Island rivals thrive

By Peter Butcher

BOTH Canvey Island clubs are in the top four of the Ryman Premier table after convincing victories yesterday (Saturday).

Canvey themselves made a slow start to their home game against struggling Harrow but scored three times in the last 25 minutes to run out 3-0 winners and move into third place.

A typically spectacular 20-yard effort by Bradley Woods-Garness, his 14th league goal, broke the deadlock. Rob King headed the second three minutes later and Jay Curran finished off a pass from debutant George Cocklin to wrap it up at the end.

Concord trail their island neighbours by a single goal, and have two games in hand, after Harry Elmes fired a hat-trick in their 4-0 win at Bury – poor reward for the Bury fans who cleared snow off the pitch at lunchtime to allow the game to go ahead.

Only goal difference separated the sides at the start of play but Concord dominated,. Elmes gave them the lead midway through the first half and Jason Hallett quickly added a second. Elmes nabbed his second on the hour and completed his treble in the 71st minute.

The game ended on a low note with a mass confrontation that brought red cards for Bury’s John Kennedy and Luke Ingram together with Concord’s Steve King.

Leaders Whitehawk maintained their ten-point advantage with a 5-2 romp at Met Police, their ninth away victory in 13 attempts.

Michael Malcolm opened the scoring on 14 minutes and struck again ten minutes before half-time. It was 3-0 within a minute of the restart thanks to Hakeem Araba.

The Met then launched a rally. Ty Smith pulled one back in the 56th minute and Craig Watkins made it 3-2 with 20 minutes left. James Fraser gave Whitehawk some breathing space in the 82nd minute and the experienced Kieron St Aimie marked his debut with the fifth goal in added time.

Wealdstone remained second with a 3-0 home win over Hastings, aided by an early injury to visiting keeper Liam O’Brien which forced midfielder Tom Vickers to take over between the posts.

It was Vickers who brought down Tom Pett to allow Sean Cronin to convert a 34th-minute penalty and Peter Dean scored in the 58th and 68th minutes to keep Stones a point ahead of the two island clubs and Bognor, who moved into fifth place with a 1-0 victory at Enfield Town.

James Crane made the most of a pass from Lewis Stockford in the 35th minute, Bognor’s only reward for their first-half domination, and it was enough despite an improved Enfield showing after the break.

Margate’s home game against East Thurrock was one of five postponed matches and the Kent club dropped from third place to sixth.

Kingstonian climbed to seventh with a 3-1 victory at bottom club Carshalton. All six matches played in the division were won by the higher-placed team.

Matt Pattison gave K’s the lead seven minutes before half-time and they put the result beyond doubt with two goals in as many minutes soon after the break, Aaron Goode and Nathan Koranteng the marksmen. (Goode's goal is pictured by Christopher Bushe, with new K's signing Paul Vines(9) watching closely).

That was a harsh scoreline, for the Robins had played better than their position might suggest, and Ola Sogbanmu’s reply in the 74th minute was no more than they deserved.

There must be sympathy for Suffolk coast club Leiston. They made the lengthy trek to Margate on January 5 only for the game to be postponed shortly before kick-off time, and yesterday they suffered the same fate after another long-haul journey to Hampton.

Where next?

Maxted wins it for Faversham A GOAL by Jamie Maxted lifted Faversham two places to fourth in the Ryman South table.
Celebrations are costly THERE was a controversial end to proceedings at Leatherhead yesterday (Saturday) when a collapsed wall brought an early halt to the match between Tanners, third in the Ryman South table, and second-placed Dulwich.

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