Swans narrow the gap

Walton & Hersham travelled to Chipstead to play their game in hand over leaders Basingstoke Town, and they triumphed to cut Stoke’s lead to four points. The Chips gave the leaders a hard time on Saturday before eventually falling to defeat, and it was perhaps bad luck that they had to play both of our pacesetters within a few days, but they started well once more and had a shot cleared off the line on three minutes. The Swans took the lead on twenty minutes, a cross from Harry Mills finding Alex Kelly who made no mistake, and try as they might the hosts couldn’t find an equaliser. The clincher arrived eleven minutes from time, a defensive error leaving John Gilbert with the simplest of finishes, and that was that.

Chertsey Town knew that they could climb to third if they could defeat Bedfont Sports at Alwyns Lane, whilst Sports were desperate for the points as they fight relegation- but in the end they had to settle for a point each. William Montague opened the scoring for the Curfews on the hour, and it seemed they’d taken those three points only for Jonathan Stoop to step up right at the end and equalise. That point leaves the Curfews in fifth, but it wasn’t enough for Sports to prevent a slip into the bottom four.

Binfield have looked rather lacklustre- by their early-season standards- of late, and welcomed Guernsey with only one win from their previous six. The Green Lions had the incentive of knowing that victory could lift them out of the bottom four, and the confidence boost of defeating the Moles in the Channel Islands only ten days ago- and the visitors came from behind to complete a double over the Moles. Connor Holland gave the hosts an almost-perfect start on eleven minutes, but the Green Lions equalised on the hour through Ross Allen, and then sealed three points right at the end, Sam Murray getting a late, late winner and ensuring a happy flight home for the visitors. Guernsey climb to sixteenth- and have played fewer matches than the two sides directly below them.

Finally, Ashford Town welcomed Hanworth Villa. The Villains hit the post early on but it was the Tangerines who took the lead, Tomasz Siemienczuk with the goal. The lead lasted until just after the break, Sam Merson scoring for the third successive match and the twelfth time this season- but the Villains were soon down to ten men, Ben Geraghty seeing red. The handicap didn’t seem to make much difference, however, as the visitors went ahead fourteen minutes from time, Kyen Nicholas with the goal, but the Tangerines soon responded through Lindell Stewart which meant that the points were shared. The Villains are eighth- six points behind Chertsey Town with two games in hand.

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