Leaders Lewes faced a tough Sussex derby as they went to Cup Kings Horsham. The hosting Hornets were on a five-match winning streak, with the last three games seeing them not concede a single goal. On the other hand, the Rooks were aiming to maintain their one-point lead at the top with Dover Athletic and Billericay Town close behind. However, things did not go as planned for Lewes as Horsham took the lead just four minutes into the game, with Charlie Hester-Cook scoring his third goal of the season, all of which were scored at home. The Rooks’ chances took a further hit when Peter Ojemen was sent off with twenty minutes left on the clock. Horsham capitalized on the extra man advantage, with James Hammond scoring the second goal with thirteen minutes remaining, resulting in a 2-0 victory for the Hornets, who climbed to eighth place while Lewes slipped to third.
In another match, second-placed Dover Athletic played against Hashtag United at home. Dover had won their previous three games without conceding a goal and quickly took the lead through Alfie Matthews in the third minute. However, Hashtag United equalized on nineteen minutes through Sakariya Hassan. Dover regained the lead with Harrison Pont scoring on the half-hour mark, and Luke Baptiste extended their lead to 3-1 just before halftime. George Nikaj scored Dover’s fourth five minutes from time, securing a 4-2 victory for Dover Athletic and pushing them to the top of the table with 2,372 fans in attendance.
Billericay Town faced Dulwich Hamlet in a clash between fifth and third place teams. Billericay, the only unbeaten side in the division, took the lead through Tom Bender five minutes before halftime. Hamlet’s Jerome Binnom-Williams was sent off five minutes into the second half, reducing them to ten men. Despite Billericay also going down to ten men later in the game, the match ended 1-0 in favor of Billericay, moving them up to second place.
Chatham Town aimed to continue their winning streak as they faced Potters Bar Town. Both teams scored two goals each in the first half, with Brandon Adams and Ben Ward-Cochrane giving Potters Bar Town a 2-0 lead, and Reece Butler pulling one back for Chatham. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Jack Evans scoring a late equalizer for Chatham Town.
In summary, the recent matches in the local football league have seen some exciting results and unexpected outcomes, reshuffling the standings and keeping fans on the edge of their seats. The battles between top teams and the intense competition between clubs have made for an entertaining season so far. Fans can look forward to more thrilling matchups and unpredictable results as the season progresses.