Rams go eight clear as Brickies go second

Ramsgate, five points clear at the top and unbeaten, welcomed seventh place Erith Town to the seaside. The Rams were looking for an eighth successive win, but they were soon behind, George Goodwin scoring after nine minutes. They weren’t behind for long, however, Tijan Jadama levelling on twenty one minutes, and then Joe Taylor began doing Joe Taylor things, scoring on thirty eight and forty four minutes to make it three-one at the break. The Dockers were six unbeaten, but a red card in first half added time for Aaron Jeffrey effectively ended the contest, and the scoring had ended too. Ramsgate now have an eight point lead. 

Second place Beckenham Town were on the road to Herne Bay, and ended the day in third after losing for the third match in a row. The visitors were given a boost on fifty nine minutes with a red card for Bay’s skipper Liam Friend, but the hosts weren’t prepared to be friendly, and seventeen minutes from time Kane Haysman scored the only goal of the game, his side up to fifteenth. 

Sittingbourne came into their match with Croydon Athletic having played nine home matches and won them all, scoring a rather incredible thirty eight goals in the process- more than four per match- whilst conceding only two in total. They took that to ten- and their home goal tally to forty one- by scoring three goals in the first five minutes, and then gave their strikers eighty five minutes off! Joe Boachie got the first on two minutes, Troy Howard the second on four, Ryan Kingsford scored from the spot on five, and then the Rams Nya Kirby got a goal back from the spot eleven minutes later. Three-one after little more than a quarter of an hour, and still three-one at the end, the Brickies up to second- eight points behind Ramsgate with a game in hand. 

Fourth place Margate headed to take on bottom side Phoenix Sports, and a goal in each half took their unbeaten run up to nine. Max Walsh got the opener ten minutes before half time, Ibrahim Olutade the second three minutes after half time, and it saw Gate open up a sixth point gap on sixth place. Sports are still bottom, and eight points from safety. 

Burgess Hill Town were back at home, and were defending a nine match unbeaten run as Broadbridge Heath arrived for a Sussex derby. This was the Bears third Sussex derby in a row, and they had won the first two of those- and ended the Hillians long unbeaten run in real style. Mark Goldson gave them the lead on eighteen minutes, added a second eight minutes before half time, and then got his hat trick from the spot four minutes later, leaving their hosts rather shellshocked. The visitors held onto their lead throughout the second half, and climb to ninth, whilst Hill drop out of the top five. 

Sheppey United welcomed Eastbourne Town, and delivered a narrow victory to climb into the top five. The match had only one goal, and Victor Aiye scored it after thirty two minutes, giving his side a two point advantage over sixth place Burgess Hill Town- although the Hillians have played one match fewer.

Merstham hosted Ashford United, two form sides meeting at Moatside. The hosts, four points away from the top five, had lost only two of their last ten and were looking for a third win in a row, whilst the travelling Nuts and Bolts had suddenly found their feet, winning four in a row and scoring three goals on each occasion. That winning streak came to an end as the Moatsiders, helped by a red card for United’s Will Duprey on twenty one minutes, scored a goal in each half. Dean Gunner got the opener on twenty three minutes, Jude Molloy made quite sure of the points a minute from time, and Merstham are up to seventh. 

Sevenoaks Town welcomed Deal Town. Both have had inconsistent campaigns, and both were looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat- but only the Oaks managed that. Rodney Eruotor opened the scoring on eleven minutes, Jefferson Aibangbee made it two five minutes before half time, but the visitors hit back just before the break, Tom Chapman bringing it back to two-one. The second half had no further goals, and the three points take the hosts to twelfth, a point and two places behind their visitors. Image courtesy of Simon Lapwood.

East Grinstead Town welcomed Lancing in a Sussex derby. There were ten points between the fifteenth placed Wasps and their twentieth placed visitors at kick off, and the Lancers were six points from safety, having won one and lost eight of their last nine matches- but they are now five points from safety after picking up a convincing win. Harry Heath put the visitors ahead on forty three minutes only for Khalifa Jabbie to immediately level- but Heath restored the Lancing lead on the hour, and right at the end Ta’shae Andall-Gibbons added a third. Lancing are twentieth, the Wasps sixteenth. 

Hythe Town played host to Littlehampton Town, and the Cannons came from two goals down to take a point. The Golds went ahead on twenty one minutes, Rob O’Toole the scorer, and just before the break Jordan Layton added a second- but after the break Danny Parish found his shooting boots, pulling a goal back on fifty five minutes and making it two-two four minutes later. Right at the end the visitors Delwin Duah saw red, but that didn’t impact on the outcome. Hythe drop into the bottom four, a point from safety. 

Steyning Town were the hosts for Three Bridges, another Sussex derby. Steyning had slipped to second from bottom, six points from safety, after taking only one point from the last thirty available to them- and things didn’t improve as the visitors took the points back to Crawley. Bridges went ahead on fifty seven minutes, Nodirbek Bobomurodov the scorer, and in the very last minute Reece Hallard made it two. The hosts quickly replied through Harry Shooman, but that was as good as it got. Bridges climbed out of the bottom four, whilst the gap between Steyning and safety is now eight points- today’s victors the target.