Hornets reach the First Round once more- whilst Billericay score twice in added time to take a point in our top two battle

Emirates FA Cup

Carshalton Athletic headed north to take on National League South side Boreham Wood, and the Robins cup adventure finally came to an end, as they were on the receiving end of a four-nil defeat, three of the goals coming after the break. 

Cray Wanderers brought National League South side Tonbridge Angels to Flamingo Park. Wands were four unbeaten at home, but knew that they faced a challenge as their visitors had lost only once all season. A record crowd of one thousand, two hundred and twenty two people crammed in to watch, and they saw Angels score the only goal of the game midway through the second half. Wands hit the bar late on, and had an effort cleared off the line, but their cup dreams came to an end. 

We knew we’d have at least one Pitching In Isthmian club in the First Round as our next Fourth Qualifying Round tie featured two of them, as Horsham welcomed North Division Gorleston. The Hornets were familiar with the pressure that came with FA Cup success as they reached the Second Round last season, and they’ve got a First Round tie to look forward to once more, Reece Myles-Meekums scoring the only goal of the game four minutes from time. 

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

Leaders Lewes started the day with more wins than anyone else, whilst second place Billericay Town were our only unbeaten club- and with only one point between the two their meeting at the Dripping Pan could have seen our top spot change hands. The Rooks were unbeaten at home, and hit six last Saturday as they defeated Bracknell Town in the FA Trophy- and it took them only seven minutes to go ahead in this one, Danny Bassett’s eighth of the season coming from the spot. Eleven minutes into the second half the Rooks had another penalty, and Bassett was deadly once more to make it two-nil, delighting most of the one thousand, five hundred and fifty one in attendance. Four minutes into added time Billericay got a goal back through Tom Bender, but surely that was that? It wasn’t. With seven extra minutes played the Blues found an equaliser, Moses Emmanuel shocking the home fans and delighting the travelling faithful, two-two the final score. Lewes stay top, Billericay slip to third.

Dover Athletic were also in Sussex, and knew that they might climb to second place if they could win at Whitehawk. Athletic defeated some Sussex seasiders- Bognor Regis Town- in midweek, and had been better on the road than on their own patch so far this season, unbeaten on their travels- and they made the breakthrough with twenty two minutes left, Luke Baptiste with his sixth of the season. The Hawks chances looked slim when George Nikaj made it two-nil six minutes from time, taking his tally to eleven, and so it proved, Athletic up to second. 

Potters Bar Town (pictured), despite not being able to play at their own ground as improvement works continue, had charged up to fourth place. They’d won three of their last four, travelled to Cheshunt for a local derby full of confidence, and went ahead on sixty six minutes, Brandon Adams with the goal- the number nine scoring for the third match in a row. That turned out to be the only goal of the game, the Scholars staying fourth, the Ambers down in twenty first. 

Hendon made a trip around the M25 (other routes are available) to Dartford. The Greens were looking for a third win in a row- but had struggled on the road prior to last Saturday’s hammering of Bedford Town. The Darts, in contrast, had lost four in a row, indeed five of their last six, and were rather determined to stop the rot- but they made their own lives difficult when Jeremiah Pinder saw red four minutes into the second half. The ten men held on, however, and the match ended goalless, Hendon slipping seventh as a result, with Dartford in ninth. 

Cray Valley PM started the day outside the top five only on goal difference. The Millers were also ahead of their visitors, Chichester City, only on goal difference- both sets of Greens having established themselves quickly in our top flight after promotion from the South East Division last season. City were five unbeaten in the League, and went ahead on eighteen minutes courtesy of Jimmy Wild’s eleventh of the season (a goal we’ve also seen attributed to Joe Clarke), but the hosts quickly hit back and were in front twenty two minutes later, Freddie Parker’s equaliser taking his tally for the season to eight and Fumnaya Shomotun giving them the lead five minutes before the break. The scoring stopped there, and the Millers stay sixth. 

Dulwich Hamlet have been very much living in a Wanadio World so far this season, and Luke put them ahead against Hastings United on thirty minutes before doubling their advantage six minutes later- his tenth and eleventh goals of the season. Most of the three thousand, three hundred and thirty four watching on hoped for more of the same after the break, and they did see their side get a third goal, Danny Mills scoring three minutes from time, sealing three points and sending them fifth. 

Folkestone Invicta have had a rather inconsistent campaign so far, but were anything but inconsistent when hitting Ascot United for eight in the FA Trophy last weekend, and wanted to build on that as Hashtag United came to call, four places and two points between the sides at kick off. The Tags took four points from Invicta last season, including a win on the Kent coast, but they were quickly behind in this one, Khale Da Costa opening the scoring for the stripes on twelve minutes. Invicta’s dominance was dented on sixty six minutes as they saw Marvel Ekpetita dismissed, and the Tags were level seven minutes later, substitute Harrison Day scoring his first goal for the club in his second appearance. That was that, a point each the outcome.

Bognor Regis Town hoped to get back to winning ways as they welcomed Canvey Island. The Rocks had played their previous four matches in all competitions on the road, and lost three of them, the latest defeat in Dover in midweek; whilst the Gulls were on a good run, with only one defeat- in the Cup- from their previous five, and had actually been better on the road than on their own patch, winning three of their last four on their travels. The Rocks took four points from the meetings between the sides last season, but they fell behind five minutes into the second half, Chris Harris heading home the opener. They were quickly level, however, Spencer Spurway equalising, but the Gulls regained their lead four minutes from time, Finlay Dorrell sending them up to fourteenth and the Rocks into the bottom four.