One leg in, one leg out spectacular ace: The Promised Land.
A glory day for our Pitching In Isthmian South East sides in the FA Cup- with wins for Bay, Oaks, United, Bears and Golds in the League
Cray Valley PM have become regular giant killers of late- indeed over the last fortnight they’ve knocked Premier Division Carshalton Athletic out of two different cup competitions. They welcomed Athletic’s Premier rivals Enfield Town, and the Towners looked to have learned a lesson from the Robins travails, taking the lead after only six minutes through Marcus Wyllie, the striker taking his tally for the season up to nine. The Millers were level on twenty five minutes, however, Kyrell Lisbie keeping up his impressive run in front of goal with his ninth of the season- but the Towners were quickly back at the other end and Reece Beckles-Richards restored their lead. Just before the break Lisbie did it again, delivering a second equaliser, and the Millers then went ahead, Freddie Parker making it three-two on sixty four minutes. With five minutes to go the Towners hopes disappeared, a red card for Sam Youngs seeing them down to ten men- and the Millers quickly took advantage and turned a win into a rout, Parker adding number four and Adam Coombes making it five. That was that, the Millers into the First Round once more.
Ramsgate have been in superb form, particularly striker Joe Taylor- as usual- and the Rams number nine got his fourteenth of the season to put his side ahead at Pitching In Southern Premier South side AFC Totton. That was that, the Rams through to the First Round for the first time since 2005-06.
Billericay Town hosted Pitching In Isthmian South East side Sheppey United, the Ites looking to slay another giant. They visitors had a fine start to that quest, Dan Bradshaw putting them ahead after just nine minutes, but the Blues levelled just before the break through Frankie Merrifield. Try as they might neither side could add to the score, and they’ll meet again in Kent in midweek.
The First Round draw is on ITV at 2.30 PM this afternoon. By the way, the Millers, Rams and Ites are the lowest ranked sides left in the competition- but they certainly aren’t performing like the lowest ranked sides!
Pitching In Isthmian South East
The gap between Three Bridges and their nearest challengers for top spot remained rather wide, as their nearest challengers failed to win.
Chichester City lost for the first time this season in midweek- to Bridges- and conceded their first league goal at the same time. City travelled to face a quickly improving East Grinstead Town, and the visitors went ahead from the spot on twenty five minutes, Steve Hutchings holding his nerve. The Wasps levelled eight minutes after the restart, Max Walsh, in fine recent form, making it one-one, and that turned out to be that, City ending the day in third, five points behind the leaders.
Sittingbourne have been in fine form, and looked to continue that at Burgess Hill Town, Ayman El-Moghaebel putting them ahead after eighteen minutes. New father- congratulations- Rob O’Toole returned to the hill side and quickly drew them level, and that was the last of the action, the Brickies in second, Hill in tenth.
Herne Bay were quickly out of the blocks against Lancing, two up inside of the first twenty minutes, Sam German and Gil Carvalho with the double blow- but the Lancers talisman Lukas Franzen-Jones halved the arrears just before the break to give his side hope. That hope was dissipated when Tom Hanfrey made it three-one twelve minutes into the second half, and Bay end the day in fourth, six points off the top.
Sevenoaks Town took the lead against Horndean midway through the first half, Dan Bennett with the opener- but they were ahead for only five minutes before Zack Willett levelled. Ten minutes after the break Dan Carr restored the Oaks lead but again Willett quickly pulled his side level, only for the Oaks to gain an advantage once more with fourteen minutes left, Matthew Attenborough-Warren making it three-two. This time the lead held, and Oaks are fifth.
Erith & Belvedere have had their struggles of late, and they were behind against Broadbridge Heath after just ten minutes, Sam Lemon with his third of the campaign- but the Deres quickly struck back, Chris Dickson drawing them level a quarter of an hour later. It looked as if the critical goal had arrived when Mario Quiassaca restored the bears lead seven minutes from time, and indeed that was how it turned out, the visitors up to ninth.
A spot kick from Ryan Hayes at the midway point of the first half saw Phoenix Sports go ahead at Littlehampton Town. The Golds, without a league win since the opening day, levelled seven minutes into the second half, George Gaskin with the goal, and it looked as if they might get that win when Scott Packer put them ahead on sixty four minutes. Try as they might Sports couldn’t get that equaliser, and the home support were able to celebrate victory for the first time since August 13th.
Beckenham Town and Ashford United have both been out of sorts of late, and the opening goal took until the forty fifth minute to arrive, United’s Danny Parish scoring it from the spot. That turned out to be that, the Nuts and Bolts up to eighth, Becks at the bottom.
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