Celebrations at Maidstone

By Peter Butcher

ANOTHER crowd of close to 2,000 at Ryman South leaders Maidstone yesterday (Saturday) helped to celebrate the delayed start of the league’s ‘Isthmians Against Discrimination’ weekend.

The first of the three games dedicated to the campaign was washed out at Aveley on Friday and the third is at Wingate today (1pm), when Thurrock are the visitors.

Maidstone beat Tooting 3-0 to move six points clear at the top, with all the significant action coming in a ten-minute spell early in the second half.

Ian Draycott put Stones ahead in the 57th minute, Alex Flisher added another two minutes later and, after Tooting’s Nathan Koo-Boothe had been sent off, Steve Watt scored the third.

Dulwich reclaimed second place, with three games in hand, with a 3-1 home win over play-off contenders Sittingbourne.

Two goals in the first nine minutes, from Nyren Clunis and Xavier Vidal, put the skids under the Brickies, and Clunis effectively settled it with his second on the stroke of half-time. Hicham Akhazzan netted a late consolation for the visitors, who slipped from sixth to seventh.

The upset of the day was at Faversham, who started it in second place after an eight-match unbeaten run. They were trounced 4-1 at home by Whitstable, 18 places below them.

Tom Brunt’s fierce drive and Buster Smissen’s header put the Oystermen two up in 16 minutes and it stayed that way until the sixth minute of the second half, when Danny Hockton pulled one back with a penalty.

Faversham had several chances to equalise before Jake Beecroft’s 25-yarder put Whitstable 3-1 up with eight minutes left. Ollie Lee completed the triumph with a header.

Brendon Cass was again the hero for Hythe as they knocked Leatherhead out of fourth place with a 1-0 victory in Surrey. Cass, who netted the only goal of Wednesday’s victory at Burgess Hill with five minutes left, this time had 12 minutes to spare when he cut out a pass by home skipper Mark Simmonds and went through to score.

Folkestone moved up to sixth place, coming from behind to beat visiting Ramsgate 3-1. Ian Pulman scored for Ramsgate in the 22nd minute and they would now be sixth if they had held the lead.

Instead, they find themselves ninth. Josh Vincent headed the equaliser in the 29th minute, Dane Luchford put the hosts ahead with 20 minutes left and a late effort from Frankie Chappell made sure.

The day’s most exciting game was at Herne Bay, where play-off chasers Crawley Down fought back to level terms from 3-0 down. But the celebrations for Luke Blewden’s 87th-minute equaliser were short-lived. Byron Walker struck a minute later and Herne Bay won 4-3.

Such a tight finish could hardly have been predicted when the hosts struck three times in 13 minutes in the game’s second quarter, with James Turner’s double sandwiching Sam Bewick’s 25-yarder. Blewden gave the Anvils hope just before the interval and Jack Page further reduced the arrears in the 71st minute.

Bottom club Three Bridges revived their survival hopes thanks to a 26th-minute goal by Joel O’Hara, who made the most of Lee Carney’s pass to score the only goal of their home game against Walton & Hersham.

Bridges are now only three points behind Walton Casuals, who have two games in hand that will be little use to them if they continue the form which brought them a crushing 6-1 home defeat by Worthing.

Jamie Brotherton put the Rebels ahead on 20 minutes and Billy Medlock added another in the 36th minute before making it 3-0 with a penalty just after the interval.

The rout continued with a Chris O’Flaherty goal in the 54th minute and, after James McShane pulled one back on the hour, Medlock quickly completed his hat-trick and went on to nab his fourth near the end.

Games at Horsham and Merstham were postponed, so the only other action was at Burgess Hill where Corinthian-Casuals were beaten 2-1.

Part Harding’s 18th goal of the season gave Hillians a 17th-minute lead which Ryan Thompson doubled midway through the second half. Steve Barilli replied with four minutes left.

Where next?

Fifth red card halts match SUNDAY’S Ryman Premier relegation battle between Wingate and Thurrock ended in extraordinary circumstances.
Early kick-off at Wingate SUNDAY'S Ryman Premier game between Wingate & Finchley and Thurrock, the final fixture in the league's Kick It Out weekend, is now a 1pm kick-off.

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