Top two finish all square

By Peter Butcher

ALMOST 600 fans piled into East Brighton Park to see Ryman Premier leaders Whitehawk take on second-placed Wealdstone yesterday (Saturday).


It looked as if Hawks would cement their position at the top with Hakeem Araba’s goal after 27 minutes. But Wealdstone’s pressure paid off when Alex Dyer replied with 14 minutes left.

Stones brought on striker Chris Moore but he was sent off for a wild challenge within two minutes. Five minutes later Whitehawk’s Mark Knee followed him to level the numbers for the closing stages.

Richard Jolly missed a late chance to win it for Wealdstone and it finished 1-1. So Stones remain seven points behind with two games in hand.

Concord, whose game against Hendon was one of four postponed fixtures in the division, can now overtake Hawks. They are ten points adrift with four games in hand.

Lowestoft, 14 points back with five games in hand, can also do so. They failed to improve their position by drawing 3-3 at Harrow, and had to come from 3-1 down to achieve that.
Harrow fans hardly knew what to expect. On the two previous two Saturdays they had beaten leaders Whitehawk 3-1 and lost 3-0 to bottom club Thurrock.

They were gifted an early lead by Trawlerboys keeper Andy Reynolds, who fumbled the ball into his own net. Jack Defty’s header squared it in the 17th minute but Shaun Lucien’s quickfire double then put Harrow two goals clear by the half-hour.

Adam Smith reduced the arrears ten minutes before half-time and, although Lowestoft dominated the second half, Paul Olima’s own goal with 12 minutes left was all they had to show for it.

Canvey stayed in fourth place with a 2-1 win at Lewes, who took an early lead through Alex Malins. Rob King replied with a 19th-minute penalty and Canvey hit the woodwork three times before Kevin Dobinson decided it in the 80th minute.

A late red card for Steve Brinkhurst completed the misery for Lewes, who have played several more games than two of the three sides below them and are in serious danger of relegation.

Margate moved up to sixth with a comfortable 3-0 home win over out-of-touch Bognor. Kezie Ibe put the hosts in front after 13 minutes and Tommy Whitnell scored midway through each half. He is pictured by Don Walker hooking in his first goal.

Cray eased their relegation fears with a 4-2 victory at Met Police. Leigh Bremner opened the scoring with a 13th-minute penalty and, after Duran Reynolds replied with a free-kick in the 36th minute, it was Bremner who restored Cray’s advantage with a header shortly after half-time.

Paul Booth and Chris Saunders made it 4-1 by just after the hour, and only five minutes remained when Dave Knight managed a second for the Met.

Carshalton stayed rooted to the bottom after being hammered 4-0 at East Thurrock. The visitors made a bright start but Ross Parmenter put Rocks in front after 33 minutes and Ryan Sammons claimed the second with a deflected shot right on half-time. Dave Bryant and Sam Higgins wrapped it up by the 62nd minute.

Where next?

Fifth red card halts match SUNDAY’S Ryman Premier relegation battle between Wingate and Thurrock ended in extraordinary circumstances.
Early kick-off at Wingate SUNDAY'S Ryman Premier game between Wingate & Finchley and Thurrock, the final fixture in the league's Kick It Out weekend, is now a 1pm kick-off.

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