Whitstable Town FC

Division One South The most important game was on Saturday afternoon at The Crabble where Dover Athletic won promotion back to the Ryman League Premier Division at the third time of asking. 

James Dryden scored the all-important goal for the Lilywhites at home to Burgess Hill Town.

Cray Wanderers had no problem seeing off Horsham YMCA.  Geoff Fenwick, Jamie Kempster, Dean Morris and two goals from Ryan Royston gave Wanderers a 5–0 victory at Hayes Lane.  At the bottom of the table there were four goals in the final 14 minutes at Walton Road.  Unfortunately for hosts Molesey, they didn’t find the target until it was already 3–0 to Whitstable Town and Leon Phelan’s goal was little more than a consolation.

Andy Alexander and Jamie Brotheton were Worthing’s scorers in a 2 – 0 win at Whyteleafe, while solitary goals, from Ryan Briggs and Carlton Murray Price were enough for Ashford Town and Corinthian–Casuals to claim home wins over Leatherhead and Chipstead, respectively.  Kingstonian were shocked 3–1 at Chatham Town to dent their playoff hopes.  Darren Smith scored early and late for the Chats, while Tom Davey got their other goal.  Simon Huckle gave Ks fans brief hope when he score after 76 minutes.

There were no goals at the Saffrons where Walton & Hersham were the visitors to Eastbourne Town.

Friday night’s action was highlighted by a 12-minute hat-trick from Charlie Taylor for Dulwich Hamlet in their 6–1 win over Sittingbourne.  Meshach Nugent scored first for Dulwich after 19 minutes, but Bradley Spice got a penalty for Bourne four minutes.  Taylor got his first, also from the spot after 29 minutes, and added goals after 37 and 41 minutes.  In the second half, Marc Cumberbatch and Kraig Rochester were also on target.

Tooting & Mitcham United had to settle for a point at Walton Casuals, Paul Vines’ goal coming with 18 minutes left.  Greg Ball had given Casuals a first half lead.  And super sub Greg Andrews came off the bench to turn the game in Croydon Athletic’s favour.  The Rams were trailing to a first half goal from the Met Police’s Craig Brown, before Andrews struck after 72 and 88 minutes.

Premier Division

There were some thrillers on Saturday, but we must start at Melbourne Park, where Kezie Ibe scored after 39 minutes to bring Chelmsford City back on level terms with Ramsgate, from whom Stuart Vahid had opened the scoring after 11 minutes.  There were no more goals and the Clarets were able to celebrate winning the Premier Division at home.

At Hartsdown Park, Margate twice led in the first half against Heybridge Swifts, but went into half-time all-square at 2–2.  Two more James Pennock goals, completing his hat-trick, and one from Jimmy Jackson, seemed to have sealed the points.  But Sean Marks and Jay Devaux left the Gate fans with a panicky seven or so minutes.  At Pilot Field, Davis Haule scored twice for Hendon, only for Russell Eldridge and Ade Olorunda to restore parity, Haule completed his hat-trick but Sam Adams quickly made it 3–3.  Then, with five minutes to go, Lubo Guentchev snatched a winner for the visitors.

AFC Wimbledon trailed to a Billy Bricknell goal at Kingsmeadow, but the Dons drew level through Shaun Gayle and Robin Shroot sent Billericay Town home without even a point after his stoppage time winner.  Boreham Wood have won two in a row after seeing off Leyton 3–0 to move away from the bottom four.

At Rookery Hill, Dean Green gave AFC Hornchurch the lead after an hour.  Ross Wareham equalised for East Thurrock United, only for Mark Janney to snatch the Urchins’ winner 11 minutes from time.  Carshalton gave themselves hope with another important victory, this time at Wealdstone.  Ismael Elahi and Charlie Side scored in the opening four minutes and although Peter Dean pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time, by the time Chris O’Leary scored Wealdstone’s second, Dean Carpenter, Liam Collins and Simon Cooper had added to the Robins’ tally.

Shawn Gliddon’s late goal was enough for Harlow Town to take all three points home from Horsham, while Ashford Town continued their good form with a 4 – 1 win at struggling Maidstone.  Both Staines Town and Tonbridge Angels kept clean sheets in victories over Folkestone Invicta (2–0) and Harrow Borough (3–0) respectively.

