Title time for Town!

Chertsey Town welcomed Ascot United to Alwyns Lane knowing that victory would guarantee them the title- a title which they very much deserved after going unbeaten since mid September. The Curfews also know that if they won their three remaining matches they’d end the season with one hundred points, and we suspect they wanted to do that too! They went ahead after seventeen minutes, Louis Degand sparking celebrations, and that also sparked a frantic few minutes during which the visiting Yellas levelled through Liam Tack only for Conor Lee to head up the other end and make it two-one. The title was as good as secured when Gianluca Botti added a third five minutes after half time, and the majority of the one thousand, one hundred and twenty two watching on got to start the party forty minutes later.

Congratulations to the Curfews! Image from Lauren Vaughan-via the Chertsey Town Supporters Facebook Group.

Second place Marlow welcomed sixth place Westfield in a match particularly critical for the visitors. With five wins from six, victory for the hosts would virtually guarantee a top three finish, whilst Westfield started the weekend three points behind fifth place Southall with a game in hand. The visitors had already defeated Marlow in League and FA Trophy this season, but they were quickly behind on this occasion, Ben Mulley taking only three minutes to give the hosts the lead. The visitors didn’t let their heads drop, and they were level four minutes before half time, Archy Taylor with the equaliser, before going ahead ten minutes into the second half, Jordan Alves delighting the travelling faithful. They’d have been less delighted when Caleb Wright saw red with twenty two minutes remaining, but they held on to take the points.

Westfield stay sixth, but are only two points from the top five with a game in hand.

In fourth place at kick off, Raynes Park Vale were four points clear of sixth place Westfield, and were on their own patch, Hartley Wintney their visitors. Vale were six unbeaten- five victories- and they did score first in this one, only at the wrong end, the Row going ahead on fifty seven minutes. Vale quickly equalised, Charlie Penney taking only two minutes to bring them back to level terms, but that turned out to be that- a result which saw the hosts slip to fifth with their play off hopes in jeopardy, Westfield two points behind with a game in hand.

Fifth place Southall travelled to Uxbridge, a positive result rather crucial given the proximity of sixth place Westfield. Although Uxbridge had nothing to play for but pride they’d shown plenty of that in recent weeks, with only one defeat- and five wins- from their previous seven, and five hime wins in a row, and they took the lead in this one after ten minutes, Ezra Ndukuba with the opener. Uxbridge doubled their advantage on the half hour, Andrio Brandao making it two-nil, but the visitors made a match of it when Anthony O’Connor got a goal back four minutes into the second half. The equaliser arrived five minutes from time, Brendan Matthew seemingly earning the visitors a point- but it got better for the travelling faithful, as they ended up with three! Six minutes into added time, Giovanni Palmer popped up with a winner, and it sent his side up to fourth.

Binfield had closed to within four points of safety with a run of three wins from their previous four, and headed to the Channel Islands to take on the side seven points and three places ahead of them, Guernsey. Normally you’d think that seven points would be enough of a margin to almost guarantee safety, but the Green Lions had hit the panic button in a big way of late and have lost their previous six matches so looked in need of points to make them secure. They started superbly, going ahead on thirteen minutes through Matt Loaring and adding a second almost immediately, Ross Allen making it two-nil, but then the Moles grew into the game and halved the areas through Tyler D’Cruz just after the half hour. An own goal then saw the visitors level ten minutes before the break, and five minutes into the second half D’Cruz put them ahead- his seventh in twelve matches. The Green Lions reacted well to going behind, and were quickly back on level terms, Sam Murray making it three-three on fifty seven minutes, and that’s where the scoring ended. The Moles remain second bottom, four points from safety with two games in hand.

Chipstead, looking nervously over their shoulders at Binfield, needed to do themselves a favour by stringing together some positive results, and victory at Hartley Wintney last weekend will have helped. The Chips welcomed Hanworth Villa to High Road, and after a goalless first half the Villains went down to ten men just before the hour, Theo Crawford dismissed. Could the hosts capitalise? They couldn’t, and the match ended goalless, with the hosts four points above second bottom Binfield having played two games more.

Ashford Town started the day five points clear of danger having played a game more than second bottom Binfield- and they welcomed bottom side Corinthian-Casuals to the Robert Parker Stadium hoping to make that gap a little bigger. The Tangerines picked up three crucial points at Binfield last weekend, their third win in ten, whilst Casuals were also victorious last time out, against Northwood, but were eleven points from safety with five matches left and behind in this one early on, Jack Arnold breaking the deadlock for the hosts after just eight minutes. A red card for Michael Samson gave the visitors an even steeper task eleven minutes from time, and the Tangerines immediately capitalised, Jack Smith making it two. That was that- and it increased the Tangerines lead over second bottom Binfield to seven points. As for Casuals, twelve points behind third bottom Chipstead with only four matches left and a far worse goal difference, only the slimmest margins is keeping them up.

Met Police started the day eight points clear of the bottom two having played a game more than second bottom Binfield. The boys in Blue welcomed Thatcham Town to Imber Court having gone eight matches without a victory and still a little worried about their safety, and they fell behind with only a quarter of an hour left, Sam Tanner putting the Kingfishers in front. The goals stopped there, Thatcham in ninth, Met now seven points from the danger zone.

Badshot Lea welcomed Sutton Common Rovers, the Baggies looking to bounce back from conceding five goals to Binfield on Thursday- whilst Rovers knew that three more points would all but guarantee their safety. After a goalless first half, the only goal of the game finally arrived twelve minutes from time, and it went to Rovers, Isy Nzelo with the goal which ensures they remain at Isthmian side next season- and lifts them to fourteenth. A late red card for Baback Dehghani saw the hosts end the match with ten men.

Northwood, who hosted seventh place South Park Reigate, started the day three points from guaranteed survival, but conceded the first goal of the game with only twelve minutes left, Courtney Swaby with the opener for the Sparks. Right at the end the visitors made their victory look rather comprehensive, Aiden Brown scoring on eighty nine minutes and again in added time to make it three-nil. Despite defeat, Woods safety is virtually guaranteed- Binfield can match their points total but are fifty five goals worse off!

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