Late man Cook foils Brickies

By Peter Butcher

THIRD met fourth in Ryman South yesterday (Saturday), and with the top two sidelined it was a chance for Hythe or Sittingbourne to improve their own prospects.

Hythe, in fact, would have drawn level on points with leaders Maidstone had they won, but they needed a 90th-minute goal by Dave Cook, his 15th in the league, to salvage a 1-1 draw and they stay in third place. The Brickies had led since the third minute, when Tom Loynes found the net.

Their dropped points allowed Burgess Hill to take over fourth place with a 1-0 victory at Horsham. A poor game was settled, fittingly enough, by a mistake. Ten minutes after the interval a Hornets clearance went straight to Pat Harding, who found the net from 25 yards for his 14th league goal.

Crawley Down slipped out of the play-off places after being held to a 2-2 draw at Worthing. They led in each half, through Fraser Logan and Jamie Cade, but were hauled back by Nick Sullivan’s header and then, with eight minutes left, by Matt Daniel. It was the first time all season that Worthing have shared the points.

A deflected shot by Jamie Maxted kept Faversham well in the hunt with a 2-1 win at Corinthian-Casuals. Lawrence Harvey put the visitors ahead on the half-hour and, after Jamie Cottee levelled it from 25 yards in the 65th minute, Maxted restored the lead five minutes later.

Leatherhead are also contending strongly for a top-five place after their 3-1 victory at Three Bridges. The hosts went ahead with a 36th-minute goal by Williams Peauroux, who marked his return to the club by heading home after Joel O’Hara’s shot hit the bar. Mark Simmons replied with a free-kick two minutes later and Tom Bradbrook’s header gave the Tanners a 70th-minute lead which was extended within a minute by Sam Blackman.

Bridges now lead bottom club Walton Casuals only on goal difference after Casuals drew 1-1 at home to Herne Bay. Sol Patterson-Bohner put the home side ahead after 24 minutes and missed a good chance to make it 2-0 before Dan Wisker equalised in the 62nd minute.

Laurent Hamici went close several times for Tooting but it was lanky Carl Wilson-Denis who gave them the lead early in the second half. It looked as if it would be enough, but Sam Robinson grabbed a last-gasp equaliser for visiting Chipstead.

Ramsgate and Eastbourne slogged out a scoreless draw in Kent. The best chances fell to Ramsgate’s Ian Pulman but his goal touch was missing.

In a division where visiting clubs have had the upper hand all season, that adds up to five draws and three away victories. The sole home success came at Whitstable, where Walton & Hersham were beaten 3-0.

Micheal Everitt opened the scoring with an 11th-minute header (pictured by Les Biggs) and Buster Smissen grabbed the second shortly before the interval, pouncing when Dan Hanshaw’s shot was parried. Hanshaw made it 3-0 with 17 minutes left.

Where next?

Focus on the volunteers A BOOK of football pictures without a single picture of a footballer: it can only be the latest publication by Eastbourne-based photographer David Bauckham.
Okojie is Hastings' shoot-out hero SUBSTITUTE Dee Okojie was the hero as Hastings United became the first Ryman League team for eight years to reach the third round of the FA Cup tonight (Thursday).

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