Fight goes to last day

Canterbury men

Canterbury must win their final game of the National Premier Division season to ensure safety after losing 4-1 at East Grinstead on Saturday.

Relegation rivals Brooklands MU beat whipping-boys Loughborough Students 2-0 to climb above Canterbury and into eighth place.

The city club are now three points behind and need to beat Brooklands at Polo Farm on Sunday (2pm) to stay up on goal difference and condemn the Manchester side to the relegation play-offs which Canterbury have come through in the past two seasons.

The visitors held out until two minutes before half-time when Dominic Bowden put the hosts in front with a soft goal and it was 2-0 11 minutes after half-time through GB international Nick Catlin.

With Canterbury knowing a draw would not help their relegation cause, they threw everything at their hosts after James Oates halved the deficit shortly before the hour.

However, the hosts picked them off in the closing stages and Chris Griffiths added EG’S third with four minutes remaining before Bowden’s second sealed the points less than 60 seconds later.

Canterbury Pilgrims enjoyed a 7-4 success against BBHC in South League Kent/sussex Regional 2 while the 3rds were 6-1 winners against the University of Kent in South League Kent Area Division 1.

The 4ths went down 3-1 at Cliftonville in the same division and the 5ths lost 4-2 at Sevenoaks in Kent Open Premier B while the Griffins drew 1-1 at home to Sevenoaks Acorns in Premier C

The Squires were edged out 5-4 at home to Gillingham Anchorians 4ths in Division 1, despite a comeback from 4-0 down to 4-4 at one stage.

The Friars won their last home game in Division 3, 4-2 against Folkestone 7ths. They come from 2-0 down with goals from James Curtiss, Tim Smith, debutant Alistair Scott-kilvert and Alex Laslett.