just after the hour. An own goal ended a miserable day for the visitors, six-nil the final score. 

Westfield welcomed Met Police in an all South Central tie. The Woking side experienced their first defeat of the season last weekend, knocked out of the Cup by Premier Division Chatham Town, but were ahead in this one midway through the first half, John Adebiyi with the opener. Three minutes into the second half Richard Afrane-Kesey made it two, and after that the hosts coasted to victory, Lucas Sinclair adding two more for a four-nil win- a third win in a row for Westfield against the boys in blue, each of them with a clean sheet. The home fans were happy- even if they don't all look like it!

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

We had one match in the South Central Division on Saturday, as Rayners Lane hosted Moneyfields. Lane had drawn both their opening two fixtures of the season, and at half time in this one the scores were once more level, but there had been no shortage of entertainment. The Moneys went ahead on seven minutes through Jack Lee, but a Frank Keita double then gave the hosts an advantage, only for Eric Delland to level three minutes before the break. The scoring ended there, and both sides had to be content with a point- a first for the visitors.