A good day for those at the top- and those at the bottom.

Worthing took another step towards their coronation as Margate arrived on the Sussex coast. Margate still have promotion pretentions of their own, and the Blues travelled full of confidence after going six league matches unbeaten and walloping the Mackerel Men at Hartsdown Park earlier this season, but they fell behind just before the hour, Dayshonne Golding heading the hosts ahead after emerging from the bench. Ben Swift made things even more difficult for the visitors by being dismissed soon afterwards, and the hosts took advantage, Ollie Pearce- who had gone five games without scoring- getting his thirty fifth of the campaign, this one with his head. That was that, and Worthing remain thirteen points clear with eight games left.

Second place Bishop’s Stortford had lost some ground on the Mackerel Men after two goalless draws, and needed to get back to winning ways as Merstham came to call. The Blues couldn’t have had a better first half, going in at the break three goals to the good after Frankie Merrifield, John Giles and an own goal just about assured them of three points. Merrifield made it four soon after the restart, and right at the end Merrifield got his hat trick- and there was still time for Oliver Peters to get number six. That’s six defeats from seven for the Moatsiders, who will be looking nervously over their shoulders as all the sides below them won.

Folkestone Invicta travelled to Essex to take on Bowers and Pitsea. Neil Cugley’s men have a game in hand over the two sides above them, and had won their previous four, whilst their hosts had also been in good form, with only one defeat from their last five. The two met only last month, a match that ended two-two, and it was level at the break in this one, as Lewis Manor’s twentieth of the season was cancelled out by David Smith’s twenty fourth for Invicta. The first half was marred by injury to Jordan Wright- get well soon Jordan- but Invicta turned on the style after the break, Adam Yusuff putting them two-one up, and another from Smith making it three-one with twenty two minutes left. Bowers made the closing stages tense for the visitors, Michael Ademiluyi getting one back with a minute left, but Invicta held on to take all three points.

Hornchurch came into their match with Enfield Town on a fine run that saw them unbeaten in the League for more than three months- but visitors Enfield Town didn’t look particularly bothered by that record, as they took the lead midway through the first half, Emmanuel Maja-Awesu with the goal. Tom Wraight drew the hosts level on the hour, but the Towners struck again five minutes later, Adam Cunnington restoring their lead. Jake Cass saw red for the visitors just before the end, but it made no difference to the outcome, and Enfield swap places with their hosts, moving into fourth.

Lewes hit the road to North London, to take on Haringey Borough. The Rooks got back to winning ways in a tight match at Leatherhead in midweek, whilst along the M25 Borough were also winning, at Cray Wanderers. It has been a long time since Borough won two in a row, and it remains a long time, but they did get something from the game. Ollie Tanner opened the scoring for the visitors five minutes before the break, and although Scott Mitchell drew the hosts level eleven minutes after the break the Rooks were ahead again soon afterwards when the same player scored at the other end. Borough levelled again with six minutes remaining, Sam Owusu with that one, and that was that. The Rooks remain a point outside the top five.

Carshalton Athletic, who started the day in eighth place and eleven points behind the top five, welcomed Potters Bar Town. The Scholars lost for the first time in six matches when Hornchurch came to call on Tuesday night, and they were fired up to get back to winning ways and were soon two up, Calvin Ekpiteta and Joe Boachie scoring after eleven and fourteen minutes. Danny Bassett then got one back for the Robins, and fifteen minutes from time another DB, Daniel Bennett, equalised for the hosts. That looked like being that- but no! Right at the end up stepped Corey Parchment to write his name in this season’s Scholars history by grabbing a winner.

Cheshunt, into the Quarter Finals of the Velocity Trophy with a win over Bowers in midweek, seem to be getting their mojo back, and they certainly weren’t short of spirit in the first half of their match with Wingate & Finchley, Reece Beckles-Richards putting them ahead on the half hour and adding another two minutes later. The next goal took a long time to arrive, and it went to the Ambers, Joe Re making it three just before the end. Cheshunt are up to seventh, and scored three against the Blues for the second time this season.

Kingstonian have slipped to tenth place, after a terrible run which has seen their play off chances reduced to tatters, and yesterday lost striker Elliott Buchanan to Farnborough, but they were ahead after just half an hour at East Thurrock United, who would love to just have the K’s problems. Kenny Beaney opened the scoring for the visitors, but his goal was cancelled out just before the hour when Johnny Ashman’s fine run of form continued, his ninth of the season- and the same player earned his side a vital three points when getting the winner six minutes from time.

Bognor Regis Town, our draw kings with twelve draws from thirty one matches, welcomed relegation-threatened Cray Wanderers. Neither side were on a good run; the Rocks didn’t have a win from their last four, whilst for Wands that winless run was even longer, but the visitors looked to put that right, Sam Wood putting them ahead in the first minute and Chris Dickson doubling their lead after twenty. Dan Gifford, who got the winner the last time the two met, got the hosts back into the match just before the hour, and then got an equaliser nine minutes later- but Wands went immediately up the other end and restored their lead, Dickson with his second and their third. That was that- and Wands close to within a point of Merstham, who are in eighteenth place.

Corinthian-Casuals hosted a Surrey derby, Leatherhead making the short trip to Tolworth. Neither side was in good form, each with only one win from ten, but the hosts went ahead on thirty two minutes, Ben Cheklit opening the scoring. The Tanners levelled just before the break through Mitchell Gough, and then kept their survival hopes alive with a late, late winner- Cameron Black with their second goal. Sadly for the Tanners, all the sides around them won as well. You can see what the win meant to Tanners fans in Stuart Tree's image, above. See the rest of Stuart's shots here.

Finally, our Velocity Trophy Semi-Finalists Horsham welcomed Brightlingsea Regent. The hosts were four games unbeaten- although they had drawn the last three of those- whilst Regent had gone four games without a victory. The last time they met, on the Essex coast, the Hornets triumphed by six goals to nil- so the visitors wanted a little revenge for that thrashing, and needed to avoid being swept away by the tide of emotion created by Gary Charman’s last ever match. They certainly weren’t swept away in the first half, despite the hosts going two up through Rob O’Toole and Charlie Hester-Cook, as they charged straight back to score two of their own, Valter Da Rocha and Carlos da Rocha seeing them level. After the break, Regent ruined the home party as Aaron Blair got the winner ten minutes from time.

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