Ramsgate have been knocked off top in the Isthmian South East as Steve McKimm and his Cray Valley PM side finally caught up with their games in hand in midweek to go top of the table.
This is where Mike Green begins his weekly review whilst the battle at the top of the Premier Division looks as though it’s becoming a two horse race and at the other end of the table, Neil Smith’s Cray Wanderers secured a valuable three points in the relegation battle, Andy Drury’s Folkestone Invicta upset the odds by winning at Play Off chasing Billericay Town and finally an equally important, perhaps more so win for Mark Stimson at Margate…
After what seems weeks and weeks of pursuing, Cray Valley are a point clear of the Rams – same games played and with an identical goal difference, though Ramsgate have scored more goals – after a crushing 4-1 Tuesday night win at Burgess Hill with Michael Ademiluyi, Sonny Black, Matt Vigor and Lyle Della-Verde on target.
That follows up Saturday’s 4-1 win over East Grinstead at Badgers that matched Ramsgate 1-0 win against Broadbridge at Southwood with Alfie Paxman winning the points late on.
Sittingbourne lost ground in third as their winning run hit the buffers at Woodstock as Chichester City remained in Play Off contention with a deserved 3-0 win.
The Brickies were due to have the chance of redemption in midweek but their game at Littlehampton was called off thirty minutes before the scheduled kick off time to the amazement of everyone except it seems the match officials!
Herne Bay stay in the last Play Off place as they left Beckenham Town rooted to the foot of the table as they won a five-goal thriller at Winches.
Top scorer Mike Salako out the home side in front; Alfie Bloomfield levelled; Salako struck again only for Steven Townsend to level in first half stoppage time. Scott Heard’s struck midway through the second half to seal the points and with Chichester moving above the non playing Sheppey, there’s now a five point gap between Steve Lovell’s side in fifth and the rest.
For Beckenham, although they have two games in hand, they find themselves six points adrift of safety and neighbours Phoenix Sports who were beaten 4-2 at fourth placed Lancing.
Sandwiched between the two are Erith & Belvedere, who were beaten 3-0 at Sevenoaks Town courtesy of a goal in each half from Dan Carr and a third from Kieron Cadogan. The win leaves the Oaks ten points from the Play Offs and leading a mid table Kent log jam in ninth place.
Next come Hythe Town who came from behind to beat Burgess Hill courtesy of two goals from Johan Caney-Bryan in the last ten minutes. The win leaves Steve Watt’s side, who are still playing catch-up with their fixtures. The Cannons still have five games in hand on the teams above them and are now fifteen points behind Herne Bay.
Ashford United stay in mid table after their 2-2 draw at Merstham which just about sums up their season. The Nuts and Bolts took a two goal lead through Vance Bola and Jordan Abobia only for relegation threatened Merstham to score twice in seven minutes around the hour mark.
That followed a Tuesday night penalty shoot out win over Hastings United in the last eight of the Velocity City. They’re joined by Chatham Town who make the last four for the second year in a row after they too needed penalties to edge past Billericay Town.
The Chats stay second in the League with a 3-0 win at Lewes, but Kevin Hake’s side left it late after Jordy Robins netted on 79 minutes and that was followed by two more from Jamie Yila in stoppage time. The win keeps the Chats nine points behind leaders Hornchurch, who have two games in hand, and seven points in front of third-placed Billericay who they face at the Bauvill on Saturday.
Billericay themselves were surprisingly beaten by Andy Drury’s Folkestone Invicta who widened the gap between themselves and the bottom four as Invicta ran out 2-1 winners. David Smith’s penalty put the visitors in front just past the half hour and moments later Kane Penn doubled the lead, and it was a lead that was only troubled in stoppage time at the end of the game when the home side pulled one back.
Elsewhere at the bottom, Cray Wanderers took their unbeaten run to five games, but this one could be massive as a single Yahaya Bamba goal was enough to win at 20th placed Cheshunt, which was also great news for the Gate who finally snapped their winless stretch with a 3-2 win over Canvey Island at Hartsdown Park.
The visitors led early on, but a first half hat-trick from Ben Greenhalgh turned the game on its head and despite a goal for Canvey in the second period, Gate held on for Stimson’s first win since taking over and a win that lifted Margate above Cheshunt and out of the relegation zone.
Margate are now two points outside the bottom four and ahead of Cheshunt, while courtesy of their respective wins Cray are now thirteen points clear and Folkestone nine points of the bottom four.
Picture supplied by Dave Budden.