Advantage Rooks!

Folkestone Invicta’s defeat against Lewes on Saturday left the Rooks breathing down their necks in the fight for fifth place- and meant that a win at Horsham last night was crucial if they were to get their promotion charge back on track. The Hornets, not yet quite safe from the battle at the wrong end of the table, also needed the points- and it was the home side who were quickest out of the blocks at the Camping World Community Stadium. Shamir Fenelon fired Horsham in front as early as the seventh minute, with Harvey Sparks doubling their advantage a quarter of an hour later- and with twenty minutes remaining and the two goal cushion intact, it seemed as if the Hornets were well on their way to a home win.

At that point Neil Cugley’s men finally rose from their slumber. Striker David Smith has been in superb form this season, and he got goals twenty seven and twenty eight for the campaign in the seventieth and seventy ninth minutes to put the stripes in the driving seat. Unfortunately for the travelling support, they were to fall asleep at the wheel once more almost immediately. Tom Kavanagh lined up a free kick with eight minutes remaining, and managed to beat both wall and keeper to seal a crucial victory for the Hornets. Invicta had won the previous eight encounters between the clubs, but this one was perhaps the most important to them, and it got away.

It was also a crucial victory for a club elsewhere in Sussex, Lewes. The Rooks welcomed Margate to the Dripping Pan but weren’t all that welcoming. Joe Taylor is almost always guaranteed to get you a goal, and the striker grabbed his twenty eighth of the campaign to put the hosts ahead on twelve minutes. The game was finally put beyond the visitors just before the hour when Razz Coleman De-Graft made it two, and the Rooks coasted to three points- and into that all-important fifth place, albeit only on a superior goal difference. Margate have travelled to Sussex four times so far this season, and not taken a point from any of those visits.

Image: James Boyes.

Cheshunt are only five points behind the Rooks and Invicta, and have two games in hand over both of their rivals. The Ambers were on the road to Brightlingsea Regent, who needed the points for an entirely different reason, but they didn’t get them as the Ambers ran out two-one winners. All the goals came in the first half. Amadou Kassarate put the visitors ahead just before the half hour, and then Aaron Blair got his eleventh of the season- a record of better than a goal every two matches for the Regent number nine- to equalise. Parity lasted but a minute before Mo Camara restored the Cheshunt lead, and despite the hosts best efforts there was to be no change to the scoreline. Regent remain fourth from bottom, only a point above the bottom three with each of the siders below them gaining on them.

One of those accelerating sides is East Thurrock United. The Rocks attempt at a great escape saw them move to within three points of safety with victory over Potters Bar Town. The Scholars had won the last three meetings between the sides, with an aggregate score of seven goals to one, and their last meeting, back in October, finished three-nil- but the Rocks overcame their hoodoo last night as Ollie Miles got the only goal of the game on nineteen minutes.

Finally, we had a mid table battle between Corinthian-Casuals and Haringey Borough. Both sides were eight points above the drop zone at start of play, and now it’s nine, but neither could improve their goals scored tally as the game ended goalless. That was Borough’s fourteenth draw of the season- more than anyone else in the division.