King opens Maidstone account

That was all Stones needed for their 1-0 win at Leatherhead, though they lost keeper Charlie Mitten with a suspected broken arm in the first half and his replacement, Deren Ibrahim, had to pull off one excellent save from Tom Bradbrook to deny Tenners an equaliser.

Stones remain two points behind leaders Dulwich, who thrashed Horsham 4-0, with three games in hand. Hamlet’s 18-year-old striker Danny Carr maintained his run of form with a hat-trick after Horsham keeper Michael Hunter had pushed a corner into his own net for the 15th-minute opener. Carr headed his first soon afterwards but had to wait until the last ten minutes for his other goals. By then Horsham were down to ten men after Ryan Woodford’s dismissal.

Dave Cook took his goal tally for Hythe into three figures with a double in their 2-0 victory at Eastbourne. He netted a 19th-minute penalty and added his ton-up goal on the stroke of half-time. Hythe stay level on points with Maidstone though they, too, have played three more games.

It was Hythe’s seventh away win, a league-best total they share with Worthing after the Sussex club gained an important 2-1 victory at Sittingbourne. The losers remained in fourth place but Rebels, who are seventh, are now just one point behind them.

A foul on Joe Taylor allowed Ryan Golding to give the Brickies a 27th-minute lead from the spot but goals late in the first half by Tom Lawley and Nick Sullivan turned it round.

Crawley Down hung on to fifth place despite being held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Whitstable. Steve Sargent hit the bar for the hosts before Luke Blewden gave them a 65th-minute lead. But the Oystermen deserved some reward from the game and they got it when Sean Raggett scored with five minutes left. The Anvils, in red, are under pressure in the picture by Les Biggs.

Burgess Hill, in sixth place, moved level on points with the two sides above them after their 2-0 home win over Three Bridges. Both goals came in the last 13 minutes, with an own goal by Dean Carden swiftly followed by Kai Bichard’s first strike since his move from Tooting.

Faversham crushed bottom club Walton Casuals 7-0 to record only their second home win of the season. Casuals conceded three penalties and had two goalkeepers sent off.

Renford Tenyou opened the scoring after seven minutes and Wayne Wilson added a penalty on the half-hour before things started to go seriously wrong for the visitors. Matt Pegler was sent off for conceding a penalty five minutes before the interval, again converted by Wilson, and Tenyue made it 4-0 at the break. Deputy keeper Michael Corbett was given his marching orders in the 83rd minute and striker Greg Andrews, just signed from Leatherhead, completed his debut in unexpected fashion by taking over between the posts.

He could not prevent Tenyue completing his hat-trick from the resulting penalty and was then beaten twice in a minute by Kieran Oliver as Faversham improved their goal difference.

A poor back-pass allowed Joe Nwoko to score a 15th-minute goal for Chiptead and set them on their way to a 3-0 home win over Ramsgate. Shaun Preddie made it 2-0 early in the second half and Nwoko got his second midway through.

Merstham were also 3-0 winners, at Herne Bay who have come down to earth after a bright start to Ryman life. Luke I’anson’s 36th-minute strike was all that separated the sides until the 79th minute, when Liam Wright made it 2-0. I’anson quickly added the clincher.

One goal was enough for Folkestone, a 20-yarder by Luke Webb in the 75th minute, though Laurent Hamici three times came close to equalising for visitors Tooting.

The scoreline was the same at Walton & Hersham, where Harold Odometey scored after 58 minutes to see off Corinthian-Casuals. The Swans are down in 13th spot but within four points of the play-off places.