Easter Monday's Ryman Premier action review

It could not be much tighter at the top of the Ryman League's Premier Division after Easter Monday's round of matches, writes Pitchero's Steve Whitney.

The Bank Holiday action saw the top two both win, leaving leaders Maidstone United heading the table by five points, with second-placed Hendon possessing two games in hand.

The Stones` final three games are all against teams chasing the play-offs, while the Greens also face sides looking for a top five spot as well as relegation-threatened AFC Hornchurch, so it looks like going right to the wire.

Maidstone beat a Peacehaven & Telscombe side who are now sitting only three points above the drop zone.

A terrific crowd of 2,137 saw a fine solo effort from Jay May give the home side an early fourth minute lead. After that it was all one-way traffic and the travelling Haven fans feared the worse.

But after surviving the initial onslaught, the Magpies came more into the game and quietened the crowd until May added a second just before the half-hour mark. Haven tried hard to get back into the game but ended up with nothing, leaving them in grave danger, although they do face two of the other sides fighting the drop in their final three matches.

Hendon made it fifteen games unbeaten with a 2-1 success at the Harry Abrahams Stadium against a Wingate & Finchley side whose own top five hopes look to have disappeared now.

Casey Maclaren gave the visiting Greens an 18th minute lead that Sam Murphy doubled from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute. Top scorer David Knight reduced the arrears four minutes into the second half, but the hosts were unable to find a leveller.

Although mathematically, Margate can still win the title, more realistically they are looking to finish as high as possible to be ready for the play-offs.

On Monday they could only manage a 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Tonbridge Angels at Hartsdown Park in front of 747.

Nathan Elder gave the Angels a great start with the opening goal inside five minutes. Lewis Taylor equalised three minutes before half-time and then Ryan Moss gave Gate the lead eight minutes after the break. But Mitchell Pinnock grabbed the visitors` leveller just four minutes later to leave them three points above the bottom four.

Dulwich Hamlet ground out an important victory against play-off rivals Enfield Town in front of another bumper crowd of 1,204 at Champion Hill.

It was clear from the outset that this was a Dulwich team in a more determined mood than of late and they thoroughly deserved their victory given to them by goals from Ashley Carew from the spot after 16 minutes and Xavier Vidal just before half-time.

Nathan Livings `won` the second half for Town with a 68th minute effort, but they finished the game with ten-men after substitute Michael Kalu saw red seven minutes from time.

Enfield lost their top five spot after Grays Athletic`s tremendous run under player-manager Mark Bentley stretched to twelve games unbeaten after a 2-0 win at Rookery Hill against an East Thurrock United side whose own chances now look to have gone.

Jordan Wilson gave the Blues a good start with a goal inside the opening five minutes. And they made sure of the Essex derby points when Dumebi Dumaka added a second 10 minutes into the second half.

Metropolitan Police are now four points adrift of the top five after being held to a 2-2 draw at Earlsmead by another side in the relegation dog-fight, Harrow Borough.

Rob Bartley gave the Met a 13th minute lead that Spencer McCall levelled six minutes later. Mu Maan came off the bench to restore the visitors` lead on 76 minutes, but that lead lasted barely two minutes as Lewis Driver pulled Boro back on terms.

Kingstonian`s play-off hopes took a massive hit after they went down to a 2-0 defeat at the Beveree against a Hampton & Richmond Borough side also involved the scrap down the bottom end of the table.

Hampton manager Alan Dowson got the perfect performance from his team against his former club, and one win from their final three matches may be enough to complete the job of staying up before a re-building job commences in the summer.

Making his home debut, Brendan Kiernan slotted the side in front seven minutes before half-time. In front of a crowd of 676, the home fans had to wait until late for the result to be confirmed against the K`s and it came from Ryan Newman a minute from the end as he finished well.

Leiston`s play-off hopes hang by a thread after suffering a home defeat against already-relegated neighbours Bury Town.

Gareth Heath missed an early penalty and then Leiston had skipper Tom Bullard sent-off as early as the 20th minute before Justin Miller scored what proved to be the winner for the Blues in the 34th minute.

If the battle for the top five is exciting, who goes down with Bury is equally tight and looks like going right to the final weekend.

AFC Hornchurch – just a year after being in the promotion play-off final – look doomed, despite getting a point from a 2-2 draw with Billericay Town.

Tobi Joseph put the Urchins in front on the half-hour mark, only for Cyrus Mahler to level four just minutes later. But when Shameek Farrell put the visitors in front with 17 minutes to go, it looked all over, until George Purcell popped up with the home side`s equaliser in the fifth minute of injury-time.

And who knows, that point could turn out to be vital, although it would need the Urchins to win virtually all of their remaining four games to stay up.

Witham Town are third-bottom and they too were involved in a drawn game, this time at a Canvey Island outfit who may just about be safe now.

However, when Harry Cook broke the deadlock to give Witham the lead in the 72nd minute, things looked bleak for the Gulls, until sub Marlon Agyakwa grabbed the equaliser five minutes from time.

VCD Athletic have had a good Easter and a third successive win moved them to fourth-bottom, three points behind the safety-mark.

The Vickers beat mid-table Leatherhead on Monday, courtesy of goals from Leigh Bremner five minutes into the second period and then Elliot Cox in stoppage time.

Lewes' 2-1 Sussex derby win at Nyewood Lane against Bognor Regis Town means they are all-but safe.

A crowd of 599 saw Elliott Romain give the Rooks the lead three minutes into the second half. He doubled his and Lewes` tally just three minutes later, and although Terry Dodd reduced the deficit just past the hour-mark, the visitors held firm for three vital points.