Chats back to winning ways at the top

Leaders Chatham Town started the day with a two point advantage at the top, but knew that anything less than victory over Lewes could see them overtaken by Hornchurch, Carshalton Athletic, Enfield Town or Hastings United. The Chats finally went ahead- from the spot- fifteen minutes from time, Jamie Yila with the goal- and Yila obviously built up a taste for celebrations, scoring again two minutes later, taking his tally for the season up to seven. Just before the end the hosts added a third, Ashley Nzala delighting most of the one thousand and sixty five watching on.

Chatham stay top, and remain two points clear. Image from Max English.

In second place at start of play, Hornchurch travelled to White Hart Lane to take on Haringey Borough. The hosts were still looking for a first league win, but displayed fine form when knocking National League South side Tonbridge Angels out of the cup last weekend, and their match-winner against Angels, hat trick hero Matthew Young, opened the scoring against the Urchins with only sixteen minutes left. Could they hold on? Borough have developed a habit of conceding late goals this season, and sadly for the Coles Park faithful they did it again. It looked as if three points were confirmed, but in the last minute the Urchins were suddenly level through Ryan Scott, and almost immediately they were ahead, Ade Yusuff with an acrobatic clincher.

Despite that victory, Hornchurch drop to third on goal difference.

Our match of the day came from Donkey Lane, where Enfield Town welcomed Carshalton Athletic to the QEII Stadium- fourth v third at kick off. Both sides started the day unbeaten, and both had been rather prolific in front of goal, but the six hundred and fifty two watching on didn’t have a goal to cheer in the first half. Some of them had a goal to cheer soon after the restart, and it was the red contingent celebrating, Mark Marshall opening the scoring for the Robins- and soon they were two goals up, Tommy Bradford getting his sixth of the season. It was as good as game over with twelve minutes left, Olu Babajide making it three for the visitors, and that victory saw Athletic up to second place. The Towners slip to fifth.

Hastings United were looking to put their first defeat of the season- against National League South side Dover Athletic in the Cup- behind them as they welcomed Potters Bar Town to Pilot Field. The Scholars were searching for a first win of the campaign, and they got it, Brandon Adams scoring the only goal of the game four minutes from time- a first home defeat for United, who stay fourth- whilst the visitors climb to twentieth.

Horsham finally overcame Marlow in a tricky cup replay in midweek, and faced a tough task once more as Billericay Town headed slowly to Sussex in a battle between sixth and seventh- both sides knowing that a win would possibly see them into the top five. The one thousand, two hundred and thirty in attendance had little to shout about in the first half, and it got no better after the break, the scoreline at the end the same as at the start.

We had a seaside special as Folkestone Invicta welcomed Whitehawk. Invicta’s good form had deserted them a little lately, a five-nil County Cup defeat against Chatham Town followed by a home FA Cup defeat by local rivals Margate in midweek. The Hawks, in contrast, hadn’t lost since the opening day and had won five of their previous six, and the visitors went ahead on twenty five minutes as Charlie Walker converted from the spot- his sixth goal of the season. Invicta levelled eleven minutes before the break through David Smith, delighting the majority of the seven hundred and twenty five watching on, and the second half saw no change to the scoreline.

Hashtag United and Wingate & Finchley both hoped to bounce back from disappointing Cup defeats. The Tags- alongside Bognor- have become draw specialists, which had left them without a league victory since August 15th, a statistic they’d very much like to change, and they started well, Alfie Cue with our first Premier goal of the afternoon on seven minutes. The hosts made their lives difficult just before the hour, Percy Kiangebeni seeing red, but they still made it two-nil with twelve minutes to go, Cue scoring again. That was that, the Tags up to eleventh.

Margate and Canvey Island were both in Cup replay action in midweek. The Gulls, who hosted Gate this weekend, were moments from knocking out National League South Braintree Town before a late, late leveller saw them lose in extra time- whilst Margate were knocking out local rivals Folkestone Invicta on the road. The hosts were ahead on the half hour, Rob Girdlestone with the opener, and in the early stages of the second half got a second and then a third, Bradley Sach and Sam Mvemba leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb. They tried to climb it, Fyn Rutherford quickly getting one back, but two minutes from time Elliott Ronto added a fourth to seal a fine win for the Gulls.

Four hundred and seventy five watched the match, and Canvey moved ahead of their visitors, into fourteenth.

Bognor Regis Town welcomed Kingstonian to the Sussex coast. The Rocks were four matches without a win- although that run had included two draws, which was kind of the story of their season so far as they were once again draw specialists. Even a midweek friendly against Littlehampton Town ended level! The Rocks went ahead just after the hour, Jasper Mather with the goal, and right at the end a Calvin Davies second made sure of three points, which saw them climb to twelfth- a first home win of the campaign.

Cray Wanderers and Cheshunt met on Hayes Lane. The Wands played one hundred and twenty minutes on Wednesday night- and to no avail, eventually losing at Ramsgate in the Cup- and were hoping that didn't sit heavy on their legs as they looked for a first home league win of the campaign; whilst the visitors saw striker Nnamdi Nwachuku score a hat trick last time out as they picked up three points and hoped to build a winning run. The hosts were ahead just before the half hour, Jamie Mascoll with the opener, but with twenty minutes left a debut goal from Solomon Baugh drew the Ambers level. Both sides looked for a winner, and the hosts were ahead once more with thirteen minutes left, George Porter restoring their advantage. This time an equaliser didn’t arrive, and Wands climbed out of the bottom four.

Two of the sides relegated from National League South, Dulwich Hamlet and Concord Rangers, clashed at Champion Hill. If it hadn’t been the best of starts for Hamlet- one win from five and out of the FA Cup- it had been downright disastrous for the Beachboys, who had lost every match, conceded seventeen goals, and were knocked out of the cup by North Division Wroxham. The visitors got to the break level on goals- neither side managing one- but up against it, a red card for Joe Halsey meaning they’d need to play the second half with ten men. Hamlet went ahead on fifty minutes, Elliott Romain with the opener, and twenty minutes later Michael Chambers made it two. That was that- Hamlet are sixteenth, the Beachboys rock bottom.

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