Bridges shine, but lose ground

Despite that, Bridges found themselves seven daunting points adrift at the foot of the table as Walton Casuals, the side above them, powered to a 4-0 victory at Herne Bay.

Marcus Elliott’s 17th-minute goal for Bridges was quickly answered by Tommy Hutchings, after which it was the bottom club who had the better chances to take the extra points.

Casuals, meanwhile, took a ninth-minute lead through Sol Patterson-Bohner, who scored again in the 24th minute.

Former Leatherhead marksman Greg Andrews scored his first goal for his new club five minutes before half-time and Kwabena Agyei’s lob on the hour completed an impressive performance. Danny Wisker’s late dismissal made it a wretched day for the hosts.

At the other end of the table, leaders Maidstone were frustrated by 17-year-old Folkestone forward Johan Ter Horst, whose first senior goals earned his side a 2-2 home draw.

He put his side ahead after 13 minutes but the leaders hit back through Graeme Andrews in the 20th minute and went in front on the stroke of half-time with a Tom Mills goal. Ter Horst had the last word with a 77th-minute equaliser which kept the hosts well in the play-off race.

Dulwich moved to within four points of the pacemakers with three games in hand after romping to a 4-1 home win over Merstham.

A foul on Nyren Clunis led to a 13th-minute penalty which Danny Carr converted, and Xavier Vidal’s 25-yard strike doubled the lead five minutes before the interval.

Clunis added two goals in six minutes midway through the second half before Mark Nwokeji netted a late reply for the visitors.

Leatherhead stayed in third place because Faversham, the side behind them, had to settle for a 0-0 home draw against lowly Corinthian-Casuals. The hosts almost snatched the win in added time, when Danny Dudley’s goalline clearance denied Dave Botterill.

Sittingbourne are just a point behind Faversham after beating visiting Hythe 1-0 in a game of three penalties.

Ryan Golding had the chance to put the hosts ahead with a 50th-minute spot-kick but hit a post. Joe Taylor fared better from 12 yards in the 77th minute to put Brickies in front.

They then conceded a last-minute penalty, with keeper Adam Molloy becoming the day’s hero by saving the kick from Dave Cook, the division’s joint-top scorer.

A missed penalty was crucial, too, at Eastbourne, where Ramsgate maintained their march towards the play-off places with a lone-goal victory. Nathan Crabb hit a post with a spot-kick for the home side and, although he buried the rebound, no-one else had touched the ball and it was disallowed.

Ramsgate made the most of that escape when Ian Pulman set up the decisive goal for Ben Laslett with ten minutes left to keep their side in seventh place, two points behind Sittingbourne.

Between them are Crawley Down, for whom Jamie Cade added to the list of penalty misses with ten minutes left. His failure was not costly, for Rebels were unable to reply to Fraser Logan’s 40th-minute strike, the only goal of the game.

Burgess Hill stayed in the hunt with a 4-1 home win over Horsham that was wrapped up by half-time. Pat Harding gave the Hillians a third-minute lead against his former club and added another, his 18th of the season, midway through the half.

Kai Bichard’s 33rd-minute own goal gave the visitors some hope but Dan McLaughlin’s header restored the two-goal margin in the 42nd minute and Bichard made amends by scoring at the right end in the closing moments of the half.

Whitstable continued to put their relegation fears behind them with a 2-1 victory at Walton & Hersham, where all five of their previous Ryman League visits had ended in defeat.

Buster Smissen put the Oystermen ahead after 54 minutes (pictured by Les Biggs) and, after Graeme Purdy replied ten minutes later with a penalty, Billy Parkinson forced in a loose ball for the 70th-minute winner.

Bamoussa Cisse hit a hat-trick for Tooting at Chipstead but it was worth only one point to his side in a 3-3 draw. Jason Henry gave Chips an early lead but Cisse then took over, scoring after 34, 42 and 51 minutes. Joe Nwoko pulled one back in the 56th minute and netted the equaliser with eight minutes left.