Division One North

There were a few surprises in Division One North, where the top two travelled to lowly opposition and needed a late goal or two to get as much as a point.  At Potters Bar Town, Sam Adejokun and Junior Dadson gave the Scholars a two-goal lead with less than 15 minutes remaining.  But Dartford’s Jay May and Alex O’Brien struck in the final five minutes to get a points.  At the Abrahams Stadium, Darren Bethel gave AFC Sudbury a first-half lead, but two Matt Batt goals put Wingate & Finchley in the driving seat. However, Paul Smith popped up with an 82nd-minute equaliser for a share of the spoils.

In the playoff clash at Oakside, Redbridge overcame Ware with a solitary goal from Lee Turnbow in the final 15 minutes.  Another high-fliers’ clash was at Ram Meadow, where Bury Town’s Sam Reed 80^th minute goal was enough for the points against visiting Canvey Island.

Bottom-of-the-table Ilford fell behind in the first minute when Great Wakering Rovers’ James White scored, but Petrit Elbi levelled matters midway through the first half and netted the winner from the penalty spot with about 20 minutes to go.  Just above them, at Broad Lane, a solitary goal from Wivenhoe Town’s Chris Hibbs was enough for the Dragons to blow away Arlesey Town.  At the Spicer-McColl Stadium, Joe Smith and Cody McDonald bagged a pair of goals each as Waltham Forest went down 4–1.  Joel Etienne-Clark had equalised for the Stags, who are, of course, temporarily sharing the Spicer-McColl Stadium.

St Chad’s Road hosted a ding-dong contest as Tilbury led early against Waltham Abbey through Kurt Smith.  But Chris Brown scored and own goal and John Sapsford made it to 2 – 1 to the Abbots at the interval.  After the break, Smith equalised, but James Elmes restored Waltham Forest’s lead and Lee White extended it to 4–2.  Paul King got the Dockers’ third but it was not enough.

At the White Lion Ground, Christian Wheeler gave visiting Aveley the lead after 15 minutes, only for Greg Ngoyi to level matters.  Fergus Moore’s goal looked enough for the Wares, but Kye Ruel made it 2–2 in the last minute, so Stuart Blackburne went straight up the other end and broke the Millers’ hearts.  Enfield Town and Brentwood Town played out a scoreless 90 minutes at the Goldsdown Ground while Maldon Town and Northwood shared two goals at Chestnut Avenue.

Division One South

The most important game was on Saturday afternoon at The Crabble where Dover Athletic won promotion back to the Ryman League Premier Division at the third time of asking.  James Dryden scored the all-important goal for the Lilywhites at home to Burgess Hill Town.

Cray Wanderers had no problem seeing off Horsham YMCA.  Geoff Fenwick, Jamie Kempster, Dean Morris and two goals from Ryan Royston gave Wanderers a 5–0 victory at Hayes Lane.  At the bottom of the table there were four goals in the final 14 minutes at Walton Road.  Unfortunately for hosts Molesey, they didn’t find the target until it was already 3–0 to Whitstable Town and Leon Phelan’s goal was little more than a consolation.

Andy Alexander and Jamie Brotheton were Worthing’s scorers in a 2 – 0 win at Whyteleafe, while solitary goals, from Ryan Briggs and Carlton Murray Price were enough for Ashford Town and Corinthian–Casuals to claim home wins over Leatherhead and Chipstead, respectively.  Kingstonian were shocked 3–1 at Chatham Town to dent their playoff hopes.  Darren Smith scored early and late for the Chats, while Tom Davey got their other goal.  Simon Huckle gave Ks fans brief hope when he score after 76 minutes.

There were no goals at the Saffrons where Walton & Hersham were the visitors to Eastbourne Town.

Friday night’s action was highlighted by a 12-minute hat-trick from Charlie Taylor for Dulwich Hamlet in their 6–1 win over Sittingbourne.  Meshach Nugent scored first for Dulwich after 19 minutes, but Bradley Spice got a penalty for Bourne four minutes.  Taylor got his first, also from the spot after 29 minutes, and added goals after 37 and 41 minutes.  In the second half, Marc Cumberbatch and Kraig Rochester were also on target.

Tooting & Mitcham United had to settle for a point at Walton Casuals, Paul Vines’ goal coming with 18 minutes left.  Greg Ball had given Casuals a first half lead.  And super sub Greg Andrews came off the bench to turn the game in Croydon Athletic’s favour.  The Rams were trailing to a first half goal from the Met Police’s Craig Brown, before Andrews struck after 72 and 88 minutes.