Dulwich take command

By Peter Butcher

A CROWD of more than 2,000 turned up at Maidstone to see the Ryman South leaders take on play-off contenders Faversham, and they watched Stones’ title hopes suffer a potentially fatal blow as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat.

Stones dominated without managing to break through and were stunned when Luke Harvey gave the visitors a 67th-minute lead. Matt Bourne’s own goal squared it with 11 minutes left, only for Danny Hockton to grab Faversham’s winner in the 88th minute.

Pole position now belongs to Dulwich, who crushed bottom club Walton Casuals 5-0 at Champion Hill to go three points clear with a game in hand.

Shaking off the disappointment of Tuesday’s League Cup final defeat, Dulwich went ahead through Ellis Green in the 19th minute and doubled it four minutes later with an Erhan Oztumer penalty. Conor French netted twice in ten minutes midway through the second half and Oztumer wrapped it up with his 20th goal of the season.

Beaten in the last two play-off finals, Dulwich are now well placed to gain automatic promotion this time. For Casuals, the outlook is less rosy.

Third-placed Hythe are close to booking a play-off spot after their 2-1 win at Whitstable. Two points from three games will clinch their post-season place.

Dave Cook put them ahead with a 13th-minute penalty but missed another spot-kick four minutes later, allowing Micheal Everitt to level the scores just before half-time (pictured by Les Biggs: Everitt on the left). Cook had the last word with his 24th league goal ten minutes from time.

Faversham’s victory lifted them one place to fourth and they should make sure of their play-off place as well. They are three points ahead of Ramsgate and have a game in hand.

Ramsgate, who have only two matches left, were held to a 1-1 draw at Crawley Down. Gabriel Odunaike put the hosts ahead on the hour and Warren Schulz replied five minutes later.

Folkestone moved to within a point of Ramsgate, also with only two games left, thanks to a 2-1 home win over Horsham. Johan Ter Horst, 18, continued his impressive start to his senior career with a lovely lob to open the scoring on 26 minutes and Richard Atkins added the second shortly before the break. Charlie Farmer replied with 11 minutes to go.

Leatherhead are still well placed to reach the play-offs, five points behind Ramsgate with three games in hand, but made their task more difficult by going down 1-0 at home to Burgess Hill. Max Miller scored the decisive goal after 19 minutes.

Joe Taylor's 57th-minute drive earned Sittingbourne a 1-0 home win over Eastbourne to keep their slight play-off chances alive. The visitors had Matt Crabb sent off near the end.

Three Bridges continued their amazing escape act with a 1-0 victory at Merstham. Elliott Romain netted with 11 minutes left.

Bridges were ten points adrift at the bottom in mid-February, having taken just 17 points from 29 games. They have since taken 23 points from 11 games, including six wins in their last seven, and are up to 19th, six points off the bottom.

Walton & Hersham moved up to 20th, above Horsham, in another game decided by a single goal. James Awofisan scored in the 78th minute to ease Swan’ relegation fears.

Seven teams, from 15th to 21st, are covered by two points but Walton Casuals, five points adrift with only three games to play, will have to do something special to cause concern to any of them, especially as their next fixture is at home to Maidstone. They have won only once on home territory.

The top two in that seven-team group are Corinthian-Casuals and Tooting, who slogged out a goalless draw at Tolworth to inch closer to safety.

Herne Bay need one point from five matches to be mathematically safe after their 2-2 draw at Worthing. All the goals came in the first half, with strikes by James Turner and Byron Walker for the visitors bookending Tom Lawley’s goal and Scott Kirkwood’s penalty. Worthing’s Steve Metcalf hit a post late in the game.

Where next?

League wins another Respect award THE Ryman League has once again been honoured as part of The FA’s 2012/2013 Respect and Fair Play Awards.
Big night in survival battles THERE were seven Ryman League matches tonight (Thursday) and there were highly important results in the battle for survival in all three divisions.

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