Mackerel Men go eight clear as rivals falter

Our league leaders, Worthing, welcomed one of their erstwhile challengers, Enfield Town, and got our first Pitching In Premier goal of the afternoon when Jasper Pattenden got his seventh of the campaign, firing home after a super ball from Davide Rodari. Rodari, on loan from Crawley Town, doubled the home advantage eight minutes after the break, as photographed by Marcus Hoare, and then the former Hastings United man got the third on sixty five minutes. Percy Kiangebeni sealed a terrible day for the Towners when seeing red, and the Worthing lead is up to eight points.

Bishop’s Stortford, still with pretentions of catching the Mackerel Men at the start of the day, were putting their eight match unbeaten run on the line as they travelled to Margate. The hosting Blues have also been in good form, with only two defeats from ten, and neither set of Blues could manage to score- although Stortford stay second.

Lewes, in fourth, knew that victory at Corinthian-Casuals could see them climb to third. A goalless draw, however, wasn’t a great deal of use to them, and saw them slip to sixth.

Hornchurch have been on a fantastic run, and hadn’t lost in the League since November 23rd. The Urchins were on the road to relegation-threatened Leatherhead, who had lost only one of their last six, and it took fifty six minutes for a goal to arrive- but when it came it went to the visitors, Tobi Joseph finishing after a fine ball from Liam Nash. Sam Higgins made it two eleven minutes from time, and that result lifts the Urchins into fourth.

Folkestone Invicta welcomed another set of seasiders, Bognor Regis Town, and got themselves ahead on ten minutes when Alfie Paxman converted from the spot after a foul from Bognor keeper Amadou Tangara. The next action was a red card, and it came to the Rocks, Ashton Leigh seeing red six minutes from time, and that put paid to any thoughts of a comeback. Invicta are fifth.

Kingstonian had gone rather off the boil of late, a run that had seen them take only two points from their last eighteen seeing them plumet out of the top five. The K’s travelled to Cheshunt, who got back to winning ways last time out after a poor run of their own, and the Ambers took the lead with twenty minutes left, Rowan Liburd with the goal. That was that, and the K’s are now eight points behind the side in fifth, having played two games more.

Carshalton Athletic travelled to face bottom side East Thurrock United. The Rocks, with only four points from their last thirty, need to start picking up wins if they are going to climb out of the danger zone, whilst their visitors also needed a win to retain a chance of gatecrashing the playoffs. After a goalless first half we looked to have a goalless second half, despite a red card for United debutant Oli Coker, on loan from Southend United- but deep into added time the ten men grabbed victory, Johnny Ashman lifting them off the bottom once more.

Horsham entertained relegation-threatened Cray Wanderers, and it was the visitors who got the early breakthrough, Chris Dickson scoring after thirteen minutes, but the day got better for the hosts on the half hour, or at least Tom Day did, as he equalised. The Hornets were ahead just before the break, Will Miles up from the back to score for the third game in a row, but Wands hit back to equalise on sixty five minutes, Cameron Brodie drawing them level. That was that, the Hornets thirteenth, the Wands nineteenth.

With three wins from four the Sammy Moore effect has been extremely positive for Potters Bar Town. The Scholars travelled to face a Bowers and Pitsea side who have also looked much improved of late, with only one defeat from five, and they went ahead just after half time, Samson Esan sending the travelling fans wild. That was that, and Town are up to fourteenth.

Haringey Borough went ahead against Merstham midway through the first half, Adam Morgan with the goal. Any hopes of a comeback disappeared when Barry Hayles was dismissed for the Moatsiders with ten minutes left, only eight minutes after he had arrived from the bench, and Borough held on for victory.

An own goal gave Wingate & Finchley the lead against Brightlingsea Regent on the half hour, and then Dexter Peter gave the visitors hope by getting sent off two minutes from time. They took advantage, Aaron Blair equalising from the spot right at the end.

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