Three points between the top three as Billericay and Millers take advantage of another Dover home defeat

Whilst New Years Day was hampered by postponements, our Pitching In Isthmian Premier line up fared better than the rest, with ‘only’ three matches falling foul of the weather, and our entire top ten in action.  

Leaders Dover Athletic faced a tough test, Horsham their visitors. All of Athletic’s frailties this season had been at home, whilst most of the Hornets difficulties had been on the road, so the form guide offered us little- although Athletic did defeat the Hornets in Sussex on August Bank Holiday Monday so were hoping to complete an impressive double. The hosts went ahead just after the half hour, Alfie Matthews taking his tally for the campaign to seven, but with eighteen minutes left the visitors levelled courtesy of James Hammond- and three minutes later they went ahead, Reece Myles-Meekums making it two-one. The visitors held on for three points- Dover’s fifth home defeat of the season- and the Hornets are fifth. 

Second place Billericay Town had an Essex derby to contend with, travelling to Parkside to take on Hashtag United, and the Blues made the breakthrough on the half hour, Femi Akinwande putting them in front. Five minutes into the second half Akinwande scored again to make it two-nil, and a red card for the Tags Mert Apat made things even more comfortable for the visitors, although not for long, another red- this one for Tyrell Miller-Rodney- made it ten v ten, and that was quickly followed by a Tags goal, Nathan Smith pulling it back to one-two. There was to be no equaliser for the hosts, and Billericay are now only one point behind the leaders. Image from Nicky Hayes. 

Cray Valley PM, in third place, headed to Carshalton Athletic. The Robins have been very good at home but they fell behind after ten minutes, Tom Beere with his sixth goal of the season- all of them coming in his last ten matches. Eleven minutes later former Athletic boss Steve McKimm, of course these days in charge of the Millers, would have had even more reason for delight, as Barney Williams made it two-nil to the visitors. With eighteen minutes left the Robins had a lifeline, David Smith pulling a goal back, but that was as good as it got for the hosts, and the visitors are now only three points behind the leaders. 

Chatham Town welcomed Dartford, both sides in fine form. We suspected it would be a tight match, and the opening goal took an hour to arrive- and when it arrived it was an own goal, the Darts taking the lead as a result. The next goal was rather more deliberate, but it also went to the visitors, Eddie Dsane making it two-nil to the visitors with twelve minutes remaining, to the dismay of most of the three thousand and six in attendance. Dartford are fourth- and only four points behind the leaders. 

Folkestone Invicta had a superb start to 2025, Evans Kouassi delighting the home faithful by breaking the deadlock against Hastings United in the very first minute. They’ll have been even more delighted when Marvel Ekpiteta made it two seven minutes before half time- and the hosts weren’t finished, Ian Gayle making it three before they all trooped off for a segment of half time orange. Thirteen minutes from time Freddie Legg pulled a goal back for United, but that was that, Invicta up to eighth, United remaining third from bottom. 

Cray Wanderers and Dulwich Hamlet couldn’t manage a goal in the first half of their match at Flamingo Park, and they played thirty eight minutes of the second half before the deadlock was finally broken. The goal, when it arrived, went to the hosts, Frankie Raymond the scorer, and it was a win which lifted Wands up to eleventh having only lost two of their last ten. Hamlet are down in fifteenth, after one win from ten. That's the Wands sixth one-nil league win this season, five of them coming in their last seven matches. 

Bognor Regis Town, marooned at the bottom, desperately needed a result against local rivals Chichester City, but they had a terrible start, Lloyd Rowlatt scoring for the visitors after just ten minutes. It got worse for the Rocks when Joe Clarke made it two-nil six minutes before half time, to the dismay of most of the one thousand, three hundred and twenty two watching on, and that dismay will have only increased when Ethan Pritchard made it three five minutes into the second half. Only two minutes later the Rocks faithful were given reason to cheer, Jasper Mather getting a goal back, but any hope that created was quickly extinguished as Jimmy Wild got a fourth for the visitors. City climb to seventh, Bognor are ten points from safety. 

Whitehawk and Lewes played out a goalless first half, but weren’t allowed to come out for the second, match abandoned.