Saturday's Ryman Premier action review

By David Watters

Ryman League Premier Division

The weather hit the Ryman League's Premier Division badly again on Saturday with eight of the fixtures falling foul of waterlogged pitches, writes Pitchero's Steve Whitney.

They included the day's top game between second-placed Margate and fourth-placed Hendon at Earlsmead.

But neither leaders Maidstone United nor third-placed Dulwich Hamlet were able to take full advantage of their games being on.

The Stones shared a 2-2 draw at play-off chasing Leiston's Victory Road in which both sides ended with ten-men. For the second week in a row, Maidstone let a lead slip which will be a concern for manager Jay Saunders.

It didn't look good for the home side, however, when they were reduced to ten-men with only 11 minutes gone on the clock, striker John Sands shown a straight red card for kicking out a defender.

Maidstone took full advantage and raced into a two-goal lead by the break with a Jay May brace on 33 and 45 minutes. But just four minutes after the interval, the Stones were also reduced to ten-men when Steve Watt was shown a straight red.

Leon Ottley-Gooch reduced the arrears with 15 minutes left to play before Leiston equalised a minute into stoppage time when Tom Winter got the vital touch from a cross to divert the ball past the stranded Lee Worgan.

Dulwich were held to a goalless draw at Champion Hill by play-off chasers Metropolitan Police.

A crowd of 1,459 saw Hamlet move level on points with Margate but they have played four games more.

Their point lifts the Met to within a point of fifth-placed East Thurrock who had a great chance to move above Hendon into fourth spot when they hosted bottom-markers Bury Town at Rookery Hill.

It didn't go to plan and they had to make do with just one point after playing for virtually the whole of the second period with ten-men after top marksman Sam Higgins had given them a 14th minute lead. David Bryant was dismissed two minutes after the break and recent Blues signing Michael Bakare grabbed the equaliser 13 minutes from time.

Wingate & Finchley could have moved into the top five had they beaten mid-table Leatherhead at the Harry Abrahams Stadium. Instead, they were another side who had to make do with just one point from a 0-0 draw.

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