All the leaders win- but it's a good night for many of those at the bottom, too

By Ian Townsend

Dorking, Bowers, Hayes and Cray get three points, Harlow hit relegation rivals hard, and in the South Central three of the bottom four win away. It's our round up of last night's action.

Dorking Wanderers used their game in hand over Haringey Borough to good effect last night, travelling to Margate and coming away with a 1-0 victory. They had to work hard for it, however, despite playing against ten men for sixty six minutes after Gate forward David Martin picked up a red card, but Jason Prior made the breakthrough midway through the second half and Marc White’s side held on for their sixth straight victory to go three points clear. Gate are in an entirely different situation, last night being the latest poor result in a winless streak that goes back to December 1st, and leaves them in eighteenth place.

Third place Merstham and fourth place Lewes both play tonight, but Folkestone Invicta moved up to fifth with victory over Corinthian-Casuals; although they left it as late as possible, Michael Everitt getting the winner almost on the full time whistle after Warren Mfula had earlier cancelled out Finn O’Mara’s Invicta opener.

Horsham v Hastings United 050219

Horsham v Hastings United 050219

Worthing and Carshalton Athletic shared six goals at Woodside Road, and they did so equally, a point which sees the Mackerel Men level on points with Invicta and the Robins comfortably in mid table. Tommy Bradford got things underway with his 100th Athletic goal, only for Ricky Aguiar to equalise just before the break. In the second half Worthing took the lead, Josh Gould with a debut goal (congratulations Josh), but in the last ten minutes everything got a little frantic, Christie Pattisson grabbing an equaliser before, with six minutes left, Bradford made it one hundred and one. There was still time for Jalen Jones, a defender who seems to think he’s a centre forward, to grab an equaliser and ensure that his club got something from the game.

Bishop’s Stortford moved up to tenth with a 2-1 win over Enfield Town, another Ben Worman thunderbolt and the usual Jamie Cureton strike- this one right at the end- enough to earn three points despite Kezie Ibe’s earlier equaliser for the Towners.

There was a very important match at the wrong end of the table, as Burgess Hill Town entertained Harlow Town, and the Hawks were quickly in full flight, scoring three goals before half time as the Green Elephants forgot how to defend. Matt Foy managed two of them, Tom Hitchcock the other, and although James Richmond got a goal back almost on the hour it was nowhere near enough for the Hillians to get anything from the game. Harlow go four points clear of the last relegation place- and four points clear of Hill.

Finally for the Premier, Leatherhead have finally found their form, with ten points from the last twelve after defeating bottom side Whitehawk at the Enclosed Ground. A goal in each half, from Will Salmon and Ibrahim Olutade, made things comfortable for the Tanners, who climb to eleventh. The Hawks, in contrast, are anything but comfortable- eight points from safety.

Heybridge Swifts v Basildon United 050219

Heybridge Swifts v Basildon United 050219

North Division

Bowers and Pitsea are once more three points clear at the top, but they had to work hard for those points at the Len Salmon last night, as Grays Athletic restricted them to only one goal. Lewis Manor got it, in the 56th minute.

Aveley sit three points behind Bowers, with Maldon & Tiptree three points further back- and the Jammers have been joined on fifty points by local rivals Heybridge Swifts, who staged a second half comeback to defeat Basildon United. Stuart Zanone and Rhys Fatt put the Bees two goals up at the break, but they had to head back to the Ha-Ha Stadium with nothing to laugh about as Luke Wilson, Matthew Price and Kreshnic Krasniqi came up trumps.

Bury Town closed the gap on the playoff places- and specifically Coggeshall Town- with a 5-2 thumping of Witham Town at Ram Meadow. Cemal Ramadan took only two minutes to open the scoring, and by half time it was three-nil as Ryan Horne and Ollie Hughes added to the haul. Toby Aromolaran grabbed two consolation goals in the second half but they were cancelled out by the home side, as Kyran Clements managed two of his own.

Bishop’s Stortford v Enfield Town 050219

Bishop’s Stortford v Enfield Town 050219

We had two five-two scorelines, and the second went in favour of Dereham Town. The Magpies seem to have turned their form around dramatically, and dumped opponents Mildenhall Town deeper into trouble despite giving them a two goal head start! Thomas Debenham and Abouhadje Kouassi took only thirteen minutes to get Hall’s goals, but by half time Adam Hipperson (2) and Jay Eastoe-Smith had turned the match in Dereham’s favour, and after the break Joe Gatting and Rhys Logan made it safe.

Great Wakering Rovers defeated Canvey Island, with all three goals coming in the first half. Marc Gorbell gave Rovers the lead only for Adam Vyse to equalise, but Billy Johnson scored what was to be the last goal of the game ten minutes before the break and the home side held on for the points. Tilbury and Barking drew 0-0, the Dockers ending the game with ten men after Kris Newby saw red.

Finally, at Julius Martin Lane Soham Town Rangers picked up cards like confetti, ending their match with nine men and with four others on a caution as they lost 2-0 to Felixstowe and Walton United. Jack Ainsley and Henry Barley got the Seasiders goals, the second of them in the last minute. Will Gardner and Lee Chaffey were the men to walk for Rangers.

