Rocks run riot, Invicta and Hastings hit the heights

Folkestone Invicta used their game in hand over Horsham to leapfrog the Hornets at the top of the Premier Division- but they weren’t able to take full advantage, as Kingstonian left the BuildKent Stadium with a point. Indeed it was the visitors who took the lead, Louie Theophanous grabbing his fourteenth goal of the season to give them the advantage- but Ira Jackson equalised for the home side just before the break and there were no more goals in the second half.

There were plenty of goals in the second half at Nyewood Lane, however- four to be exact- and three of them went to the home side as Bognor Regis Town walloped Enfield Town by four goals to one. The Rocks have lost only two of their last eleven matches in the League, and have nineteen points from their last twenty one, a run which has seen them climb to within three points of the top five. Dan Smith scored the only goal of the first half for the home side, and he had his hat trick before Enfield pulled one back in the sixty eighth minute, Muhammadu Faal scoring his twentieth goal of the season. Faal is this morning being linked in the papers with a move to the Premier League (although it is in The Sun, so perhaps we shouldn’t take it too seriously), but even the “next Jamie Vardy” couldn’t get the visitors back into the game. Instead Joe Cook made certain of the victory when he scored the Rocks fourth seven minutes from time.

Enfield remain fifth, but they are now ahead of sixth placed Carshalton Athletic only on goals scored. The Robins travelled to Wingate & Finchley last night and left with a comfortable two-nil win, a goal in each half from Adeyinra Adeniyi and Christie Pattisson enough to seal the points.

East Thurrock United, those other Rocks, travelled to face Bishop’s Stortford, and it seemed as the clock ticked around to full time that each side would have to make do with a point, as the match ebbed to a close without a goal. However Jamie Cureton- it’s always Jamie Cureton, isn’t it- changed that with a penalty in the last minute of added time to send his side up to thirteenth.

Our final Premier Division match saw Potters Bar Town host Brightlingsea Regent. The Scholars had only one win from their previous five, but if you need a tonic there’s no better at the moment than a visit from Brightlingsea Regent. The visitors hadn’t won a league match since August 31st and had only two points from their last thirty- and now it’s two from thirty-three, as the Scholars swept to victory. Josh Hutchinson got a hat trick which takes him up to sixteen for the season, Ben Ward-Cochrane got the other, and two in response from George Bugg for Regent didn’t really help the visitors cause all that much.

South East

Last Tuesday night Hastings United were in Velocity Trophy action and scored twelve goals, with Davide Rodari getting eight. Rodari was again on the scoresheet at Whitstable Town, but on this occasion he played second fiddle to an unlikely goalscoring hero, Gary Elphick getting his first two goals of the season in a three-one win which sent the undefeated United to the top of the Division, where they sit a point clear of Cray Valley PM. Harry Stannard equalised for the Oysterboys before Elphick’s double sealed victory.

A win for Ashford United at home to Guernsey would have seen them climb into second place, but instead it was the Green Lions who were celebrating victory. A first half double from Ross Allen- taking him up to ten for the season- have the Green Lions a commanding lead at the break, and Charlton Gauvain made it three with twenty five minutes to go. The hosts did eventually get onto the scoresheet, but it was in the very last minute and there was no time for a comeback. Aaron Condon got their goal from the spot.

Whyteleafe climbed to sixth place, level on points with fifth placed Sevenoaks Town, with victory over Sittingbourne- but they left it very late to seal the points. Ronald Sobowale gave them a first half lead with his twentieth goal of the season, but it was a lead they held for only eight minutes before Christopher Barnard equalised. It looked as if both sides would have to settle for a point, but Corie Andrews got the winner in the very last minute.

In the Velocity Trophy Ramsgate entertained Leatherhead, and a Ibrahim Olutade hat trick saw the Tanners come from behind for victory. Kane Rowland and Abdul-Qadir Anidugbe had earlier put the Rams ahead.

Tilbury hosted Canvey Island in Group Six, and the Gulls got back to form in a big way, shooting into a three-nil lead before the break. An own goal was supplemented by Sam Dulieu and James White, and although Ola Ogunwamide did get one back for the Dockers, Tobi Joseph made sure for Canvey eight minutes from time.