Goals galore as the Millers stay three points clear

Cray Valley PM welcomed Burgess Hill Town knowing that they may need to win to stay top- and they did exactly that, in some style. Adam Coombes was their star, scoring a first half hat trick on five, thirty two and thirty seven minutes, with the second of the match coming from Lyle Della-Verde on eleven minutes. The second half was rather more sedate, the Millers fifth goal arriving eleven minutes from time, Kyrell Lisbie with it, and it leaves Cray Valley three points clear at the summit. The Millers have now defeated the Hillians three times in a row- and have scored nine goals against them this season.

Second place Ramsgate kept up the pressure with two second half goals at Phoenix Sports. Joe Taylor opened the scoring just before the hour- a FORTY SIXTH of the season-and eleven minutes later Lee Martin added another, the Rams holding on for a fairly comfortable three points. Sports remain nine points above the drop zone.

Third place Sittingbourne travelled to take on fifth place Three Bridges, a match which looked to be too close to call- but by the end wasn’t particularly close at all. Bridges were nine unbeaten, and made it ten with a dominant second half performance which saw them hit the Brickies for three. Ibrahim Jalloh opened the scoring from the spot five minutes into the second half, and with nineteen minutes left on the clock top scorer Noel Leighton got the second, his thirty first of the season. Two minutes from time Adam Adam added the third, and Bridges stay fifth- two points ahead of sixth place Lancing with a game in hand. Image from Jonas Lustosa- more here.

Chichester City have been quite magnificent of late- and it was rather a surprise that they finally conceded a goal after nine clean sheets, but less surprising that they scored six at the other end! There was certainly no Manager of the Month curse at Oaklands Park.

Jimmy Wild was the City hero against Erith and Belvedere, not just scoring a hat trick, but getting four, to take his tally for the season to fifteen in seventeen matches. Wild put his side ahead on nineteen minutes, and four minutes later Isaac Bello added a second. The Deres then got one back, Matt Holness with their high point of the day, but Wild made it three-one before the break. His hat trick came three minutes into the second half when he made it four-one, and sixteen minutes from time he also added number five. Ethan Pritchard made it six-one seven minutes from the end, and City stay fourth- and most importantly remain six points ahead of sixth place Lancing.

After one win in seven Lancing’s play off hopes had taken a hit, but the Lancers looked more like their old selves as they hit Sussex rivals East Grinstead Town for three at Culver Road. It wasn’t as easy as the scoreline might suggest, however, the hosts only breaking the deadlock on fifty six minutes- Lukas Franzen-Jones with his twenty fifth of the season- and their second arriving only four minutes from time, Charlie Bennett giving them some breathing space. A minute from time Daniel Howick made it three, and the Lancers are two points behind fifth place Three Bridges having played a game more.

Herne Bay are a point further back- and three points away from fifth place- after a narrow victory at Littlehampton Town. Bay went ahead a minute into the second half, Frankie Smith with the opener, and seven minutes later the visitors were two up, Scott Heard doubling their lead. A Scott Kirkwood penalty with seventeen minutes left gave Town hope, but the equaliser didn’t arrive- and the Golds remain seven points above the drop zone.

Sheppey United ensured that Ashford United couldn’t record a third win in a row, and they did it in some style, hitting the Nuts and Bolts for five. They went ahead after just four minutes, Richard Hamill opening the scoring, but Ian Draycott made sure the sides were on level terms at the break by scoring an equaliser five minutes from half time. The Ites dominated the second half, however. Jerson Dos Santos made it two-one and three-one on forty nine and seventy four minutes, and it was as good as game over when David Johnson added a fourth, seven minutes from time. The fifth arrived in added time, substitute Dan Bradshaw putting the icing on a fine performance for the Ites.

Broadbridge Heath must have thought they had three points wrapped up against Horndean, but a late, late leveller for the visitors left them with only one. Both sides were in good form so we expected this one to be close, and the first goal took sixty two minutes to arrive, Callum Dowell scoring for the Bears- but five minutes into added time Liam Callaghan got an equaliser for the Deans.

Merstham welcomed a crowd of six hundred and eighty nine- and Sevenoaks Town- to the Hybrid Fitness Stadium, and they turned on the style, scoring five goals without reply. Billy Oram and Dean Gunner shared the first four, Oram with the first and third on six and twenty eight minutes, Gunner with his two on twenty two and thirty three. In the second half Korrey Henry added the fifth, and finally poor Oaks got some relief. The Moatsiders have put a fifteen point gap between themselves and the danger zone- and are now mathematically safe.

Beckenham Town picked up three points and delivered an impressive performance, hammering Hythe Town five-two. Louie Theophanous was the star performer, goals on twelve, twenty six and forty nine minutes giving him a hat trick, and the latter making it three-one, Aaron Barnes scoring for the Cannons just before half time. Steve Townsend made it four-one on sixty five minutes, Finley Roberts added a fifth fifteen minutes from time, and a late Frannie Collin penalty might have brought it back to five-two but didn’t really do the visitors a great deal of good.

Becks are seven points from safety, with only four games left to play.

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