Wingate make the final- and we’ve wins for Hamlet, Dartford and Canvey

It was Velocity Cup Semi-Final night,  and Pitching In Isthmian North side Redbridge welcomed Premier opponents, Wingate and Finchley making the trip for a London derby with the prize a place in the Final against Ramsgate on April 15th. The visitors were undoubtedly the favourites, but their hosts were in fine form and- of course- had already slain a Premier giant this season, knocking out title-chasing Aveley in Round Four. That said, if Redbridge had a weakness, it was their form on their own patch- whilst their visitors had actually been better on the road.

The Motormen charged into an early lead, Ayo Olukoga scoring for the third match in a row- but the visiting Blues were level ten minutes before half time, Ruben Bartlett-Antwi delivering the equaliser. When it looked as if we were heading for a shootout, Remy-Lee Bennison decided otherwise, beating several defenders on the way to delivering a winner for the North Londoners five minutes from time.

By the way, Wingate also managed a red card- substitute Ben Watt was dismissed early on without ever setting foot on the pitch. 

Into Pitching In Isthmian Premier, and Canvey Island, ten points from safety, desperately needed a win as Chichester City made the trip. The Gulls had lost four in a row and had only have one win from ten, and things didn’t look good when Joseph Clarke put the visitors ahead after only seven minutes. The hosts drew level nine minutes into the second half, an own goal doing the damage, and only three minutes later scored one for themselves, Kenedi Dariri giving them the lead. Right at the end they added a third, Connor Hubble scoring from the spot, and they stay bottom but cut the gap to safety to seven points.

Cheshunt were looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat as Dartford made the trip. The match had only one goal, and it arrived fourteen minutes from time, Eddie Dsane taking the points across the QEII Bridge with a goal just two minutes after he had entered the field. That was his twelfth goal of the season- and his second against the Ambers, as he also scored when the Darts won the first fixture between the sides back in September. 

Dulwich Hamlet welcomed Whitehawk in a mid table clash, and the two sides delivered a seven goal thriller. The match looked over and done with by half time, but the Hawks had other ideas, turning four-one into four-three and setting up a nervy finish.

Whitehawk took the lead on fourteen minutes, Grant Hall opening the scoring, but the next thirty minutes turned the match on its head in a big way. Danny Mills- a former Hawks favourite- delivered a quick equaliser and scored the third ten minutes before half time, his two efforts sandwiching a goal from Lonit Talla, Jadan Raymond added the fourth just before the break and the match looked won- but it wasn’t, at least, not quite.

Ten minutes into the second half Jay Emmanuel-Thomas cut the lead to four-two, and nine minutes after that it was four-three, Nathan Cooper delighting the visiting fans and delivering some hope where previously there had been little. Sadly for those heading back to the seaside that hope was to remain unfulfilled, Hamlet holding on for three points.