Millers make the summit!

Cray Valley PM’s magnificent season continued at Burgess Hill Town last night, the Millers taking their unbeaten run to twenty six matches and finally completing their collection of games in hand over Ramsgate by replacing the Rams at the top of the table for the first time this season.

If Cray Valley were at all nervous about the challenge facing them then those nerves could have been brought to the fore on ten minutes when Dan Perry was gifted a one on one chance, but Millers keeper Max Ovenden was equal to it. Almost immediately it was the visitors who were in the ascendency, Hassan Ibrahiym first hitting the bar and then the side netting, but it took until the twenty fifth minute for the opening goal to arrive- and it went to Michael Ademiluyi, a ball from Sonny Black seeing him put the Millers a goal up.

From then onwards the outcome was rarely in doubt. Black took only six minutes to make it two-nil, and the third arrived seven minutes into the second half, Matthew Vigor remaining cool to force home a rebound after an initial shot from Denzel Gayle. With twenty one minutes left the home faithful were given something to sing about, Reece Hallard finding the bottom corner- rather incredibly the first away goal the Millers have conceded since August- but if there had been any doubt about the outcome it ended twelve minutes from time, Lyle Della-Verde making it four-one from six yards out after good work from Freddie Parker.

Home substitute Darren Budd saw red late on, but too late to significantly affect the outcome.

Cray Valley are now a point clear of Ramsgate, who drop to second place. The sides have identical goal difference, too! The Millers and Hill meet again on April 6th, a week before Cray Valley travel to Ramsgate for what may turn out to be a critical encounter- but we’ve a long way to go before then!

Image courtesy of Chris Neal- more here.

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