Home win Tuesday!

Pitching In Isthmian Premier saw second place Chatham Town looking to narrow the gap between themselves and leaders Hornchurch to three points with victory at Margate- but the Blues had other ideas. It took until eighteen minutes from time before the four hundred and eight watching on saw the first goal, and it went to the hosts, Ben Greenhalgh- so often their main man- opening the scoring. Ten minutes later Chatham’s chances of a comeback came to an end, Steve Cawley’s seventh of the campaign sealing three points for Margate and sending them up to fifteenth. The Urchins lead at the top looks ever more commanding, and the Chats loss was their first on the road this season- and their first in six matches.

Wingate and Finchley defeated a Sussex side in Sussex on Saturday with a fine win at Hastings United, and last night they defeated another, this time on their own patch, as Horsham were conquered. The North London Blues took the lead eight minutes after the break, Ruben Carvalho with the opener, and with nineteen minutes to go Elliot Long- who got a fine hat trick at Hastings- added a second. Perhaps the Hornets had an FA Cup hangover, but this was only their second defeat to the Blues in seven attempts, and it sent Wingate up to sixth place, outside the top five only on goal difference.

Sheppey United of Pitching In Isthmian South East welcomed Billericay Town in an Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round Replay last night, and the Ites terminated the Cup ambitions of a second ‘giant’ in a row, the visiting Blues defeated after one hundred and twenty minutes and a dramatic shootout at Holm Park.

The Ites had much of the play at New Lodge on Saturday, but the visiting Blues were unbeaten on the road and must have been confident as they arrived on the Island. That confidence was shaken as Dan Bradshaw’s seventh goal of the season put the hosts ahead on twenty minutes, and for the next sixty five minutes it looked as if Sheppey had booked themselves a tie against Walsall and a first ever First Round match, but with five minutes remaining the visitors got an equaliser, Brad Stevenson continuing to be their talisman and scoring his ninth of the campaign.

Into extra time we went, with no further goals- although we did have a red card, Ben Wells departing late on for Billericay. Penalties was next, and the Ites held their nerve, despatching each of their five spot kicks. Billericay were almost as lethal, but almost wasn’t enough, one failure from five seeing the hosts through.

We also had South East v Premier in the Velocity Cup Third Round, as Herne Bay welcomed Folkestone Invicta. Bay have won their previous two matches at home, and it looked as if they might make that three when Archie Burnett put them ahead just after the start of the second half. The Invicta equaliser arrived with only five minutes left, Luke Holness sending the match to penalties- and the Premier side were slightly better from the spot, triumphing three-two.

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