Rams hold their nerve- and their lead

It was top v bottom as Ramsgate welcomed Corinthian. The visitors defeated the Rams twice last season, and held our leaders for fifty three minutes before Lee Prescott opened the scoring for the hosts on fifty four- but the Rams made sure of three points when Ashley Miller scored from the spot just before the end. The Rams remain three points clear.

Second place Chatham Town hadn’t lost a league match since the opening day and looked in fine form as they defeated VCD Athletic in midweek- but their visitors Chichester City are a determined and difficult to beat lot, with only one defeat themselves this season, and went ahead on fifty two minutes, Lloyd Rowlatt with the opening goal. The equaliser arrived five minutes from time, Simon Cooper with it, and then right at the end the Chats picked up all three points, Jordan Robins with the winner.

Third place VCD Athletic were on the road to the Sussex coast, where they faced Lancing- and the Lancers got the first goal of our South East afternoon. Rather incredibly it came in the twenty sixth minute with every other match still goalless, and it went to Darius Goldsmith- and the Lancers doubled their advantage midway through the second half, Finn Daniels-Yeomans with that one. Vickers then awoke, and Ajayi Oluwafikayo got one back to set up a frantic finale- but the Vickers couldn’t find a leveller and the hosts are up to thirteenth.

Ashford United started the day four points off the top with two matches in hand, but ended it six points behind the leaders. The Nuts and Bolts travelled to face Hythe Town having won their last four league matches and looked favourites to extend that run as Gary Lockyer put them ahead eight minutes after the break. The Cannons weren’t going to take that lying down and levelled quickly, Jason Fregene with the equaliser, and that turned out to be that.

Sittingbourne saw their winning run come to an end as they fell to defeat against a Sussex side, Three Bridges, last weekend- and another Sussex side, Littlehampton Town, went ahead at Woodstock Park on twenty eight minutes, Scott Faber with the goal. That turned out to be the only goal of the game, the Golds up to twelfth, the Brickies down to seventh.

Whitehawk started the day as the only unbeaten side remaining in the South East Division, with one, two or even three games in hand over four of the sides occupying the top five spaces. They welcomed East Grinstead Town and went ahead on fifty minutes, Harry Shooman opening the scoring- Harry, please send our love to your dad as he recovers from illness. A red card saw the Wasps go down to ten men in the closing stages, Shea Cascoe Rogers departing, and late on Mo Juwara made it two as the Hawks climbed to fifth.

Beckenham Town were in superb form until they won their FA Cup Third Qualifying Round tie against Binfield- but since then they had lost four times, their last loss coming in midweek at Hythe, so needed to quickly shake off their cup hangover. They welcomed Three Bridges, and went ahead eight minutes before the break, Louis Theophanous with his twelfth of the campaign. Theophanous added another just before the hour, and the hosts made sure when Jamarie Brissett got a third just before the end. Becks climb to sixth.

Cray Valley PM and Haywards Heath Town haven’t yet found a consistent vein of form. The Millers- if we include Trophy and regional cup competitions- had gone six without a win, but they went ahead eleven minutes before the break, Tom Chambers breaking the deadlock. Adam Coombes made it two five minutes after the restart, and Heath then saw keeper Billy Collings dismissed. Chambers quickly took advantage making it three, and with twenty minutes left it was four, Adam Coombes once more. Ali Tumkaya made it five with seven minutes remaining, and at that point the scoring stopped, the Millers up to eleventh. Image of Tom Chambers celebrating courtesy of the Millers.

Burgess Hill Town played host to Faversham Town. The Hillians had three wins and a draw from their last four and finally looked upwardly mobile, and were ahead on twenty seven minutes through Max Miller, but the Lilywhites, with a new manager and a cup victory over the leaders this week, were almost immediately level- Danny Rumbol with the equaliser. The Hillians, stung by that equaliser, were soon ahead again through Dan ‘Hitman’ Perry, and had a third three minutes before the break, Martyn Box getting in on the act. Miller then got his second of the match six minutes after the restart to make it four-one, and the Hillians are up to fourteenth.

Another match at the wrong end featured Sheppey United and Sevenoaks Town. United had looked better than their league position of late, wins over East Grinstead and leaders Ramsgate and a draw with Whitehawk followed by narrow defeat last time out at VCD Athletic, whilst Oaks have had a fine cup season but been anything other than fine in the league and were desperate for points- and they claimed all three due to an own goal eleven minutes from time. They climb to eighteenth, a point and a place behind the Ites.

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