Archibald dents Dulwich challenge

By Peter Butcher

AFTER reaching the League Cup final in midweek, Dulwich were brought down to earth by Eastbourne striker Evan Archibald yesterday (Saturday) as the Ryman South title race opened up again.

Archibald headed two first-half goals, in the 27th and 45th minutes, as Dulwich went down 2-0 in Sussex, their first defeat since October.

They still have three games in hand on leaders Maidstone but are five points behind them after Stones came from behind to win 3-1 at Herne Bay.

The hosts took the lead midway through the first half when Alex Brown brought down Michael Turner and Byron Walker scored from the spot.

Michael Phillips powered through to level the scores on 63 minutes and Tim Olorunda pounced when Stuart King’s header came back off the bar to put Stones ahead in the 81st minute. Alex Flisher completed the scoring in added time.

(Pictured by Tony Fowles: Maidstone keeper Daren Ibrahim saves bravely at the feet of Billy Bennett.)

Faversham took over second place, though they have played four games more than Dulwich, with a 2-1 victory at Chipstead. They, too, had to come from behind after Duane Antonio converted a 24th-minute penalty for a foul on himself.

Dave Botterill equalised shortly before half-time and it was also Botterill who headed the 57th-minute winner from Darren Marsden’s cross.

Leatherhead stayed fourth after a comfortable 4-0 home win over Walton Casuals. The much-travelled Allan Tait scored his first goal since his move from Met Police in the 21st minute and Jamie Coyle’s header quickly made it 2-0.
Sam Blackman and Liam Wright doubled the total in the last ten minutes, twice punishing Casuals’ failure to clear corners.

Two play-off contenders clashed at Sittingbourne and Crawley Down hung on to fifth place with a 2-2 draw. Ryan Golding put the Brickies ahead after 17 minutes but the visitors replied through Gabriel Odunaike in the 53rd minute and Luke Blewden gave them the lead seven minutes later.

The home side were reduced to ten men by Anthony John’s dismissal and their best chance seemed to have gone when Golding hit the bar. Then, with five minutes to go, Golding was brought down and he converted the penalty himself for his 20th league goal.

They are two of four sides on the 47-point mark as the play-off battle heats up. Hythe stayed level with them after being held to a 0-0 home draw by Merstham. Craig Cloke almost won it for Hythe with a header that Rob Carter cleared off the line.

Folkestone complete the quartet after their 3-1 win at Burgess Hill. Young striker Johan Ter Horst was their hero with goals in the 76th and 90th minutes, the second double of the month for the 17-year-old.

Richard Atkins had given Folkestone the lead after 31 minutes but Toby Pointing replied two minutes later and Hillians missed a chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.

Ramsgate moved to within one point of the quartet with a 2-0 victory at Walton & Hersham. Tom Parkinson headed home a long throw to give them the lead after ten minutes and Curtis Robinson added the second in the 63rd minute, soon after Mark McLeod’s second yellow card reduced the hosts to ten men.

Three teams well in the bottom half of the table helped themselves to 13 goals, led by table-proppers Three Bridges who thrashed neighbours Horsham 4-1 to revive their hopes of an improbable escape from relegation, though they are still seven points adrift of the field.

Abu Touray’s tenth-minute opener was quickly followed by a Williams Peauroux strike and Touray was on target again just before the break. Tony Nwachukwu pulled one back from the spot on the hour but Bridges won a penalty of their own with ten minutes left and Peauroux made no mistake.

Corinthian-Casuals laid on a treat for visiting League Chairman Alan Turvey, thrashing Whitstable 5-1. It was their biggest victory since they defeated Ashford by the same margin in September 2009.

They recovered quickly after Maddie Nsubuga’s own goal gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. Bashiru Alimi replied two minutes later and Casuals took command with strikes from Michael Mullen and Joe Hicks in the last four minutes of the first half.

Jamie Byatt stretched the lead further with a penalty in the 79th minute and Mullen added his second in the last minute.

Tooting fell behind twice before rallying to beat Worthing 5-2, much to the delight of a group of Bradford City supporters, in London for the Capital One Cup final, who turned up to support their former favourite Jamie Lawrence.

Billy Medlock netted for the Rebels after three minutes and, after Carl Wilson-Denis equalised on 14 minutes, Chris O’Flaherty headed Worthing back into the lead six minutes before half-time.

The Terrors hit back with both barrels in the first eight minutes of the second half, Wilson-Denis levelling matters again before Nathan Koo-Boothe headed his side in front. A volley by Bamoussa Cisse made it 4-2 on the hour and Wilson-Denis completed his hat-trick with a late penalty.

Where next?

Leaders spoil McDonagh's day HOWEVER long his career lasts, 17-year-old Chatham forward Taylor McDonagh is unlikely to suffer more acute frustration than he did yesterday (Saturday).
Thurrock stay at the bottom THURROCK stayed rooted to the foot of the Ryman Premier table tonight (Thursday) after a 3-0 home defeat by Leiston.

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