South Central

Bowers & Pitsea v Grays Athletic 050219

Bowers & Pitsea v Grays Athletic 050219

Hayes and Yeading United ensured that they remain twelve points clear at the top of the South Central Division with victory at Northwood- but they were made to work extremely hard for it. Lee Barney and Scott Donnelly put the away side two up before the break, but they were unable to add to them after it, and when Zaied Sabti pulled one back for Woods with nineteen minutes to go the rest of the promotion contenders must have crossed their fingers- but United held on for another three points.

Marlow remain in second place, but they left it late, coming from behind to grab victory two minutes from time at Uxbridge. Craige Tompkins put the home side ahead from the spot with 22 minutes remaining, but the lead lasted only three minutes before Jay Welch found an equaliser, and then Chris Ovenden got that late winner.

The rest of the top five had less good fortune. Cheshunt entertained tenants FC Romania and fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat despite a Mark Hughes double, George Taban, Chuduben Onokwai and Cosmin Sandu ensuring that the Wolves triumphed; whilst Westfield could take only a point at Chalfont St Peter despite going into a 2-0 lead early on, Aaron Watson with both goals. Jack read pulled one back before the break, and Michael Kalu got the Saints equalised eleven minutes from time.

Waltham Abbey are level on points with Westfield, and they were another side to come from behind- on this occasion at Hanwell Town. Rob Clark gave the Abbotts the lead, but Callum Duffy turned things around with two goals in quick succession before the break. Nathan Koranteng levelled matters three minutes into the second half, and Ellis Brown got what turned out to be the winner for Abbey with twenty six minutes remaining.

Northwood v Hayes & Yeading Utd 050219

Northwood v Hayes & Yeading Utd 050219

Tooting & Mitcham United are seventh, and left it very, very late to pick up victory at Bedfont Sports- it was the eighty-eight minute before Danny Bassett got the only goal of the game. The Terrors were down to ten men by then, Saidou Khan having picked up a straight red card just before the hour mark.

Ware are eighth, courtesy of a three-nil victory over an almost entirely new Hertford Town team, the home side bringing in thirteen players yesterday. Dave Cowley got two, Brandon Adams the other.

At the wrong end of the table, Egham Town seem rather marooned, five points behind second bottom Molesey and now twelve points behind third bottom South Park. Both of their rivals scored impressive away victories last night- the Moles at Ashford Town, the Sparks at Chipstead.

South Park fell behind at High Road to an early goal from Luke Elliott, but came out all guns blazing after the break and scored four of their own, two from the marvellously-named Great Evans and one each from Sam Remfry and Chevan Xavier. Molesey, however, were never behind against the Tangerines, Marley Hamilton putting them ahead in the first half and scoring what was to be the winner in the second, Nathan Wood getting the goal in the middle of a three-two victory. Nebay Haile got the opener- and equaliser- for Ashford, but although Kofi Lockhart-Adams was able to make the last ten minutes rather tense for Molesey they held out for a vital three points.

Folkestone Invicta v Corinthian-Casuals 050219

Folkestone Invicta v Corinthian-Casuals 050219

South East Division

Cray Wanderers continued to do what Cray Wanderers do almost every week, this time defeating Whyteleafe at Church Road. The match was as good as over by half time, Sean Roberts, Joseph Taylor and Jerome Frederico making it 3-0; although Bradley Wilson made things a little more respectable for the home side in the very last minute.

Thirteen points behind Cray in second place are Ashford United, two-nil winners at Sittingbourne through Danny Parish and Sam Corne, on in each half- whilst third place Hastings United and fourth place Horsham played out a one-one draw at Culver Road, Jordy Mongoy putting United ahead only to see Steve Metcalf equalise in the very last minute.

Haywards Heath Town are fifth, courtesy of them winning a seven goal thriller at Jubilee Field- a game in which they were ahead, level, behind, level and then, finally and in the very last minute, ahead again. Callum Saunders have Heath the lead, but by half time hosts Three Bridges had their noses in front, Connor French and Brannon O’Neill finding the net. When George Gaskin made it 3-1 twelve minutes after the break that- surely- should have been game over, but Aex Laing made it 3-2, Saunders 3-3, and then Nathan Cooper won it for Shaun Saunders’ side right at the death.

Ashford Town v Molesey 050219

Ashford Town v Molesey 050219

Ramsgate recorded perhaps the result of the night, travelling to Altira Park and walloping hosts Herne Bay 5-1. Charlie Dickens, Connor Sanders, Rory Smith and a couple from Tom Chapman made the match more than safe within fifty minutes, before Harry Miller pulled one back for the hosts.

Faversham Town climbed to sixteenth with a two-one victory over Hythe Town, Danny Walder and Ashley Miller scoring their goals at Salters Lane, whilst Ryan Palmer notched for the Cannons; whilst at Greatness park a late equaliser from Ainsley Everett denied Whitstable Town three points, Stephen Smith having given them the lead half an hour earlier.

Another late goal, this one from Solomon Taiwo, gave Phoenix Sports a 1-0 win at Greenwich Borough.

Chalfont St Peter v Westfield 050219

Where next?

From Miller to Great... ...Wakering Rovers. Striker makes North Division move.
Mealing heads back to Marlow- as one of three new arrivals Striker decides to make a return journey- and has two new team mates

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