A six point lead for the Rams

Ramsgate stretched their lead at the top to six points with a fairly comfortable win against local rivals Herne Bay- in front of a crowd of one thousand, six hundred and twenty five. The Rams were ahead as early as the seventh minute, Alfie Paxman with the opener, and then Joe Taylor took over, the striker adding his twenty ninth of the season to make it two-nil, and later taking his tally to thirty just after the hour mark. In between Taylor’s goals former Rams striker Kane Rowland had made things interesting, but in the end it was just another Taylor masterclass. Perhaps we should give him the golden boot now just to save time?

Second place Three Bridges suffered Boxing Day defeat at Merstham, the Moatsiders back to winning ways after a five match winless run. The hosts were ahead after just eight minutes through Dean Gunner, but Noel Leighton’s nineteenth of the season quickly drew Bridges level. Korrey Henry restored home advantage on twenty seven minutes, but again Bridges soon levelled, this time through Harvey Woollard. It was next goal wins, and it arrived eighteen minutes from time, Henry sending the hosts up to fifteenth and badly damaging their opponents title prospects.

Cray Valley PM remain the only unbeaten side in the entire league, and move up to third- seven points behind Ramsgate with two games in hand. The Millers welcomed Phoenix Sports, and an even first half saw them go in all-square, Kyrell Lisbie’s twenty first of the season putting the Millers ahead, but not for long, Adejola Lahan quickly levelling for Sports. Thirteen minutes after the restart Denzel Gayle put the hosts ahead once more, and five minutes later Danny Waldren scored for the second match in succession to seal the victory. That’s twenty six points from their last thirty for Cray Valley, whilst Sports are sixteenth.

Sheppey United delivered a Christmas miracle against Sittingbourne at Holm Park, coming from three goals down with half an hour left to take a draw. The visiting Brickies had a fine first half, and went in two goals to the good courtesy of Chris Harris and Michael Turner- and it got even worse for the Ites when Mitchell May made it three from the spot just before the hour mark. Surely that was game over- but the Brickies weren’t able to brick up their goal, and briggs Ojemen quickly got a goal back. With eighteen minutes left the hosts were right back in it, Richard Hamill reducing the arrears yet further, and right at the end the hosts grabbed a point, Dan Bradshaw’s eleventh of the campaign completing an unlikely comeback. Joe Tyrie then ended a miserable second half for the visitors by being sent off.

Sittingbourne slip to fourth, the Ites stay fifth. Image from Marc Richards.

Sevenoaks Town are in sixth place following a comfortable win at East Grinstead Town. Dan Bennett put them ahead in the very first minute- indeed after around ten seconds- and Dan Carr added the second just after the half hour. The match was as good as over when Emmanuel Mensah made it three just after the hour, and that was indeed that- Oaks a point behind Sheppey with a game in hand.

Hythe Town are seventh, a Brad Schafer goal just after the start of the second half the only goal of the game at Ashford United. The Nuts and Bolts have now lost four in a row, whilst the cannons have won four of their last five.

Lancing travelled to Burgess Hill Town for a Sussex derby, and the Hillians must have wished they’d stayed away! When the two sides last met, on August Bank Holiday Monday, a Rob O’Toole goal have Hill a narrow victory, and the Lancers got their revenge in some style, a first half blitz confirming victory. Charlie Pitcher put the visitors ahead on seventeen minutes, before Lukas Franzen-Jones made it two with his eleventh of the campaign a quarter of an hour later. It was three just before the break, Charlie Bennett sending the home fans scurrying for the bar to drown their sorrows, and although Dan Perry got one back for the hosts eight minutes into the second half that was followed within nine minutes by a Lancing fourth, Harry Heath with that one. A late Jack Taylor goal brought the arrears back to a slightly more respectable four-two, but it was the travelling faithful having a Christmas party at full time.

Lancing are eighth, four points away from the top five.

Horndean saw Littlehampton Town make the trip along the A27, and the Golds had an unhappy trip home after a fourth defeat in a row. The damage was done by midway through the first half, Dan Sibley making it one-nil on fifteen minutes and Ethan Robb adding a second five minutes later, and although a goal from Nodirbek Bobomurodov five minutes after the break gave the visitors hope, in the end that hope was forlorn. The Deans are fourteenth, their visitors three points and three places further back.

Note to all clubs- please upload any goal of the month contenders as soon as you can!

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