Nine clear for Worthing, whilst Stortford and Lewes take advantage of Invicta’s slip to climb into the top three

Worthing entertained Horsham, whose manager Dom Di Paola had described the Mackerel Men as a National League South side in the local press this week. It wasn’t difficult to understand his point, although our leaders had demonstrated moments of humanity of late, in defeats to Margate and Cheshunt, which perhaps might have given the Hornets some hope.

The Hornets will have had even more hope when Eddie Dsane gave them the lead on twenty six minutes, but the hosts, perhaps spurred on by Folkestone’s difficulties at Margate, equalised on sixty four minutes, Ollie Pearce doing Ollie Pearce things- reaching twenty five goals for the season with this one. He had twenty six with fifteen minutes remaining, scoring from the spot as the Hornets Jack Brivio saw red, and twenty seven with five minutes left- another penalty. Nine points is now the lead at the top of the table, and two thousand, one hundred and forty three watched on.

Every game Horsham played in December, by the way- all five of them- finished three-one. That’s six in a row, and no new leaf turned for the new year!

Bishop's Stortford and Cheshunt met recently in the FA Trophy, a match which the Ambers won on penalties, but with fourth hosting third this match was always going to be a crucial contest even without the history. The Blues, unbeaten in the League since October 9th, were hosting a side whose last defeat came on exactly the same day, so we expected it to be close. We were wrong.

The Blues got the breakthrough on fourteen minutes, Ryan Charles with his sixth of the campaign, and doubled their advantage when Ryan Henshaw scored on twenty five minutes. It was three-nil seven minutes before half time, Chris Harris sending the home fans off for their burgers in positive mood, and then next goal took until five minutes from time to arrive, Taylor Miles getting it for the Ambers. That result sent the Blues up to second place, and Cheshunt down to sixth, which shows how close it is from second to sixth.

Lewes, on the back of two three-one wins which have moved them back into the top five, hosted a Bognor Regis Town side arriving with a run which has seen them take one point from twelve, in a Rooks v Rocks battle at the Dripping Pan. The opening goal came just before the break, and it went to the Rooks, Razz Coleman De-Graft getting it and delighting most of the one thousand, four hundred and sixteen watching on. Charlie Bell made it difficult for the visitors, seeing red on sixty three minutes, and right at the end another penalty saw Joe Taylor make it two and lift the hosts to third place. Image courtesy of Stuart Fuller.

Margate welcomed Folkestone Invicta in a Kentish seaside derby. Gate defeated leaders Worthing a few weeks ago so wouldn’t have been afraid of second place Invicta, although with the visitors unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions and having won their last three whilst scoring thirteen goals and conceding one, they certainly won’t have been short on confidence either. The Blues saw Ben Greenhalgh get his twelfth of the campaign as they took the lead nine minutes before half time, and the same player doubled Gate’s advantage just before the hour.

Invicta struck back, Kieron McCann giving the visitors hope, but Martial Godo extinguished that hope four minutes from time, making it three-one- a result which saw Invicta drop to fourth.

Enfield Town had gone off the boil a little and fallen out of the top five, defeats against two of their promotion rivals doing the damage. They welcomed Potters Bar Town, the Scholars having lost three of their previous four and- to demonstrate their inconsistency- having walloped promotion-chasing Lewes in the other one. Rather predictably Mo Faal opened the scoring, getting his twenty fourth goal of the season immediately after the restart, and very quickly it was two-nil, Lyle Della-Verde with his sixth. Faal made it three from the spot just before the hour mark, and then claimed his hat trick a minute from time. Four-nil, and the Towners back up to fifth.

Leatherhead have had a season of turmoil, but have had some positive moments in recent weeks, particularly in a draw with Carshalton Athletic and victory at Potters Bar. The Tanners welcomed a Kingstonian side who had an up and down December by their standards, winning one and losing two in the league and without a match since their FA Trophy defeat at Aldershot Town on December 18th- and they looked as if they were continuing in a downward fashion when Michael Bakare put the hosts ahead on thirty four minutes, but an own goal drew them level three minutes later.

A six minute three-goal spell midway through the second half saw Jason Banton put the K’s ahead on sixty four minutes, Hamilton Bunga equalise for the Tanners and Elliott Buchanan restore the visitors lead, and that turned out to be that, the K’s ending the day in seventh.

Hornchurch are beginning to click after an inconsistent campaign, the FA Trophy holders winning their last three matches by two goals to one. The Urchins welcomed Bowers & Pitsea, the visitors looking to continue a W-L-W-L sequence with another W, but it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in front of six hundred and eighty four, Micky Parcell scoring on sixty two minutes. The closing stages were made more interesting when Ronnie Winn saw red for Hornchurch, but although they lost one winn they held on to the other and are ninth.

Corinthian-Casuals were very good indeed when defeating Potters Bar Town a fortnight ago, but hadn’t played since- whilst visitors Carshalton Athletic hadn’t managed a match since December 11th. If the Robins were a little ring-rusty then Casuals took advantage on twenty one minutes, Kieron Cadogen giving them the lead, but the visitors were level on thirty three minutes, Luke Read with the equaliser. Parity didn’t last long, however, as Bobby Mills got his sixth of the season six minutes before half time. That was the end of the goal action, Casuals moving above their visitors with three points.

Haringey Borough finally, finally picked up a win last time out, after thirteen failed attempts. They welcomed a much-improved Brightlingsea Regent, the visitors arriving on White Hart Lane on the back of two victories, and it was the hosts who opened the scoring, Ade Cole getting the Bell End bouncing on twenty seven minutes. It was two-nil nine minutes before the break, Jorge Djassi-Sambu doubling the advantage, and the fans of that bus stop near Tottenham were celebrating loudly when Andronicos Georgiou made it three from the spot seven minutes after the restart. Borough end the day in fourteenth.

Merstham and Wingate & Finchley met at the Whisky Bible Stadium with both sides hoping for better things in 2022. The Moatsiders were without a win since November 9th, the visiting Blues with only one win in eleven, and it was the hosts who got their noses in front on twenty seven minutes, Jude Mason opening the scoring. The next goal also went the way of Merstham, Korrey Henry scoring from the spot a minute before the break, and another Henry spot kick made it three on sixty six minutes. Liam Smyth got one back for the visiting Blues thirteen minutes from time, but it made little difference, and the Moatsiders end the day in fifteenth.

East Thurrock United and Cray Wanderers started the day separated by two points, with the Rocks in marginally better form, having taken six points from their last twelve whilst their visitors- under new management-had taken three, a win over Horsham on December 12th. The new management team for the Wands- Grant Basey and Gary Alexander- would have been delighted when their new charges went ahead after nine minutes, Cameron Brodie breaking the deadlock, but the Rocks were level just after the half hour, Ben Wyss with his fifth of the campaign- not bad for a player wearing the number two shirt. Wands regained the lead just after the hour, Anthony Cook with the goal, and Jai Reason gave them reason (sorry) to feel confident with fifteen minutes remaining, making it three and allowing them to leapfrog their hosts up to twentieth.

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