Wins for the top two- and Invicta break into the top five

Lewes hoped to get back to winning ways, but they couldn’t have had a tougher task, leaders Dover Athletic travelling to the Dripping Pan. Athletic were eight unbeaten- seven wins- whilst the Rooks had only two wins from ten, perhaps it wasn’t too much of a surprise when the visitors went ahead after eight minutes. Perhaps even less of a surprise was the identity of the scorer, George Nikaj, as it was his sixteenth of the season- and the scorer of their second, only three minutes later, has also been a familiar marksman this season, Ruben Soares Junior taking his tally to twelve as he scored for the third match in a row. Six minutes before half time the visitors made it three, Luke Baptiste scoring from the spot, and it looked a very long way back for the hosts. They did get a goal back on the hour from the usual source, Danny Bassett scoring his twelfth of the season, but that was as good as it got. 

Athletic remain five points clear at the top, Lewes slip to seventh. Image from James Boyes. 

Second place Cray Valley PM, eight matches unbeaten, welcomed Bowers and Pitsea, the visitors  hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat. Bowers chances of avoiding that fate took a blow just after the half hour, Tom Beere giving the Millers the lead, and, although the visitors fought to get back into the game, their chances came to an end five minutes into added time, Andre Coker adding a second. The Millers stay second, five points behind the leaders, whilst Bowers are two points from safety. 

Horsham have been superb at home, and were back there, taking on Folkestone Invicta- the visitors hoping to break into the top five and record a fourth consecutive win. The visitors made a breakthrough three minutes before half time, although sadly it was an own goal that did the damage, and try as they might the Hornets couldn’t get back into the match. Invicta climb to fifth. 

Hendon, that nine goal win at the weekend filling them with confidence, welcomed another set of Sussex Seasiders, Whitehawk travelling to North London. The Hawks, bottom of the table, had not only gone nine matches without a win, those nine matches had seen them score only one goal, which was the very definition of a crisis. The Greens broke the deadlock on nineteen minutes, Kai Brosnan with the opener, and fifteen minutes later Brosnan scored again, his fourteenth of the season. Nick Muir, who got five at the weekend, added number three just before half time, and that turned out to be that. Hendon are in sixth, the Hawks three points from safety having played more matches than the sides around them. 

Hastings United, desperate to atone for their hammering at Hendon at the weekend, welcomed Carshalton Athletic. That nine-nil loss was by far their worst performance of the season, and a third consecutive defeat, whilst the visiting Robins were four unbeaten and had lost only two of their previous ten. New United signing Will Harley, on loan from Eastbourne Borough, opened the scoring on ten minutes with a fine finish to end a quick counter attack, but the Robins were level just before the break, David Smith converting a spot kick. The second half brought no further goals, and United are seventeenth, one point outside the drop zone, whilst Athletic are eighth, two points from the play offs. 

Chichester City had only two defeats at home all season, and were buoyed by their win over Billericay Town on Saturday, but they fell behind against visitors Dartford after ten minutes, Ollie Box scoring a sixth goal of the season- and for the third match in a row. A quarter of an hour later an own goal saw the Darts double their advantage, but with twenty five minutes to go Ethan Pritchard gave the home fans hope, halving the arrears. That hope turned to reality with twelve minutes to go as Isaac Bello grabbed an equaliser, and City ended the day in thirteenth, the Darts two places and one point better off.