Sittingbourne get eight, whilst leaders Ramsgate get only five! Elsewhere, Erith get five, whilst Gate, Hill, Oaks and Ites win with three. Bridges and Wasps are also victorious
Leaders Ramsgate had opened up a five point lead at the top, and were back on their own patch, where their visitors were fifth place Beckenham Town. The Rams had lost only once all season and were looking for a fifth successive win, whilst Becks have gone six without a win, drawing their last three, but had a five point cushion between themselves and sixth place. Ramsgate went ahead on eight minutes, Benny Bioletti scoring for the the third game in succession and the eighth time this season, and after that the scoring stopped until we’d moved into the last half hour. A penalty for the hosts, the usual suspect taking it, Joe Taylor scoring his thirty seventh of the campaign, and then the floodgates opened, Roarie Deacon adding a third and a fourth. Fourteen minutes from time Tijan Jadama added a fifth, and the Rams stay five points clear- although they have played a game more than second place Sittingbourne.
Second place Sittingbourne were protecting a twenty one match unbeaten League run as Lancing came to call. The Brickies were not only unbeaten at home, they’d won every home match so far, so the Lancers really had to be at their best- but we had a predictable start, Henry Sinai taking only six minutes to put the Brickies ahead. Three minutes before half time Jack Steventon made it two, almost immediately Sinai added a third- and somehow there was still time for Joe Boachie to make it four-nil at the break as the visitors fell to bits. On the hour Steventon made it five, and four minutes later he claimed the match ball at six-nil. Surely that was quite enough? It wasn’t. On seventy two minutes Harry Heath got a goal back for the visitors, his twelfth in twelve matches, but that just provoked the savage beast, as Steventon added a seventh and Mitchell May and eighth.
Sittingbourne are five points behind Ramsgate with a game in hand, whilst Lancing will be glad that all of the sides below them in the table lost.
Margate were on the road- but not going too far, as they only travelled along the coast to take on Hythe Town. Gate saw a long unbeaten run end against Sevenoaks Town last weekend and wanted to bounce back, but they fell behind on thirteen minutes as Javaun Splatt opened the scoring. Five minutes into the second half Max Walsh equalised for the visitors, only for Anthony Adesite to restore the Cannons lead nine minutes from time. Surely that would earn the hosts a priceless victory? It wouldn’t. Two minutes into added time Ben Allen levelled for the visitors, and it was to get worse for Hythe, as with ten added minutes played Tyrone Sterling got a winner for Gate. Hythe have lost six in a row, have one win from eleven, and remain seven points from safety- whilst Gate remain third, twelve points behind the leaders but fourteen clear of sixth place.
Fourth place Burgess Hill Town travelled to third bottom Phoenix Sports. The Hillians were looking for a sixth consecutive win, although tend to struggle against Sports for some reason- but they went ahead on seven minutes, Nathan Cooper with the opener. Cooper is hardly prolific- not that that’s his job- but the defender was up from the back to score again twenty minutes later, making it two-nil. On thirty four minutes the lead was three, Stefan Vukojie surely making the points safe- and indeed they were, The scoring stopped there, and Hill are nine points clear of sixth place Sheppey.
Sheppey United were focused on reducing the six point gap between themselves and the top five as they faced the challenge of Broadbridge Heath at Holm Park. The Ites ended a five match winless run by defeating Hythe last time out- although that was New Years Day- whilst the travelling Bears had lost their last two, but were in fine form prior to that. United went behind on twelve minutes, Tadley Bromage opening the scoring, but Victor Aiye quickly brought them level. Two minutes into the second half the Ites went ahead, Dan Bradshaw keeping his cool from the spot, but three minutes from time their good work was undone, Eugene Moteane with an equaliser. The Ites weren’t done, however, and deep in added time they got a winner, Eitel Moumi Goueth making it three-two, and ensuring that his side close to within two points of fifth place Beckenham Town.
Merstham travelled to take on managerless Herne Bay. The Moatsiders had lost only two of their previous ten, whilst Bay found themselves only two places above the drop zone, albeit with a seven point cushion, after one win- and six defeats- from their previous eight. First it seemed we’d have a goalless draw, until Josh Reid scored for the hosts a minute into added time. So we’d have a one-nil win…only we don’t, as somehow, with five more added minutes played, Lee Lewis got an equaliser. Merstham are five points away from the top five, Bay now eight points clear of the drop zone.
Deal Town- in eighth- travelled to Three Bridges hoping to get back to winning ways after heavy defeats in their previous two. Bridges were very much enjoying being back at home and had won five of their previous seven, but they wouldn’t have found it enjoyable when Ash Miller put the visitors ahead two minutes into the second half. The hosts levelled just before the hour, Reece Hallard’s seventeenth of the season, and then, thirteen minutes from time, Bryan Villavicencio popped up to delight the home fans with a winner. Bridges are fourteenth, Town slip to ninth. Image below from Dave Burt.
Ashford United headed to Sevenoaks Town. The Nuts and Bolts were in ninth place, seven points away from the top five, but had lost their last two- whilst Oaks, who ended Margate’s unbeaten home record last Saturday, were looking for a fourth win in a row, and they went ahead in this one, Warren Mfula’s sixteenth goal of the season giving them the advantage. Mfula got another five minutes before the break to make it two-nil, and two minutes after half time it was three, Rodney Eruotor continuing his recent fabulous scoring run with his eleven of the campaign. On sixty three minutes Gary Lockyer got a goal back for the visitors, but Oaks held on for a comfortable win- and climbed to eighth as a result.
Erith Town travelled to take on bottom side Steyning Town. The Dockers had three defeats from their previous four, results which had seen them slip to eleventh, whilst the Barrowmen picked up a victory last time out, their first win for an awful long time, and hoped to build on that. Erith went ahead after just ten minutes, Arezki Hamouchene with the opening goal, and they were two up at the break, Harry Taylor adding the second on forty two minutes. Nine minutes into the second half it was three, Thomas Ash with that one, and Taylor’s second of the match made it four-nil just before the hour. Fourteen minutes from the end Taylor claimed a match ball when making it five-nil, although Joe Radley-Martin did get a late consolation for the hosts, who remain eight points from safety.
Eastbourne Town headed up the A22 to take on Croydon Athletic. Town had only one win from six, whilst their hosts seemed to have lost their way somewhat, with only one win from ten, but the Rams found the right direction on three minutes when Gus Sow put them ahead. The direction of travel changed a little on sixty five minutes when Luke Dreher was dismissed for the hosts, and just eight minutes later James Hull levelled from the spot for the visitors. That turned out to be where the scoring ended.
Littlehampton Town and East Grinstead Town met in a Sussex derby. The Golds had gone eleven matches without a win, but they were given a boost when the Wasps went down to ten men on seventeen minutes, skipper Glenn Wilson seeing red. It didn’t seem to boost them much, as seven minutes into the second half Charlie Harris gave the ten men the lead from the spot- and the visitors held on for three points, leaving them in fifteenth, but eleven points clear of their fourth bottom hosts.
