Shepherd Neame Performance of the Month, April 2025

Our congratulations for some superb April performances go to the following clubs:

Pitching In Isthmian Premier

On the last Saturday of the campaign Carshalton Athletic travelled to Dartford- one of a trio of clubs fighting for the title and separated by only goal difference- and delivered a hiding to their hosts. The Darts were seven unbeaten, whilst Athletic had won their previous two and put five past Dulwich Hamlet on Easter Monday so were also in decent form. 

The visitors went ahead early on, Kola Salami scoring on eleven minutes, and deep in first half added time it was two-nil, Sharon Ifeanyi delighting the travelling Robins. The Darts hit back on sixty six minutes, George Whitfield the scorer, but the next goal went to the visitors, Nabeel Ghannam making it three-one. In added time Ghannam added a fourth to seal a convincing victory as the Darts title hopes departed, and our jury has decided, unsurprisingly, that this is worthy of our Performance of the Month Award. Congrats to the Robins! 

Pitching In Isthmian North

April 5th saw Heybridge Swifts travel to the Suffolk seaside to take on title challengers Felixstowe and Walton United. The Seasiders had a fabulous home record, but Swifts were not overawed and delivered a fine victory.

Swifts, who had only one win from ten, made the breakthrough when Andy Fennell scored on twenty minutes. It got worse for United when an own goal made it two just after the hour, but they got a goal back with twelve minutes left, Willie Clemons giving them hope. A minute into added time that hope just about departed as Eddie Carrington-Alberdi made it three-one, although there was still time for Cameron Forde-Brown to bring it back to two-three.

That defeat holed the hosts title challenge below the waterline, and gave the travelling fans a rare moment of delight- and now the club will have a trophy to help them remember the occasion.

Pitching In Isthmian South Central

Four wins from five- along with a Kingstonian downturn- had seen Uxbridge climb to second place by April 5th. They had a what appeared a rather tough match in prospect as they welcomed sixth place Leatherhead to Honeycroft, but made it look easy in the early stages, CJ Fearn and Daniel Fosu making it two-nil before twenty minutes had been played. The idea that this was a tough match had disappeared by the break, as Fosu added a third just after the half hour and George Moore made it four on forty minutes to leave the Tanners in disarray. It was quickly to get worse for the travelling fans as Dernell Wynter made it five-nil three minutes into the second half, and the sixth goal arrived with twenty two minutes to go, Ada Okorogheye getting that one. Fosu claimed the match ball with the seventh fourteen minutes from time, and it was still to get worse for the visitors as Andrio Brandao made it eight. Still the hosts weren’t done, and in the last minute James Taylor added a ninth- and added time saw Darnell Goather-Braithwaite make it TEN-NIL! 

Prior to this match Leatherhead had won four out of five- the only defeat coming against…Uxbridge a week and a half previously. This hammering effectively ended their play off chase, and Uxbridge, who welcome Kingstonian in the Play Off Semi-Final tonight, now have a reminder of their famous victory. 

Pitching In Isthmian South East Division

Easter Monday saw champions Ramsgate welcome their trophy- but alongside it was delivered the end of their winning run and only their third defeat of the season. It’s a defeat which will have rankled a little as it came against local rivals Margate. 

Gate went ahead on eighteen minutes, Max Walsh the scorer- and just before half time Louie Atkins made it two. The Rams quickly hit back in first half added time, Josh Ajayi pulling it back to two-one, but just before the hour the visitors two goal advantage was restored, Tushaun Walters making it three-one. In the closing stages the Rams saw two players sent off, Olu Oluwatimilehin departing on eighty one minutes and Tom Clifford five minutes later, and Gate took advantage by scoring a fourth in added time, Ben Allen with that one. Three thousand three hundred watched on, but only the away fans will have enjoyed the match!

Congrats to Margate on winning our Performance of the Month Award- and commiserations on Play off Semi-Final defeat. 

Many thanks to our sponsors, Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewers in Britain. With pubs and hotels across the country, Shepherd Neame should be your first choice for accommodation after a long away trip, or just for a refreshing drink or a nice meal before or after the game. You can find out more about what they have to offer by heading to their website- here.