The battle for the top places in the SCEFL Premier continued at the weekend with leaders Glebe dropping points whilst there were goals elsewhere with Hollands & Blair hitting double figures! 

The leaders were at the Belmont to face Whitstable Town who themselves were in need of points to stay in the fight for the Play Offs, and it was the home side who led through Harvey Smith’s goal midway through the second period. But Marcel MacDonald salvaged the leaders a point levelling two minutes from time. 

The dropped points meant that Corinthian cut the lead at the top to seven points (with four games in hand) with a 3-1 win over Tunbridge Wells – Sam Bewick, Charlie Clover and Michael Hagen for the home side with Trevor McCreadie replying for Wells.  

Faversham Town took advantage of Deal Town’s game with Punjab United being washed out with a lunchtime downpour to reclaim third place with a comfortable 5-1 drubbling of Sutton at the Aquatherm. Warren Mfula and Stefan Payne both scored twice with Sam Hasler’s free kick completing the scoring. Simon Walton has reduced the arrears to 2-1 just before the break, but Faversham were just too strong after the break. 

Deal’s postponement now leaves them in fourth eleven points behind Glebe but with eight games in hand – a busy time aheas for the Hoops! 

Whilst the battle in the Play Off places is absorbing, the battle to claim at the moment the fifth spot is fascinating. Currently it’s Bearsted’s but their recent good run came to a crashing end at Erith Town on Saturday, who themselves are now just two points behind the Bears with games in hand. A James Dyer hat-trick and a last minute goal from Callum McGeehan completed the Dockers’ 4-0 win.  

With Whitstable between Bearsted and Erith, the pack behind are closing in. After missing out at the weekend, Punjab jumped to eighth two points behind Erith as Hudson Scudder’s late strike beat VCD in midweek. Sadik Balarabe gave the Vickers an early lead that was cancelled out by Arun Suman. Cruis Nyadzayo put the home side in front at the break from the spot only for the Vickers to level minutes after the break through Richard Jimoh. Scudder had the last word and Punjab are well and truly in the Play Off hunt. 

Snodland Town are a point behind Punjab in ninth after putting six past Holmesdale – two each for Rob Bissett and Tariq Ibrahim with Jordan Wells and Francis Babalola completing the scoring as Jack Tancred and Wade Odedoyin replying for Dale – and Town could draw level on points with Erith if they beat Fisher on Wednesday evening. 

Lydd Town are tenth after wins at Fisher on Saturday and Rusthall on Tuesday, Scott Porter’s new side are only five points behind Bearsted. James Rogers, Troy Howard, and Dean Grant netted at Fisher after Flavio Juma had given the home side the lead, whilst a single goal from Harvey Welford was enough to beat Rusthall. 

Lordswood made it three wins in a week as Josh Reid’s goal was enough to beat Rusthall at the weekend, whilst Stansfeld got three vital points at the bottom of the table by beating Kennington 2-0 – Manu Olufeko and Tommy Whitnell netting.  

And so, to Star Meadow and an incredible afternoon for Hollands & Blair led by striker Rob Denness who netted a seventeen-minute first half hat-trick as poor Welling Town were thumped 10-1. Lewis Allen, Rob Gilman, and Tom Walmsley netted before the break with Devonte West, Richard Atkins, West again and Will Oliver – Jordan Samuels netted for Welling who stay rooted to the table’s foot. 

We know the finalists for the Premier Division Cup, and it will be Erith Town against Corinthian in the Final. Corinthian drew 2-2 in their second leg with First Division leaders AFC Whyteleafe to win 5-2 on aggregate whilst Erith overturned a 2-1 first leg deficit to Deal – winning the second leg 4-2 – with the go-ahead aggregate goal coming in the last minute sending the Dockers to their second Cup Final of the season. 

In the First Division, the top five are beginning to pull away with the leaders extending their advantage to twelve points of second placed Staplehurst after winning 3-0 at Forest Hill. Staplehurst themselves had their game with fifth placed Larkfield abandoned whilst Rochester stays third beating Greenways 4-0. Lewisham Borough lost losing 3-1 at sixth placed Canterbury who are four points off the top five but have played three games more than the sides above them.