Worthing close in on a century

Champions Worthing started like an express train against Carshalton Athletic, two up within eleven minutes, Reece Myles-Meekums scoring after just three minutes and Luke Robinson adding the second. Pat Webber got a third on twenty one minutes and we started to worry for the Robins, who were four down within six minutes of the restart as Ollie Pearce got his thirty eighth of the season. Robinson was on the scoresheet again, getting number five just before the hour, delighting nearly all of the one thousand, seven hundred and forty five watching on; and to the relief of the visiting fans that’s where it ended. If the Mackerel men can win their two remaining matches they’ll reach one hundred points. See images from Marcus Hoare, here.

Second place Bishop’s Stortford also had a fine start, Ryan Charles putting them ahead of Potters Bar Town after just four minutes, and doubled their advantage through Chris Harris on thirty three. Jon Giles got the third just after the hour, and that was that- the Blues now guaranteed a home play off Semi-Final. That was, rather remarkably, their twelfth consecutive clean sheet.

Cheshunt, starting the day in fifth place a point ahead of Lewes and Folkestone Invicta, piled on the pressure as they travelled to Haringey Borough. The Ambers were given a boost when Borough went down to ten men after just fourteen minutes, Stefanos Georgiou seeing red, and went ahead six minutes later, Mo Camara opening the scoring.

It was ten v ten soon afterwards, however, Taylor McKenzie getting his marching orders, and just after the break Olufemi David equalised for the hosts. The visitors then took control, Amadou Kassarate restoring their lead and Camara scoring again to make it three-one, but Borough weren’t done, and Hassan Nalbant got one back with six minutes left to set up a fascinating finale. Just before the end, Jamie Reynolds made sure for the Ambers, who temporarily opened up a four point gap on the chasing duo.

Lewes knew they needed to quickly narrow that gap, and Deshane Dalling put them ahead against Kingstonian on twenty seven minutes, delighting most of the one thousand and twenty one present. They’d have been less delighted when Ollie Cook drew the visitors level twelve minutes after the restart, but Joe Taylor put them ahead once more with twenty minutes remaining. Could they hold on? They couldn’t, as Walter Figueira levelled with fourteen minutes left, and then went down to ten men for the closing stages as Mitchell Nelson saw red. Again, however the Rooks rallied, and right at the end they surely sealed three points as Taylor scored from the spot- but no. There was still time for an own goal to give the K’s a point. Lewes are now three points behind Cheshunt with two matches to go.

Our headline image shows Rooks fans in the sunshine at the Dripping Pan, and comes from James Boyes. Here are the rest. Simon Roe was there, too.

In between the two are Folkestone Invicta. The four hundred and forty two watching Leatherhead entertain Invicta weren’t entertained by a goal in the first half, but they got one after the break, Louie Paget seeing red for the Tanners and Luke Wanadio putting Invicta ahead with only eight minutes left, his deflected shot making all the difference. That was that, and they close to within a point of the Ambers once more. The Tanners stay bottom of the table.

Invicta boss Neil Cugley might be happy. Or it might be wind. Neil Graham with the image.

East Thurrock United, desperate for points in the battle against relegation, fell behind after seventeen minutes, an own goal giving Wingate & Finchley the advantage. Dylan Kearney then made it two for the visiting Blues, before Oli Coker got one back with thirty two minutes remaining. That galvanised the hosts, who equalised five minutes later, Tom Barton with the goal, but they couldn’t find a winner, and their match at Cray Wanderers in midweek now looks vital to both sides.

Merstham have been in awful form, but they got themselves ahead against Bognor Regis Town just before the break- Erald Desa with the goal- and must have hoped to get themselves out of the bottom three- indeed would have been further ahead had it not been for some Amadou Tangara heroics in the Rocks goal. They were undone soon after the restart when Charlie Bell equalised for the Rocks, and then hit with a sucker punch as Nathan Odokonyero made it two-one Bognor with ten minutes remaining. Dan Gifford rubbed salt in their wounds with a last minute third. The Moatsiders are second bottom.

Our image, perhaps entitled Rocks in flight, comes from Martin Denyer.

Margate, looking to get back in the groove after their Velocity Trophy Final following in midweek, Bowers & Pitsea, were ahead after just three minutes against Bowers and Pitsea, Ben Vaivada opening the scoring. Mitchell Gilbey drew Rob Small’s men level on eighteen minutes, but birthday boy Ben Greenhalgh restored the Blues advantage just after the half hour. After the break James Bessey-Saldanha made it three-one, but with twelve minutes remaining Michael Ademiluyi made the home fans sweat, pulling it back to three-two. The equaliser didn’t arrive however, and Gate took the three points.

Velocity Trophy winners Horsham were quickly ahead at Corinthian-Casuals, Charlie Hester-Cook opening the scoring, and got another with fifteen minutes left, Lucas Rodrigues with that one. Shamir Fenelon made it three with six minutes left, and that was that, the Hornets three points ahead of their hosts in thirteenth place.

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