Ites slay giants, Rams progress, Millers get another chance

FA Cup

Carshalton Athletic welcomed Cray Valley PM and five hundred and forty three fans to the Steve McKimm derby, the Robins boss from last season bringing his Millers to Colston Avenue. Both sides had started the campaign in superb fashion, the visitors unbeaten in all competitions and full of confidence- and it showed as the Millers took only two minutes to go ahead, Arthur Lee with the opener. The Robins were level ten minutes before the break, Aaron Lamont with the equaliser, and they got the next goal, too, Paris Hamilton Downes making it two-one five minutes into the second half. Fifteen minutes later the hosts were three-one up, Bradley Williams with that one, but a Kyrell Lisbie goal quickly brought it back to three-two. Two minutes from time a penalty was awarded to the Millers, and Adam Coombes held his nerve to make it three-three- and the two sides will have to meet again in midweek, before meeting again next weekend in the FA Trophy!

Merthyr Town, in third place in Pitching In Southern Premier South, were the long distance hosts for Sheppey United. Town had lost only twice this season- although both of those defeats had come at home- and they went ahead on eighteen minutes, but it took only three minutes for the unbeaten Ites to hit back through Josh Wisson. The visitors then went ahead, Richard Hamill giving them the lead with twenty minutes left, and four minutes from time Danny Leonard surely ensured a giant killing, making it three-one. The Ites then sent their fans wild with a fourth, Oscar Housego plunging most of the nine hundred and eighty nine watching on into utter dismay.

Ramsgate have been scintillating at times this season, and played their youth team in the Kent Cup in midweek (they lost seven-one) to ensure they had a full squad to pick from for the visit of Frome Town. The Rams had already slayed two giants in the FA Cup, Cray Wanderers and Chatham Town, so they won’t have been afraid of Pitching In Southern League Division One South side Frome Town- but also had to guard against taking them lightly, as the visitors brought with them a nine match unbeaten run and are in fine form. The Rams broke the deadlock just after the restart, Benni Bioletti with the goal, and doubled their advantage with fifteen minutes remaining, Jack Parter making it two-nil. The visitors got one back late on, but it mattered little.

South East

Our leaders, Three Bridges, welcomed a side from a few miles along the A264, as Broadbridge Heath came to call. Bridges started the day with a one point lead at the top, and an unbeaten record to go with it, but they were quickly behind, the Bears taking the lead on eleven minutes through Louis Evans. Eleven minutes later, however, Noel Leighton- who has been on fire this season- levelled the score with his seventh of the season, and ten minutes into the second half Brannon O’Neill gave the leaders the lead from the spot. With twenty four minutes left it was three-one, Dan Ferreria getting in on the act, and Leighton added his second of the match to make it four-one with two minutes remaining. Heath did get a late goal, Mason Doughty with it, but it made little difference as Bridges held comfortably on to the summit.

Beckenham Town had played four matches against Sussex opposition so far this season, and lost them all, so they won’t have been all that delighted as Chichester City hove into view. One look at City’s record so far this season would have made them even less delighted- four matches, three wins, and not a single goal conceded- and City were ahead again on forty eight minutes through Conrad Honore and doubled their advantage through Steve Hutchings five minutes later. That was enough to keep City in second place.

Sevenoaks Town, in sixth at start of play, and fourth place Sittingbourne met at Greatness Park. Oaks got back to winning ways in the Kent Cup in midweek, defeating Herne Bay three-nil, and had a fine unbeaten home record- so it was perhaps a surprise when the travelling Brickies went ahead on twenty one minutes, Chris Harris with the opener. Oaks were level almost immediately after the restart, Karn Miller-Neave with the first goal scored in any of our matches in the second half, but they were just getting used to parity when they lost it, D’Shaun Theobalds restoring the lead for the Brickies. With sixteen minutes left the hosts equalised once more, Fumnaya Shomotun making it two-two, and this time that was that, both sides holding onto the places they occupied at kick off.

Herne Bay, in fifth at kick off, welcomed Phoenix Sports. It took seventy eight minutes for the match to deliver a goal, and within four minutes more we had two, both going to the hosts. Michael Salako got the opener, Gil Carvalho quickly followed with the second, and the hosts climbed to third place.

Hythe Town were hoping to climb back into the top five as they travelled to Erith & Belvedere. The game looked to be ebbing towards a goalless draw when Chris Dickson opened the scoring for the Deres with only nine minutes left, and that turned out to be the only goal of the game, the Deres up to tenth.

Bottom side East Grinstead Town were the hosts for Ashford United. The Wasps had lost every league game so far- and indeed had lost their last seven matches in all competitions- so perhaps a fortnight off might have done them good and allowed them to regroup and refocus. It certainly looked so when Max Walsh put them ahead on twenty six minutes, and Walsh must have enjoyed that, because he decided to do it again, and again, completing a hat trick within fifteen minutes to put his side three-nil up. With twenty five minutes left it was four-nil, Connor Tighe giving Walsh a rest by scoring on this occasion, but Walsh didn’t need much of a rest as he scored again with five minutes left, his fourth of the game. Right at the end it was six-nil, Alex Andrade Filipe with that one, and the Wasps losing streak was firmly ended, the Nuts and Bolts wondering just what had hit them. Town are up to seventeenth.

Burgess Hill Town played their first league match this month as they welcome Merstham to the Homecall Carpets Community Stadium. The Hillians had lost their last three fixtures in Cup, Cup and Trophy, whilst the Moatsiders were having a dreadful time of it and had just parted company with manager Tony Reid, so confidence might have been an issue for both sides- but they started on the front foot, Rob O’Toole giving the hosts the lead on two minutes and Andrew Mensah levelling for the visitors just two minutes later. O’Toole obviously wasn’t happy about that, as he restored the lead with speed, Hill ahead once more on eleven minutes- and it was three-one when Lewis Finney got his sixth of the season midway through the first half. The game was as good as over when Marcell Powell made it four-one with nine minutes left, but there was still enough time for Marcel Powell to make it five. Hill go seventh, the Moatsiders are rock bottom.

Finally, a Sussex derby, as Lancing welcomed Littlehampton Town. The Lancers had one win from seven matches and over the last week had departed first the FA Trophy and then the Velocity Cup, conceding six goals in the first and five in the second, so they were looking for a response, and they went ahead ten minutes before the break through James Hull, before adding another just on the stroke of half time, Lucas Franzen-Jones leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb. Another from Hull made it three soon after half time, but Dion Jarvis got one back with thirty five minutes left as the Golds decided to make a game of it. George Gaskin pulled it back to three-two, and the visitors had almost half an hour to find an equaliser- but they failed to do so, and the Lancers climb to eleventh. Liam Hendy saw red late on for the visitors.

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