Curfews escape in eight goal thriller

Leaders Chertsey Town, unbeaten since mid September, were very much favourites to continue that run as South Park (Reigate) came to call, but they fell behind after just ten minutes, Sam King striking for the Sparks- and it wasn’t a fluke, as only seven minutes later the visitors had another, Deondre Date making it two. The Sparks held that lead until half time, but the second half was just a minute old when Gianluca Botti got a goal back- surely that would spark a Curfews comeback? It did the opposite, it sparked the Sparks to score a third, Date making it three-one to the visitors, but the hosts immediately got the fifth goal of the game, Oliver McCoy making it two-three. Up the other end we went, and South Park, who surely hadn’t read the expected script, added a fourth- Courtney Swaby making it four-two. Could the Curfews mount a comeback? An own goal eight minutes from time brought it back to three-four, but the Sparks seemed to have held on- and then, eight minutes into added time, up popped Louis Degand to somehow make it four-four!

Marlow looked to bounce back from that midweek defeat against Chertsey as Chipstead came to call, and the hosts were ahead on twenty six minutes, Toby Raggett with the opener, before doubling their advantage in first half stoppage time, Rhys Harper with the second. Things got worse for the Chips when Khalid Babikir saw red in the early stages of the second half, and with twenty three minutes to go an own goal made it three-nil, before Dave Tarpey got the fourth with four minutes left- his seventeenth in seventeen Marlow matches.

Raynes Park Vale and Leatherhead met in South West London, fifth v fourth, and it was as close as we expected, goalless until two minutes from time. The goal, when it arrived, went to the travelling Tanners, Ibrahim Olutade delivering a fine end to his latest Leatherhead debut. The Tanners stay fourth, five points clear of their hosts- and nine points clear of sixth place Westfield.

Ascot United and Corinthian-Casuals couldn’t manage a first half goal between them, and the visitors very much needed one as they tried to pull back an eight point gap between themselves and safety. Casuals troubled the scoresheet for the first time ten minutes into the second half, Aderi Arthur-Dede keeping his nerve from the spot, and with sixteen minutes left the visitors doubled their advantage, Finlay Evans making it two-nil (pictured courtesy of Stuart Tree). The Yellas quickly halved the arrears, Liam Tack with a goal back, and deep into added time at the end of the match the hosts grabbed a point, Usman Lalustani with the equaliser. Casuals are seven points from safety, but will be delighted with their performance, if frustrated it didn’t end with more points.

Sutton Common Rovers played host to Northwood. Neither side had found any consistency of late so this one looked rather difficult to predict, but the first goal went to the visitors, Teddy Stacey scoring four minutes into the second half. Could Rovers respond? Indeed they could, and they levelled on the hour, Lindell Stewart with the equaliser, before going ahead due to an own goal with eight minutes left. It looked like three points were assured for the hosts, but it turned out they weren’t, as seven minutes into added time Harry Gallagher somehow found an equaliser.

Thatcham Town played host to a Westfield side who were hoping to get their play off chase back on track, and the Woking side went ahead on twenty minutes, Jordan Alves with the opener. The Kingfishers have played some fine football on occasions this season, and are unlikely to be pushovers, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when they levelled eleven minutes before half time, Sam Tanner with the goal, and they kicked on to take the lead just before the break, Jordi Ebanda making it two-one. The equaliser arrived five minutes from time, Manolis Gogonas making it two-two from the spot, and that’s how it ended- the visitors four points away from fifth spot, albeit with a game in hand.

Uxbridge welcomed Ashford Town (Middx). The struggling visitors needed to build on that vital win against Met Police last time out, but they were quickly behind, Troy Walters taking only nine minutes to break the deadlock. The next goal was critical, and it arrived with nineteen minutes to go, an own goal making it two-nil and delighting the red army. Six minutes into added time Uxbridge made it three, Alex Witham rounding off a fine victory, and Uxbridge are twelfth.

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