Hawks pull off amazing comeback

The amazing comeback opened up a seven-point gap at the top and, for the first time, no-one can catch Hawks by winning their games in hand.

Hawks looked set for a routine victory when Charlie Walker put them ahead after 14 minutes and they were in command until James Hawes hit a surprise equaliser on the half-hour. Jay Curran then gave the islanders a half-time lead which was extended by Louis Dennis and Harrison Chatting in the game’s third quarter.

Danny Mills pulled one back on 75 minutes and a free-kick from Josh Jones three minutes later gave Hawks real hope. It took them only four more minutes to equalise though debutant Michael Malcolm and Mills put the icing on the comeback cake as the game went into added time.

To make the day even better for the Brighton club, their two nearest rivals were beaten. Second-placed Margate went down 2-1 at Concord, who themselves climbed to third place, the highest position in their history.

Nicky Cowley headed the Beachboys in front on 16 minutes but Margate, always dangerous, levelled on the stroke of half-time when Carl Rook pounced as the ball came back off the bar. It could have gone either way before Steve King headed home a Reece Harris corner with seven minutes left.

Wealdstone, who started the day in third place, went down 2-0 at Kingstonian. Matt Pattison put K’s ahead in the 65th minute and, despite the dismissal of Adam Green shortly afterwards, they clinched the points with an overhead kick by Andre McCollin. K’s moved up to fourth and Stones dropped to fifth. A spectaular effort by Kingstonian's Aaron Goode i pictured by Chris Bushe.

Bognor and Bury trail Wealdstone only on goal difference. The Sussex club advanced to sixth place with a 2-1 home win over bottom club Carshalton. Dan Beck’s early goal for the hosts was answered by Nathaniel Pinney but a foul on Doug Tuck allowed Ashley Robinson to put Rocks ahead again with a 36th-minute penalty. Pinney missed a great chance to square it in the second half.

Bury forwards John Sands and Jordan Patrick both hit the woodwork in the first half of their game at Leiston. The hosts came more into it after the break but it finished goalless.

Lowestoft are down to eighth, but with games in hand on all the sides above them, after their match at Thurrock was controversially postponed just before two o’clock with both teams expecting to play.

That ended Thurrock’s hopes of escaping from the relegation zone. There were five teams they could have overtaken with a victory and, as it turned out, only one of them picked up any points though two – Hendon, whose game at Cray is this afternoon, and Hastings, who had business elsewhere - were not in league action.

Two of the others clashed and it proved to be a good day for Wingate, whose 2-1 win at Harrow lifted them from 20th to 16th. The man in the spotlight here was Harrow keeper Elvijs Putnins. A week earlier he scored with a kick from his own penalty area: this week he came out of his area, handled the ball and was sent off.

That was after 57 minutes and Wayne O’Sullivan knocked the winner past outfield player Danny Leech, who had taken over between the posts, seven minutes later. Anthony Thomas had given Wingate an early lead, his first goal since his move from Lewes a month ago, and Saheed Sankoh replied in the 24th minute.

Enfield Town were the other strugglers in action and they dropped to 20th after a 2-0 defeat at East Thurrock. Scott McGleish hit the woodwork early in each half for the visitors but goals by Sam Collins in the 17th minute and new signing Dave Bryant, from Sudbury, in the 41st earned Rocks their second home win of the campaign.

It was all square at Lewes, where Hampton’s James Simmons hit the bar before Steve Brinkhurst gave the Sussex club a 19th-minute lead. Charlie Moone equalised with a penalty on the half-hour, after player-manager Simon Wormull had brought down Malvin Kamara, and Simmons hit the bar again before Joe Turner’s header gave Hampton a half-time lead. Leyton Schaaf made it 2-2 in the 62nd minute.