Margate fail to take advantage on another weather-hit Saturday

If you’re as fed up with reading about postponements as we are of writing about them, you might want to look away now.

We had thirty-four matches scheduled for today. Eighteen of them went ahead. The top two in the Premier Division- Billericay Town and Folkestone Invicta- saw their matches at home to Needham Market and away to Thurrock postponed, as did Harrow Borough, who were hosting Lowestoft Town. In the North Division, the games at leaders AFC Hornchurch, Aveley (for the first time since the opening of Parkside), Brentwood Town, Dereham Town, Tilbury and Witham Town went west. The South Division was hardest hit, only four matches surviving the weather, the cancellations including the league leaders Lewes at Molesey, the Kentish derbies between Greenwich Borough and Thamesmead Town and Hythe Town and Sittingbourne, the Surrey derby between Chipstead and South Park, second place Carshalton Athletic’s trip to Ramsgate, Herne Bay v Whyteleafe, and perhaps most surprising of all, Guernsey’s match against Faversham Town- their first postponement in more than five years.

OK, you can open your eyes again now.

Margate had the chance to go top of the Premier Division- with Billericay and Invicta unable to stop them, and Dulwich Hamlet playing on Sunday. Steve Watt’s men travelled to Metropolitan Police, but it was the home boys in blue who got off to the better start, Shaqile Hippolyte-Patrick heading Police ahead at the break. Gate took until the 65th minute to level, Frannie Collin with a penalty, and Collin was on target once more six minutes later to send the away side briefly to the summit. Met never gave up, however, and Tom Bird grabbed a point with a great strike from distance with one minute to go- which leaves Margate fourth and Police in 10th.

Fifth place Hendon travelled to Tooting & Mitcham United, and a goal in each half ensured that they travelled back to Silver Jubilee Park with all of the points, courtesy of Ashley Nathaniel-George and Zak Joseph, whilst Staines Town kept up the pressure on the Greens in sixth place, winning a seven goal thriller at Enfield Town by the odd goal. Two goals in a minute from Lewis Driver and Mo Bettemer put the Swans two goals up, but Enfield were level by the break, Jack Hockney and Tyler Campbell the scorers. The home side then went ahead through Brad Watkins, but a second from Driver and the almost inevitable winner from Elliot Buchanan meant that all three points headed to Wheatsheaf Park.

Sitting a place behind Staines, and with four wins and a draw from their last five, Leiston had another good day, walloping four goals past Wingate & Finchley in front of the Bostik League Show cameras- look out for the highlights later. Darren Mills gave them a narrow lead to take into the break, but Glen Driver’s men entirely dominated the second half, walloping home three further goals through Christy Finch, Jack Ainsley and Jake Reed to move within three points of a playoff place. Leatherhead sit a further place and two points behind, but Sammy Moore’s men have enough games in hand to still entertain genuine hopes of a top five finish. They had to fight for the points at home to Dorking Wanderers, but a Tom Derry goal just after the hour gave them all three after Wanderers had seen a first half penalty saved by Sam Sargeant.

Burgess Hill Town had the opportunity to close the gap on both Tooting & Mitcham and Harlow Town, but remain six points behind both clubs after another loss at the Green Elephants Stadium, this time to Brightlingsea Regent. Aaron Condon volleyed the away side ahead early on, and they doubled their lead with nineteen minutes to go, Jake Turner the scorer from thirty yards. James Richmond got a goal back for the home side six minutes later to set up a tense finish, but the Essex side took the points and move up to fifteenth place. Harlow ensured that none of the bottom three picked up any points, and that each of them conceded two goals, Town falling 2-0 at Merstham, for whom Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Alex Addai found the net.

In the other match, Tonbridge Angels defeated Kingstonian 3-1 at Longmead, despite a red card for Angels George Beaven. Connor Hunte put the K’s ahead with only four minutes on the clock, but goals from Alex Akrofi, Tommy Whitnell and Joe Turner ensured that Angels join Met Police on 53 points.

In the North Division, second place Bowers & Pitsea travelled to Norwich United as they looked to close the gap on the Urchins, but managed only the one point. David Knight put them ahead in the first half, but a Nathan Stewart equaliser on the hour gave the Planters a share of the points. Third place Potters Bar Town closed the gap on Bowers to six points, two first half goals from Lee O’Leary and Michael Murray giving them victory at AFC Sudbury, whilst Canvey Island slipped up and slipped to fourth after a 2-1 defeat at Bury Town, Jack Lankaster and Tevan Allen giving the fans at Ram Meadow something to shout about before Mitchell Gilbey pulled a solitary goal back for Canvey.

Heybridge Swifts moved up to eighth, six points off the playoffs with four matches in hand, with victory over Cheshunt at the Aspen Waite Arena. Their match was only called on after volunteers turned up to help prepare the pitch, and the supporters were rewarded as a double from Matthew Price and a third from Jack Cawley gave them victory. Amadou Kassarate got a consolation for the Ambers, who had two players sent off. Barking slipped below Swifts after a 2-0 home defeat to Soham Town Rangers, for whom Lee Chaffey opened the scoring before an own goal doubled the lead. The other match saw a Jordon Watson goal give Ware victory over Hertford Town- a result which moves them ten points clear of danger.

The South Division saw only four matches, and perhaps the most significant result saw Corinthian-Casuals leapfrog Carshalton Athletic into second place, their 3-0 win at bottom club Shoreham coming courtesy of two goals from Max Oldham and one from Gabriel Odunaike- perhaps aided by a sending off for Musselmen defender Tadley Bromage. Sixth place Walton Casuals slipped up at Hastings United, a goal from David Rodari separating the sides at full time, whilst ninth place Phoenix Sports took the lead three times at Ashford United and eventually held on to it in a 3-2 victory. Tony Robinson, Conrad Lee and Ashley Probets scored Sports goals, with Dean Grant and Sid Sollis twice drawing the Nuts and Bolts level.

In the other match VCD Athletic came from a goal down to win at home to East Grinstead Town, undoubtedly aided by two red cards awarded to the away side. Alex Gaggin put the Wasps ahead after four minutes, but a second half double from Alfie Cue moved the Vickers up to 16th place.

There are two matches today. In the Premier Division Dulwich Hamlet host Worthing at Imperial Fields- home of Tooting & Mitcham United; whilst in the South Division Cray Wanderers entertain Horsham.

By the way, the images shown here are from our clubs social media feeds, and reproduced with thanks. The headline image is a waterlogged Guernsey- the others, as you’ll have noticed, have captions!