Dulwich maintain their edge

By Peter Butcher

IT’S as you were at the top of Ryman South, and that’s good news for leaders Dulwich who maintained their three-point advantage over Maidstone, now with only two games to play, with a 3-1 victory at Herne Bay yesterday (Saturday).


Dean Lodge gave Dulwich an early lead with his first goal since moving from Kingstonian and Erkan Oztumer made it 2-0 midway through the second half.

There was brief alarm for the visitors when Joe Nelder converted a penalty with five minutes left but Danny Carr (pictured), who joins Huddersfield at the end of the season, quickly responded to give Dulwich a 3-1 victory.

Bay, who unexpectedly sacked promotion-winning manager Simon Halsey after their home defeat by Corinthian-Casuals on Thursday, are at least safe from an instant return to the Kent League.

That's because bottom club Walton Casuals lost 3-0 at home to Maidstone, though it was not as easy as it sounds for the title-chasers.

Casuals held out for 78 minutes before Steve Watt headed home a corner to break the deadlock. Ade Olorunda and Michael Phillips added further goals which should ensure that Stones will have the advantage on goal difference if they and Dulwich finish level on points.

Maidstone finish with a visit to Chipstead and a home game against Horsham, two more sides who made sure of avoiding relegation yesterday. Dulwich have two home matches against mid-table opposition, Crawley Down and Burgess Hill.

Faversham made sure of their play-off place with a 4-2 home win over Merstham. Adrian Stone scored early and late for Merstham against his old club but, in between, Faversham dominated.

Wayne Wilson equalised with a 38th-minute penalty and James Peacock’s header put them in front by half-time. Renford Tenyue made it 4-1 with two excellent strikes before Stone got his second.

Hythe, too, are sure of appearing in the play-offs despite being held to a 2-2 home draw by Worthing. Jake Hobbs and Dave Cook, with his 25th league goal, twice put them ahead in the first half with Scott Kirkwood replying.

And it was Kirkwood who headed a late equaliser to postpone Hythe’s celebrations until the other results confirmed their top-five place.

Three teams are left in the hunt for the remaining place, currently occupied by Folkestone after their 2-0 win at Three Bridges. Phil Stevenson’s first-half penalty miss delayed the visitors but Richard Atkins gave them the lead nine minutes after the break and Josh Burchell added the second three minutes later.

They moved up to fifth because Leatherhead suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Horsham, another side who secured their place in the league for next season. Tanners missed a host of chances either side of Tony Nwachukwu’s 30th-minute penalty and had top scorer Tommy Hutchings sent off with 13 minutes left.

Ramsgate would have taken over fifth spot with a home win over Corinthian-Casuals, but Ian Pulman’s early penalty miss turned out to be the story of the afternoon as the hosts failed to make the most of their superiority and were held to a 0-0 draw.

So Folkestone are a point ahead of their two rivals but Leatherhead are the only side with a midweek game. They visit Eastbourne on Wednesday and need a win to move above Folkestone.

If they fail, Folkestone will probably go into the last day of the season as favourites. They have a home game against Herne Bay while Leatherhead have to host one of the sides above them, Faversham.

Ramsgate visit Sittingbourne, who slipped out of play-off contention themselves when they were held to a 2-2 draw at Tooting.

Sol Pinnock gave the Terrors an early lead which was wiped out by Ollie Gray’s header on the stroke of half-time. Joe Taylor’s lob put the Brickies on course for the win which have maintained their outside chance of post-season play, only for Pinnock to fire home from 20 yards in the last minute and end their hopes.

When the day started there were still eight clubs who could have found themselves relegated at the end of the season. Now there are just three.

Whitstable’s 2-2 draw at Chipstead was enough to see both of them to safety. Micheal Everitt headed in an eighth-minute corner to put the Oystermen ahead but Chips hit back with two goals either side of half-time from Devon Williams. Buster Smissen equalised with 20 minutes left.

Walton & Hersham are not quite safe after their 2-1 defeat at Burgess Hill. Ryan Thomson and Max Miller put the Hillians 2-0 up at half-time, with Harold Odametey replying ten minutes after the restart.

It looks almost all over for Walton Casuals, six points adrift at the bottom with only two games left. Their neighbours can make themselves safe by getting a point from either of their home games, against Herne Bay on Tuesday and Hythe on Saturday.

Should they lose both matches, Casuals will have to win at home to Sittingbourne on Wednesday and at Merstham on Saturday as well as making up a gap of ten goals: unlikely, but not impossible.

Three Bridges are also six points ahead of Casuals and they have only one game left, at Whitstable. But their 18-goal advantage is surely insurmountable.

Where next?

Whitehawk are one point away TWO goals in seven minutes by Sam Gargan took Whitehawk to the brink of becoming Ryman Premier champions with a 2-0 victory at Leiston today (Sunday).
Gills capture Women's Cup GILLINGHAM are the new holders of the Isthmian Women’s Cup after a 2-0 away victory over Woking side Westfield in the final tonight (Thursday).

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