Worthing step closer to the title

Leaders Worthing were made to wobble on their perch just a little in midweek, losing heavily to second place Bishop’s Stortford, and had another difficult trip in prospect as they headed to Potters Bar Town. The Scholars had lost only two of their last ten fixtures, but the Mackerel Men were quickly ahead in this one, Marvellous Marvin Armstrong opening the scoring midway through the first half before Reece Myles-Meekums made it two at the break. An own goal made it three, ten minutes from time, and that was that. Ten point remains the gap, with only six matches left.

Image courtesy of Worthing FC.

Second place Stortford were also on the road, as they travelled to face sixth place Lewes. The Blues haven’t lost a match since January 8th and are undefeated in two previous matches against the Rooks- League and Trophy- this season, winning one and drawing the other. The match was still goalless when the visitors saw Jack Thomas dismissed on seventy nine minutes- could the Rooks capitalise? Well not only could they not capitalise, instead they capitulated, Ben Marlow scoring the winner for the ten men just before the end when capitalising on a goalkeeping error. That result could be disastrous for Lewes’ promotion hopes, as they now fall four points behind the fifth place side having played a game more.

Folkestone Invicta welcomed Cheshunt to the seaside. Invicta had only one defeat from their last ten matches, whilst Cheshunt seemed to have put their slump behind them and were six unbeaten, and it was the Ambers who got themselves in front, Isaac Newton defying gravity with the opener on the half hour. Try as they might, Invicta couldn’t find an equaliser, and Taiwo Ojo made it two-nil to the visitors eight minutes from time, before Jamie Reynolds added a third, Ojo the provider this time. Ojo then completed the humiliation by adding a fourth right at the end, a result which sees Cheshunt up to seventh.

Enfield Town welcomed Corinthian-Casuals to Donkey Lane. For so long Worthing’s main title challengers, a mini-slump has seen them fall fourteen points behind the leaders, but they’d won their last two and seemed to be right back on form, whereas Casuals, in contrast, were without a win in nine. It seemed certain that winless run would extend to ten matches as first Adam Cunnington, after just four minutes, and then Mo Faal- his thirty sixth of the campaign- doubled their advantage from the spot. Kieron Cadogan got one back for the visitors from the spot with twenty two minutes left, but that was that, and the Towners climb to third- and perhaps more importantly open up a six point gap on sixth place Lewes. The gap could have been wider, but Mo Faal proved he was human and missed a penalty.

Hornchurch, in fifth, saw their long unbeaten run comer to an end against Enfield Town last time out, and with Lewes breathing down their necks needed to get back to winning ways at Merstham. The Moatsiders had lost six of their last seven, a run that had seen them slip to within one point of trouble, but they went ahead in this one almost immediately, Erald Desa heading home after just two minutes. They couldn’t hold onto the lead until half time, Rickie Hayles equalising on thirty eight minutes, and the next goal went to the man who was the match winner the last time the two met, Liam Nash putting the Urchins ahead. Ollie Muldoon made sure with a third, three minutes from time, and the Urchins now have a four point cushion over the Rooks.

Margate will face Haringey Borough in the Velocity Trophy Semi-Final at Coles Park on Tuesday evening, and they’ll want a similar outcome to their result yesterday afternoon. Borough took the lead at Hartsdown Park after just five minutes, Osanebi Okoh with the opener, but the hosts drew level ten minutes before half time, Ken Feyi heading the equaliser. Ben Greenhalgh put the Blues ahead from the spot with twenty one minutes remaining, and just before the end Ben Vaivada made it three. Gate end the day in eighth, Borough fifteenth.
Carshalton Athletic were on the road to Brightlingsea Regent. The Robins have probably seen their play off chances disappear over the horizon, whilst Regent needed points to escape the bottom three- and they got one, which was enough to lift them to nineteenth. There were no goals, mind you.

Kingstonian have hit a terrible slump, falling to tenth place. They welcomed Bognor Regis Town after losing six matches in a row, and were without a win since January 25th. The K’s had only defeated these opponents twice in their last fourteen attempts, but they went ahead just after the break when the Rocks scored in their own net, and that was that- so that statistic looks at least a little improved!

Horsham, on the road to Wingate & Finchley, started the day four points and three places above their hosts, but the gap had narrowed by end as the Blues eased to victory. Dylan Kearney opened the scoring just before the hour, and Isaac Tshipamba-Mulowayi made it two ten minutes later before adding a third seven minutes from the end. The gap is now two places and one point, the Blues up to sixteenth, and more importantly six points above the bottom three.

Finally, we had a titanic clash of the bottom two, as both Leatherhead and East Thurrock United battled to avoid that iceberg marked ‘relegation.’ The Tanners, ten points from safety, went ahead ten minutes before half time, Mitchal Gough scoring his second in two matches, but Hope Harry equalised just after the hour. Next goal wins? It went to the Tanners, Louis Paget holding his nerve to score from the spot five minutes from time, and they got a third, too, Ibitayo Oyebola making quite sure of three points with a third right at the end. Leatherhead move above their visitors, and close the gap to third bottom Cray Wanderers- and a chance of safety- to seven points.

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