Hamlet and Hornchurch halted, Hillians happy again

Dulwich Hamlet last night lost their third game in a row, as a January which started rather well for the League leaders continues to take a turn for the worse. The duo of Margate and Merstham were made a trio by Wingate and Finchley, who came from a goal behind to snatch a 2-1 victory.

The turning point of the match perhaps came in the fortieth minute, when Hamlet lost Ibrahim Kargbo to a red card- and yet the ten men took the lead almost on the stroke of half time, Nyren Clunis with his ninety-seventh goal for the club. Wingate & Finchley got back into the match with fourteen minutes to go, Afolabi Obafemi with the equaliser, and then snatched all three points right at the death, an own goal sealing a famous victory.

Perhaps the big winners from this match will be Billericay Town, whose match with Dorking Wanderers was called off due to a waterlogged pitch, adding once more to their fixture congestion- they haven’t managed a league match since January 6th. The Blues sit five points behind Hamlet, but with a massive EIGHT games in hand.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division Margate continued their good run despite severe injury problems, moving up to fourth place- and remaining unbeaten in their last six matches- with two more Jordan Chiedozie goals seeing off Thurrock. Chiedozie now has eleven goals in Gate’s last ten matches.

Metropolitan Police moved up to sixth, two goals in three minutes midway through the first half giving them victory over Tonbridge Angels at Imber Court. Bayley Mummery and Jonny Wright were the scorers.

At the bottom of the table Burgess Hill Town hosted Harlow Town at a rather damp Green Elephants Stadium, and two first half goals from Connor Tighe saw off the visitors, finally earning the Hillians a reward they’d failed to get from some recent impressive displays. The result leaves Ian Chapman’s side only a point behind Tooting & Mitcham United and Worthing, with games in hand over all of their relegation rivals.

In the North Division the surprise result came at Bridge Avenue, as Barking defeated leaders AFC Hornchurch by the only goal of an apparently rather scrappy game. Albert Lovett got it with five minutes remaining, earning his side only their third win in the last ten games and moving them within three points of a play-off spot. Maldon & Tiptree, sitting in sixth place, gave debuts to new signings George Brown and Keanu Williams in their match against AFC Sudbury and went ahead through Kieran Bailey early on, but the away side levelled on the stroke of half time through Mekhi McKenzie and ensured no Jammers points today when Phil Kelly found the back of the net in the ninetieth minute.

In the other match in the North Division Tilbury took the lead against Heybridge Swifts with an own goal in the 6th minute, and managed to hold that lead right until the end to move up to fifteenth. Swifts are seventeenth, but still have an average of ten games in hand over the sides around them.

Tonight sees only one match, weather permitting, as Staines Town host Worthing.