While most of the focus has been on the intriguing battle at the top of SCEFL Premier, the battle to join the top flight next season is just as enthralling. 

AFC Whyteleafe are Champions elect being eleven points clear of the rest, but the battles below them for possibly “just” the Play Off places is getting increasingly exciting as the weeks count down to the end of the season. 

Leading the chase are Rochester United and Staplehurst Monarchs who are locked together on forty-seven points – the Monarchs having a game in hand – but the form side now seem to be Larkfield and New Hythe. 

The Larks are on a great run of form in the Division and have now won four in a row with their combined aggregate of eighteen goals for and just one against. Last weekend, they beat the leader’s courtesy of an early Matt Day penalty and followed that up with a commanding performance on Monday night and a potentially tricky local derby at Cobdown against K Sports. 

A dominant first half display saw Larkfield ease into a 3-0 half time lead as they pinged the ball across the artificial surface with some aplomb. They were ahead early on as Josh Jackson superbly converted Clark Woodcock’s sweeping run down the right. The lead was doubled just before the midway point of the half as Day raced clear and away from the home defence down the inside right channel before drilling the second into the bottom corner. Day was then denied by the Sports bar when a pile driver came back off the frame of the goal. 

It delayed the inevitable however just a couple of minutes as Joe Bingham capped off a great move by making it 3-0 ten minutes before half-time. The midfielder drove forward and exchanged passes with Jackson before curling an absolute gem into the bottom corner of the home net. 

The closest the home side came in the opening half was a driven ball across the face of the Larkfield goal that no striped shirt could reach. 

The game was completely over as a contest eight minutes after the break as Woodcock got the goal that he deserved but lobbing home from the edge of the box after a great through ball. 

Larkfield kept piling forward – Babbington was brilliantly denied by keeper Lovell; the keeper then pulled of a good block to keep out Woodcock with his legs before sub-Lewis saw an effort kicked away by the keeper. 

The home side were better in the second half and forced Larkfield keeper Jack-Borow into a tremendous fingertip save before with the last kick of the game, Dylan Akue slotted home for the first goal that Larkfield have conceded on their winning run! 

The win gives Larkfield 42 points – five behind the pair in second and third – but with two and three games in hand, respectively. The game between Larkfield and Staplehurst on Easter Saturday becomes bigger and more important by the day… 

Lewisham Borough currently occupy fifth – the last Play Off place – with 38 points, whilst Canterbury are also on 38 but have played three games more – 25 to Lewisham’s 22 – after City came from two down to beat SC Thamesmead in the last minute at the weekend. 

FC Elmstead are possibly the team to watch as they are two further points behind Borough but have two games in hand. Croydon are also in with a chance as they have 33 points with a game played fewer than Lewisham but they could be distracted by having the Kent Senior Trophy Final looming on the horizon after Easter.