Tanners in the driving seat

Their 1-0 victory at Eastbourne sends them into the final day two points ahead of Folkestone. But the Tanners have the more difficult game on paper, at home to Faversham who are already in the play-offs, while Folkestone host 16th-placed Herne Bay.

Leatherhead must win: if they draw and Folkestone win, the Kent club will have the better goal difference. Ramsgate, three points behind Leatherhead and with a goal deficit of eight, are virtually out of the hunt.

Hythe moved into third place with a 4-3 victory at Horsham, who did well to keep it respectable after finding themselves 3-0 down in 21 minutes.

Dave Cook opened Hythe’s account with his 26th goal of the season, making him the division’s joint-top scorer, and that was quickly followed by strikes from Jake Hobbs and Michael Yianni.

Charlie Farmer reduced the arrears soon after half-time only for Brendon Cass to put the visitors 4-1 up in the 57th minute. It stayed that way until the final minute of normal time, when Harry Smith and Ryan Marriott netted in quick succession.

Walton Casuals made a spirited effort to keep alive their impossible dream of escaping relegation. Needing goals galore to have any chance of survival, they thumped Sittingbourne 4-1 to record only their second home win of the season.

Malachi Hudson put them ahead after 27 minutes and Sol Patterson-Bohner added a goal either side of half-time to make it 3-0. Joe Taylor pulled one back with a 55th-minute penalty before Hudson had the last word.

Casuals, though, are three points and 15 goals behind Three Bridges with one game apiece to play so it would need something extraordinary to reverse their positions on Saturday.

Aveley, who qualified for the Ryman North play-offs the night before, missed a pile of chances and were beaten 1-0 at home by Waltham Abbey. Dean Green scored the only goal in the 34th minute.

The night’s unluckiest fans were those of Kingstonian, who found themselves trapped behind a road closure near Ipswich and failed to reach their side’s game at Leiston, thus missing their side’s late comeback to earn a Ryman Premier point.

Gareth Heath put the hosts ahead immediately after half-time and when Rhys Henry netted a second with ten minutes left it looked all over. But Jamil Okai pulled one back with an 85th-minute penalty and Paul Vines made it 2-2 in added time.