Worthing increase the gap- just- whilst the Nuts and Bolts slip up

There’s no truth in the rumour that the Isthmian League has decided to adopt “Oh no, it’s raining again,” by Supertramp as it’s official anthem, but it would be appropriate, wouldn’t it?

We ended up with four matches in the Premier Division, one in the North Division, two in the South Central Division, and three in the South East Division. Everything else disappeared under the deluge. Seven of the ten were played on a 3G pitch. Well done to Hornchurch, Wingate and Finchley and Ramsgate, the only people who managed to keep their grass above water level.

Our league leaders, Worthing, had bounced back from two defeats to take four points from the following two matches, so it looked as if their blip was over- and you’d expect that a collection of Mackerel Men would cope well with damp conditions. However there was a shock on the cards at the Crucial Environmental Stadium as visiting Potters Bar Town took a first half lead through marvellous Marvin Morgan- and held onto it for almost forty minutes before Ollie Pearce grabbed an equaliser. That was that, and Worthing extended their lead at the top to seven points.

Hornchurch entertained Haringey Borough on Bridge Avenue, and took advantage of the fact that Folkestone Invicta had seen their match disappear under the mud of Cheshunt to go above them into second place. Chris Dickson put them ahead just before the hour with his twenty fifth goal of the season, and then got number twenty six with ten minutes remaining. Roman Michael-Percil got one back for Borough in the last minute, but there was no time for an equaliser.

Cray Wanderers play Merstham tomorrow- and Hayes Lane is 3G so that match should actually happen.

At Colston Avenue fifth place Carshalton Athletic entertained sixth place Horsham. Two points separated the sides at kick off, but it was five at the end, as the Robins eased to victory. They were ahead after only two minutes, Christie Pattison opening the scoring, and it was two thirty minutes later, Ernold Haxhiu doubling their advantage. Kershaney Samuels made it three with seventeen minutes left, and Ricky Korboa rubbed salt into the Hornets wounds with a fourth four minutes from time. Athletic climb to fourth.

We had a really important match at the bottom end of the table, as Wingate and Finchley, who have hauled themselves out of the bottom three, hosted Lewes, who had a chance of ending up in that relegation zone if they lost again and the other scheduled matches had actually gone ahead! The hosting Blues had won at Folkestone Invicta last time out and were unbeaten in five matches, whilst the Rooks had lost eight of their last nine- although they had emerged undefeated from fifty percent of their away matches this season, so will probably have been glad to be on the road. The Rooks took the lead after only seven minutes, Ronnie Conlon with the goal, but on twenty five minutes, great heavens it was Great Evans (sorry, it’s compulsory) with the equaliser. That was the end of the scoring, and both sides had to be content with a point.

The North Division had only one match, as second place Heybridge Swifts travelled to AFC Sudbury. It took an hour before the opening goal arrived, and it was Teniola time once more, Alex getting his twenty second of the season- but within a quarter of an hour the Yellows were level, Callum Harrison firing home from the spot, and then another spot kick from the same player ten minutes later gave the hosts victory in front of a crowd of four hundred and four.

Aveley finally found a giant they couldn't slay, as they went out of the FA Trophy at Notts County. But what a competition they've had, being magnificent ambassadors for our league- as have their five hundred and thirty travelling fans.

Ware had the chance to go five points clear of Hanwell Town at the top of the South Central Division. The blues hosted a fast-improving Marlow side who had suffered something of a blip in midweek as they fell by a single goal at Northwood, but their defence got back to its impermeable best once more as the match finished without a goal. Ware end the day three points clear, but second place Hanwell Town have two matches in hand.

Harlow Town hosted Chalfont St Peter in a match which both desperately wanted to win, as they had both been starved of that winning feeling for quite some time. The Hawks had won only two of their previous ten and headed into this one on the back of three successive defeats, whilst the Saints hadn’t won any during that period- but they have now. An own goal put the visitors in front just after the half hour, and they held on for a victory which took them level on points with their hosts.

Tooting and Mitcham United’s match with Bracknell Town was a Football v Homophobia special event, but sadly didn’t beat the rain, as you can see from our headline picture. There will however be a feature from the game tomorrow.

Ashford United had the chance to open up a three point advantage over second place Hastings United at the top of the South East Division, but Chichester City, who had lost only two of their previous ten, were determined not to make it easy for their hosts. City took an early lead due to an own goal, but that lasted only until the twelfth minute as Tommy Fagg equalised for the Nuts and Bolts. Five minutes after the break George Purcell put the home side ahead, but they were soon pegged back as Ben Pashley got an equaliser- and then disaster struck for the Nuts and Bolts as Lloyd Rowatt got what turned out to be the winner for Chi, who move to within six points of a playoff place with four games in hand.

Perhaps the big winners, however, were Hastings United, who are level on points with Ashford United but now have two matches in hand.

Sevenoaks Town welcomed eighth place VCD Athletic. Oaks had lost their last three, whilst Vickers had seen their form improve markedly, with three wins and a draw from their last four matches- and the visitors took the lead with only nineteen minutes remaining, Robert Hylton-Bartley with the goal. They couldn’t hold onto that advantage, however, an own goal bringing an equaliser four minutes from time, and then Oaks delivered the coup de grace, new signing Andy Pugh giving them victory in the very last minute- nineteen minutes after coming on for his debut.

Ramsgate in nineteenth hosted seventeenth place Faversham Town. There were nine points between the two at start of play, but they were the worst two sides in the Division over the last ten games, a period when the Rams had taken five points but the Lilywhites only four. The Rams belied that form, however, as Jude Arthurs, Giorgio Russo and Kane Rowland gave them a three-nil victory, moved them up a place in the table, and gave them a nine point advantage over bottom side East Grinstead Town.

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