Chats close the gap to one point!

Leaders Ramsgate saw their lead at the top reduced to one point after struggling Sittingbourne hit back to take a point on the Kent coast. Former Sittingbourne man Kane Rowland opened the scoring for the Rams just before the break, but thirteen minutes from time the Brickies delivered an equaliser, Correy Davidson securing what may turn out to be an important point. The Brickies are third from bottom, and four points from safety after a second draw of the season against our promotion favourites.

Chatham Town, strengthened with the signing of Andy Drury, walloped a youthful Carshalton Athletic side in midweek as a warm up for their trip to bottom side Faversham Town. The Lilywhites have been bringing in players left, right and centre in their efforts to stay up- but the Chats were too good for them and escaped with three points to move to within a point of Ramsgate with a game in hand. Seidou Sanogo opened the scoring midway through the first half, and six minutes after the restart Jack Evans made it two. With three minutes to go Kieron Campbell made the closing stages interesting by pulling a goal back, but that was that. The Lilywhites are fourteen points from safety.

We’d a Sussex derby at the Enclosed Ground, and surprisingly given the weather the shallow end wasn’t under water. Whitehawk, in fourth and buoyed by their midweek Velocity Cup win at Margate, welcomed Littlehampton Town- and the visitors delivered a shock despite playing for seventy minutes with ten men after Scott Packer saw red. They went ahead through Liam Hendy after just three minutes, but the Hawks took advantage of the Golds numerical issues to equalise just before the hour, Luke Robinson with the goal. The hosts then saw their own red card, Nathan Cooper departing early, and in the battle of ten v ten the visitors triumphed, Lucas Pattenden and George Gaskin scoring to close the gap on the top five to three points.

Ashford United were on the road to Sevenoaks Town. The Nuts and Bolts would have hoped that, with two wins from their last three, their mid season woes were now behind them- but sadly for those in green and white those hopes were dashed. Danny Parish gave the visitors a first half lead but it was held only until the sixty third minute, Fumnaya Shomotun equalising for Oaks. A minute from time Dan Carr got the winner for the hosts, who are up to ninth, with United slipping out of the top five.

Beckenham Town, outside the top five only on goal difference at kick off, were on the road to Corinthian. The match had only one goal, it arrived on the hour, and it went to Danny Waldren, who sent Becks up to third- five points behind Ramsgate with two games in hand.

Sheppey United have turned around their form and are charging up the table. The Ites, in seventh place, had a three match winning streak to defend as Hythe Town came to call- and they increased that run to four after scoring the only goal of the game, exacting revenge for a one-nil defeat little over a month ago. Richard Hamill got the goal, seventeen minutes from time.

Another Sussex derby saw Lancing face their former management team, as Haywards Heath Town arrived at Culver Road. The Lancers new boss, Dean Cox, saw his two game winning start come to a crashing end at Beckenham Town last weekend, whilst Heath had hauled themselves out of the bottom four with a run of only one defeat from four- and the visitors are up to eleventh after adding another three points. The Lancers went ahead through Mo Jammeh on twenty six minutes, but Alex Laing quickly levelled for Heath. A Tom Collins penalty on fifty four minutes gave Heath control, and Mo Diallo made it three ten minutes later. Reece Hallard narrowed the gap for the hosts with fifteen minutes left, but the equaliser didn’t arrive.

Image from Ray Turner- more here.

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