Gate leave it late, Hayes find their shooting boots once more, whilst the Brickies and Marlow show no mercy

Margate had taken seven points from nine since the return of Jay Saunders to Hartsdown Park, but it seemed that they wouldn’t add to that total as they faced Carshalton Athletic in the Bostik Premier Division.

It took only four minutes for the Robins to break the deadlock, and for the ninth time this season the man with the golden touch was Ricky Korboa, who shot past Louis Wells in the home goal. Gate fought back, but their pressure came to naught for the next eighty six minutes- and then, just when it seemed that the points were all heading back to Surrey, a long throw into the box found Kadell Daniel at the back post with time and a cool head, and the home side had something to show for their efforts after all. The draw sees Athletic in thirteenth place, with Gate six points behind them in fifteenth.

It took Hayes and Yeading United a surprising four matches to get from ninety-five league goals to one hundred. Last night, at home to South Park, it took them another seventy-nine minutes to get from one hundred to one hundred and five- and to extend their lead at the top of the Bostik South Central Division to seventeen points. At this rate, expect them to clinch the title in March!

It took them only four minutes to get their noses in front, Elliot Benyon with the goal, and it was two before a quarter of an hour had been played, Ed Asafu-Adjaye adding to the tally. Half an hour without addition suggested that Sparks had weathered the storm, but their match came to an effective end just before the break, as Asafu-Adjaye and Benyon both found the net again in the frantic moments before half time.

Sparks actually came out and won the second half, goals from former Crawley Town man Ryan Richefond and Hayden Skerry giving them some respectability, but in between those two Benyon grabbed his hat trick as Hayes made it five. Sout Park remain two points above the drop zone, but second-bottom Molesey now have two games in hand.

At Marlow we had a top five battle between the home side and Cheshunt- but it ended up being rather one-sided. Kelvin Bossman gave Marlow the lead from the spot after two minutes, and by half time it had been doubled, Devontae Romeo with the second. After the break Bossman found the net twice more to bring up his hat trick and send his side above the Ambers into fourth place.

Westfield are third. Taking on Ashford Town for the fourth time this season the Woking club must have been thinking “Do I not like orange” as the Tangerines, who were undefeated in those earlier encounters, winning two, swept into a lead through Jack Beadle and held on to it until ten minutes before the end. But the last ten minutes were the Graeme Purdy show, the home striker scoring twice- the winner coming right at the end- to give his side that winning feeling against Town for the first time this season.

Finally, we had two matches in the South East Division. The A264 derby between the Wasps and the Hornets- El Insectico- ended goalless at College Lane, but elsewhere near the A264 the match at Three Bridges was anything but goalless, a resurgent Sittingbourne arriving and scoring five without reply. Roman Campbell gave the Brickies the lead after sixteen minutes, and a double from Timileyin Toluwanile, followed by another from Campbell, made it four before the break. Henry Woods rubbed salt into Bridges wounds by adding a fifth shortly before full time.

Apparently there was an earthquake reported near Gatwick Airport last night. Seismologists are now searching Woodstock Park for the cause!

In the Premier Division tonight, Lewes take on Tonbridge Angels.