Stoke stage a comeback to take the points

Leaders Basingstoke Town, seven points clear at the top, took their nine match winning run to Chipstead looking to make it ten. Stoke have been superb of late, but their hosts, with only two defeats from their last ten, were determined to be no pushovers, and went ahead after just four minutes, Andy Kabuikusomo opening the scoring, his eleventh of the season. Just after the quarter hour Kabuikusomo added another, to the disquiet of the visiting supporters, but those supporters would have been happier when George Reid got one back on twenty one minutes. The equaliser duly arrived just after the hour, Paul Hodges making it two-two, and a few minutes later the turnaround was complete, Michak Stanic-Stewart seeing red and Brad Wilson converting a penalty for the visitors. Another Hodges goal right at the end confirmed that tenth victory- and made it four wins in a row for Stoke over the Chips.

Second place Walton & Hersham look to be the biggest challengers to Basingstoke’s title hopes, but they fell behind against relegation-threatened Bedfont Sports when Aidan Brown opened the scoring. Sports then gave the Swans a boost when Seanan McKillop saw red, and they quickly took advantage, John Gilbert levelling just before the break. The hosts were ahead two minutes after the restart, Eddie Simon with his twentieth of the season, and added two more, Simon and Palace Francis making it three and four-one. Sports are outside the bottom four only on goal difference.

Northwood, for so long our leaders, had slipped to thirteen points behind and started the weekend in third place. They were on the road to take on a team desperate for points for different reasons, Merstham second from bottom and eight points from safety- and the Moatsiders got the breakthrough on the stroke of half time, Bryan Zepo breaking the deadlock. That turned out to be that, the Moatsiders five points from safety, and Woods down to fourth. Image from VJT Photography.

Fourth v fifth at Alwyns Lane as Chertsey Town welcomed Marlow, and they were rather too welcoming early on, Aaron McLeish-Joseph opening the scoring for the visitors after just six minutes. Marlow went two up on thirty three minutes, Toby Raggett with that one, and that turned out to be that- Marlow up to third, the Curfews down to fifth and ruining their W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L pattern with another L.

Binfield were on the road to bottom side Tooting & Mitcham United. The Terrors started the day nine points from safety, and with only one win in their last ten, but they went ahead just after the half hour, Alex Filipe opening the scoring. After the break the Terrors got another, Nikolai Krokhin with that one, and they held on to win for the first time in eight matches and close to within six points of safety.

Another of our relegation-fighters, Sutton Common Rovers, hosted South Park Reigate at Whyteleafe. Rovers, three unbeaten, found themselves three points from safety having played four more matches than anyone else in the bottom four, but they went ahead on eighteen minutes through Conan Torpey- and the same player made it two-nil five minutes into the second half. Torpey then claimed his hat trick, Shakeel Morris added a fourth, and Rovers fans were left in dreamland- a dream only slightly dampened by the fact that two of their bottom four rivals also won!

Westfield, with new signing Jake Baxter perhaps making his debut, welcomed Hanworth Villa to Woking Park. The game was goalless when Troy Walters saw red on sixty four minutes, and the ten men fell behind due to an own goal with thirteen minutes left. Two minutes later Sam Merson got a second for the Villains, and they climb to tenth.

Thatcham Town welcomed Southall in a clash between two very difficult to defeat sides, tenth v eighth at start of play. The Kingfishers had been magnificent of late, eight unbeaten and with only one defeat from their last ten, and they kept that run going in a match with three red cards, Cameron Rohart-Brown scoring the only goal from the spot fourteen minutes from time. Bruno Tavares and Jack Roper saw red for the visitors late on, whilst Josh Edwards departed involuntarily for the Kingfishers.

Leatherhead welcomed Uxbridge to Fetcham Grove, and were given a boost early on as the visitors Mark Bitmead was dismissed after just four minutes. They didn’t capitalise on their advantage, however, and the game ended goalless.

Ashford Town played host to Guernsey. The Tangerines were six points clear of their fourth-bottom visitors at kick off, but the Green Lions were in good form, with four wins from six, and knew that another victory could lift them out of the bottom four. The Tangerines went ahead from the spot on fourteen minutes, Wayne Ridgley converting, and went further ahead five minutes after the break, Chad Goulter scoring for the first time since the opening day. The Green Lions immediately replied through Keene Domaille, but the next goal went to the hosts, Javin Dougan making it three-one, and with four minutes to go Ricky Johnson added a fourth. Guernsey got a late consolation, Keanu Marsh with it, but four-two was the final score.

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