Rams and Leafe taste Tuesday triumph

We expected our Pitching In Isthmian South East Play Off Semi-Finals to be both close and tense, and they managed to deliver on both- particularly in the Channel Islands, where it took a penalty shootout to divide Jersey Bulls and AFC Whyteleafe. 

Bulls were our form side, having taken twenty eight points from the previous thirty available- but the hosts and their visitors knew each other particularly well. The sides were, of course, promoted from Combined Counties Premier together last season- and both had adapted magnificently to life at Step Four. 

Matches between the two had brought very few goals- just one in their two matches this season, a win for Bulls in the Channel Islands in October, and only two in their two meetings last season, both ending in one-nil away wins. On that basis we didn’t expect a high-scoring encounter on this occasion, and we were right, as neither side managed to break the deadlock. 

There were chances at both ends. Leafe had plenty of possession in the first half, Ryan Gondoh particularly influential, but in the closing stages Bulls had the ball in the net- only to find that the referee had already blown for a free kick on the edge of the box. The second half was soon delayed by a floodlight problem (we had one of those at Waltham Abbey, too, so perhaps they have become contagious), and when it restarted there was lots of effort but few clear chances- although Leafe keeper Slav Huk had to make a magnificent save thirteen minutes from time. 

Off we went to penalties, and Huk was again the hero, the only keeper to make a save (both sides managed to blast one kick over the bar) as the visitors won four-three. 

One thousand, five hundred and ninety packed the Springfield Stadium. 

Back on the mainland, second place Croydon Athletic welcomed fifth place Sittingbourne. The Rams had stumbled over the line, and came into this one without a win in four, but they rediscovered their mojo when it mattered. Their hero was Josh Williams, who struck twice in the first half to seal victory.

Williams got onto the end of a through ball from David Bremang- on as a substitute- on twenty minutes and made no mistake, although the hosts could have been behind by then, a mix-up in defence leaving Richard Afrane-Kesey needing to make a crucial block to prevent a Brickies opener. Sittingbourne hit back and tested Amadou Tangara, whilst at the other end Brandon Pierrick hit the side neting- and then it was two, Williams finishing superbly from the edge of the box to double the Rams advantage.

The second half saw the Rams dig in and hold onto what they had, and they did a fine job- two-nil the final score. Seven hundred and twenty eight watched on, including a sizeable contingent from Sittingbourne, and most of them went home happy. 

The Final will be played on Friday at 7.45 PM, with Croydon hosting at their Mayfield Stadium.