Rams slay a giant- again!

Ashford Town welcomed Herne Bay to the edge of the airport. The Tangerines hadn’t managed to pick up a league point so far, but had been much more successful in the Cup having defeated Northwood and Uxbridge to reach this stage- but that success came to an end. Bay had defeated South Central opposition in the last round, Rayners Lane departing the competition after a replay, and they did the same again- only this time without a replay. Both of their goals arrived in the first half, Frankie Smith opening the scoring on ten minutes, Michael Salako’s fourth of the season making it two nine minutes before the break. 

Ashford United and Three Bridges last met in March, Bridges winning that league match by three goals to two- but that must have seemed an awfully long time ago for the travelling faithful as the Nuts and Bolts hit their side for six. Gary Lockyer was the chief architect of victory, the United number nine hitting four of the six goals to take his total for the season up to seven, with Jack Saunders getting the second and Craig Stone the sixth. Archie Burnett scored a late penalty for Bridges, who were five down by then, but it wasn’t much of a consolation. 

Broadbridge Heath were at home to Faversham Town, the visitors in third place and unbeaten in Southern Counties East Premier. The travelling Lillywhites were playing their fourth away match in a row, and they had won the other three, but the Bears weren’t about to become victims. That said, they couldn’t win, either, and the sides will have to meet again in Kent after a goalless draw. 

Burgess Hill Town welcomed South East rivals AFC Croydon Athletic, and came from behind to take victory with a goal thirteen minutes into added time. It was our featured match, and you can read all about it here.

Margate welcomed Hayes & Yeading United in a South East v South Central clash. Gate had started their South East tenure with three draws, and they’d also had three clean sheets in four matches - and now they have four in five, but they’ll have to travel to West London in midweek as there were no goals at the other end, either! United had scored twelve goals in their previous four matches- perhaps they’d used up their ration for August.

We had a Kentish seaside battle as Ramsgate played host to Folkestone Invicta. The Rams had been scoring goals for fun- fourteen in four matches- and had won them all, with Joe Taylor in his usual fine form having already claimed two match balls this season and scored eight goals- so we expected this one to be close, but an early red card for Invicta’s Eye Ebuzoeme gave the Rams an advantage, and they took it. Lewis Gard put them ahead just before half time, and with twenty minutes to go Alfie Paxman added a second. The ten men then struck back, Dan Smith scoring with just three minutes remaining, but Invicta hope was quickly extinguished when Alfie Paxman scored again, three-one the final score. One thousand and sixteen were in attendance, and the Rans, who got rather used to slaying giants in the cup last season, had done it again. Image from AT Photography. 

Sheppey United have had a magnificent start to the season, top of the South East table with three wins from three- and another Cup win to add to that. The Ites had defeated some West Londoners in the last round, North Greenford United, and faced another set, Hanwell Town travelling to Holm Park. The Geordies sit in seventh place in Pitching In Southern Premier South having won all of their home matches, but hadn't had any success on the road- and it looked like that pattern was to continue when Daniel Carr put the hosts ahead just after the hour. Five minutes from time, however, the visitors equalised- and the Ites will need to win again in West London if they are to progress. 

Sittingbourne were at home to Dover Athletic, another Kentish Isthmian battle. The Brickies are highly fancied in the South East promotion race and had won three of their four matches in League and Cup so far, whilst Athletic have promotion ideas of their own, and have scored almost twice as many Premier goals as anyone else so far, nineteen of them in five matches. If the visitors were favourites, it seems that nobody had told the hosts, who went two up in the first twenty five minutes, Henry Sinai and Ryan Kingsford sending the inhabitants of Blakey’s Shed wild. The match looked won when the final minutes arrived with the score unchanged, but it wasn’t, Mitch Walker pulling a goal back three minutes into added time and Alfie Matthews getting an equaliser two minutes later. 

Steyning Town were at home to Merstham for the second time this month, having lost one-nil to the Moatsiders on opening day. The hosts were yet to take a league point, but they’d already won three cup ties- but they couldn’t win a fourth, as the Moatsiders triumphed once more. Korrey Henry gave the visitors the lead on ten minutes, only for Jack Barnes to level with twenty five minutes to go- and it seemed certain that we were heading for a replay only for an own goal to give the visitors victory in added time. 

South East

Beckenham Town returned to the top of the table in style by hammering Sevenoaks Town at Greatness Park. Becks started the day in third place side- and indeed would have had a one hundred percent record had they not conceded a ninety sixth minute equaliser on Monday- and they were far too good for Oaks. Jamarie Brissett set them on their way on sixteen minutes, and whilst that was the only goal of the first half, the second was a disaster for the hosts. Mudiaga Wanogho added a second five minutes after the restart, Louie Theophanous made it three ten minutes later, and on seventy three minutes Freddie Nyhus added a fourth. Still the visitors weren’t finished, and Henry Griffin added a fifth eleven minutes from time. When you consider that Becks only remained in the League due to a reprieve after a dreadful 23-24, the change is rather remarkable. 

Deal Town needed a massive win to have a chance of hitting the summit- and they picked up three points, but the win was massive only in the sense that they entered the very last minute with no points looking likely. They were in Sussex, at East Grinstead Town, and went ahead from the spot on seventeen minutes, Macca Murray with the goal- but within four minutes were behind, Matt Daniel and Connor Tighe delivering a quick turnaround for the Wasps. That was that until the ninetieth minute, Ben Chapman finding an equaliser- and the Wasps quickly lost the ball from their restart, and somehow Tom Chapman found a winner. Deal are fourth. 

Erith Town, in eighth place at start of play, were on the road to Lancing. The Dockers picked up a first league win on Monday when defeating Phoenix Sports in a local derby, and added another three points by scoring the only goal of the game on eighteen minutes, Andrew Dythe sending them into the top five. The Lancers are still looking for a first win- and a first League point. 

Phoenix Sports welcomed Eastbourne Town. Sports were still looking for a first League win of the season- indeed a first win in any competition- whilst Town had followed a first league victory last Saturday- at Merstham- with defeat against Burgess Hill Town on Monday, but managed to make it two away wins in a row by scoring two goals at Mayplace. James Ding got two goals in that victory at Moatside, and he got two more, on the half hour and the hour, to send his side up to eighth.