ZAK PUTS HYTHE IN RUNNING
HYTHE Town upset league leaders Lewes with a superb 2-0 win to blow open the title race.
Striker Zak Ansah now has 11 goals in the last eight games, a purple patch in which Hythe, pushing hard for the play-offs, are unbeaten.
Ansah’s first, on the stroke of half-time, was a tap-in as he reacted quickest when Liam King’s shot was saved by Chris Winterton. His second was a glancing header on 80 minutes from a Darren Oldaker free-kick.
In Hythe’s goal, Will Godmon made a great close-range double save late on but, other than this, top-of-the-table Lewes were restricted to only a couple of half-chances in a disappointing performance that allowed the chasing pack to close the gap.
It was another fine performance from Hythe that sent the bulk of the good holiday crowd of nearly 400 home happy – but puts pressure on Lewes to beat Horsham in a crucial Easter Monday fixture.
Elsewhere, Jack Barham scored twice as Greenwich Borough thumped East Grinstead
Town 4-1 to strengthen their grip on a play-off spot in a top six that is becoming more competitive by the week.
Barham broke the deadlock inside two minutes with a neat finish and then doubled his tally on the half-hour to give the Londoners the perfect start against an overwhelmed Horsham outfit.
Greenwich were in superb form and were out of sight by the break with Junior Aikhionbare scoring a third, although the visitors pulled one back through Leo Mazzone.
That did not inspire a comeback though as Nassim Dukali rounded things off with a late fourth. Hastings United had to settle for a point from their match with Phoenix
Sports, with Sam Adams’ penalty securing a 1-1 draw on a frustrating afternoon.
In a game that seldom sparked into life, the visitors took the lead on 29 minutes when they capitalised on a defensive error. Jeff Duah-Kessie latched on to the loose ball and slotted past Charlie Horlock in the home goal to silence the home crowd, who had enjoyed their side’s passing display up until that point.
Hastings had most of the possession and that continued in the second half but chances were few at either end before the equaliser came in the 68th minute. Dayshonne Golding was fouled in the area and Sam Adams scored from the spot. Walton Casuals produced a fine away performance to win a sixgoal thriller at Horsham thanks to a brace from Youseff Bamba.
Alex Kelly put the away side ahead in the first half before Bamba doubled it, setting them up for a seemingly comfortable win.
But Alfie Rogers pulled a goal back for Horsham to bring them back into the game.
Bamba’s second reasserted Walton’s authority but Curtis Taylor’s penalty gave Horsham late hope before Josh Kelly finally put the game beyond doubt.
Goals from Sam Ramfry and Jack Mazzone gave
South Park a hard-fought win against Ramsgate to boost their chances of a top-half finish.
Ramfry opened the scoring after just seven minutes before Mazzone doubled it on the stroke of half-time.
Sam Lawford pulled one back for Ramsgate late in the second half but they could not salvage a draw and fell to a 2-1 defeat.
Ramsgate remain 18th but comfortably clear of the relegation zone.