Rams and Millers still neck and neck- whilst City make it ten wins in a row

It was the match we’d all been waiting for, as Ramsgate, top of the table on goal difference from Cray Valley PM after playing a game more, welcomed the Millers to the seaside.

Cray Valley brought a seven match winning streak to Southwood, were unbeaten on the road, and indeed had only one defeat all season; whilst the Rams had won eight- and lost one- of their last ten, and had lost only once on their own patch. An enormous crowd of two thousand, five hundred and sixty three turned out to see which was better- and most of them were silent except for grumbles when Kyrell Lisbie opening the scoring for the visitors four minutes before half time.

Ten minutes after the break the Millers went two up, Freddie Parker with their second, but five minutes from time the Rams made the closing stages interesting when Jordan Green got a goal back. It seemed, however, as if the visitors had held on for three points, when, seven minutes into added time, up popped Alfie Paxman with a last-gasp equaliser. Ramsgate stay top- but of course the Millers still have that game in hand.

Image- Matt Bristow.

Third place Sittingbourne were three without a win, and with fourth place Chichester City breathing down their neck were desperate for three points as Lancing came to call. The Lancers also knew that three points was critical to keep their play off hopes alive, and the visitors charged into the lead on ten minutes, Destiny Omofonean Ojo with the opener- and before the Brickies could recover the Lancers added a second, Lukas Franzen-Jones with his twenty sixth of the campaign. Deep in added time at the end of the first half, however, the hosts were given a boost when goalscorer Ojo was sent off. The Brickies took only three minutes of the second half to get a goal back, Chris Harris with it, but the match reached the ninetieth minute with three points destined for Sussex, only for another Harris goal in added time to earn the hosts a point.

Chichester City were our form side, after nine consecutive wins which had seen them concede only one goal- indeed they’d had nine clean sheets from their previous ten. City headed to Kent to take on Ashford United, the Nuts and Bolts looking to bounce back after a five-one hammering at Sheppey United last time out but resigned to a mid table finish- and it was the visitors who broke the deadlock on the half hour, Josh Clack keep his nerve from the spot. On sixty eight minutes Jimmy Wild doubled the visitors advantage, and four minutes later Ethan Pritchard added a third- which meant that Robbie Rees goal for the hosts three minutes from time was little more than a consolation. City stay fourth, a point behind Sittingbourne.

Herne Bay had slipped to six points away from the top five with three games left, and needed a victory over eighth place Sheppey United to have any chance of keeping their play off hopes alive. On that basis the home fans would have been disappointed when the Ites took the lead just before half time, Ola Majoyegbe with the opener, but Bay levelled on sixty six minutes, Theo Osinfolarin with the equaliser. The visitors weren’t finished, however, and twelve minutes from time Jacob Lambert got the winner, effectively ending Bay’s play off chances.

At the bottom, our big match saw second bottom Beckenham Town travel to play the side one place and four points above them, East Grinstead Town- the Wasps also with a game in hand. Becks had suddenly look revitalised after two thumping victories, whilst East Grinstead had taken only one point from their previous six matches, so perhaps it wasn’t too much of a surprise when the visitors went ahead, Finley Roberts opening the scoring from the spot on eighteen minutes. It looked like the visitors had grabbed three critical points, but two minutes into added time at the end of the match the Wasps were awarded a penalty, and Glenn Wilson kept his cool to equalise- keeping four points between the sides, Becks with only two matches left.

Broadbridge Heath travelled to Burgess Hill Town, thirteenth v ninth. The Bears were in fine form with only two defeats from ten, whilst Hill had only two wins from ten. You might expect a derby match to be heated, but this one was a damp squib, neither side managing a goal.

Sevenoaks Town welcomed Littlehampton Town. Oaks were comfortably in mid table at kick off but had lost their previous three, whilst the visiting Golds had only one win from ten, a run which had left them five points above the drop zone- and not safe yet, particularly given the improving form of second bottom Beckenham Town. The hosts took the lead three minutes into the second half, Emmanuel Mensah with his fifth Oaks goal of the season, only for the visitors to level just before the hour, George Gaskin with the goal. With twenty minutes to go, Oaks got the winner, Kayne Diedrick-Roberts with the goal- a result which left the hosts in tenth and the Golds four points above the drop zone.

Hythe Town were in freefall and without a permanent manager after Steve Watt’s early departure. The Cannons had lost their previous six and conceded eight goals against Three Bridges on Tuesday night, but hoped to do better against sixteenth place Phoenix Sports. Sports started the day seven points clear of relegation, and an away win would guarantee their safety- and they opened the scoring on thirteen minutes through Ryan Hayes. That was that, as it turned out, and Sports are safe.

Finally, Horndean played host to Merstham. Both sides were safe from danger- indeed the Deans had been safe for quite a while- but the hosts had gone five without a win and wanted to put that right. They broke the deadlock on thirteen minutes through Harry Jackson, and held that lead until twenty minutes from time, when it all went rather wrong! First, Korrey Henry levelled for the visitors, and them seven minutes later he put them ahead. Four minutes from time the Moatsiders added a third, Lee Lewis sending them above their hosts in the table.

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