BITMEAD’S TREBLE IS ENOUGH
MARK Bitmead’s treble on his return to Ashford Town sealed a resounding 4-2 victory and sent Chipstead crashing back to earth after an away win on opening day.
Town were buoyed by the return of Bitmead for a second spell at the club after a long-term injury and a spell away, the striker returning to lead the line in style.
It took him just 22 minutes to open the scoring, planting the ball into the net as it broke kindly for him inside the box.
It remained 1-0 at the break, but Ashford doubled their lead on 54 minutes as Bitmead cut inside from the left and shot home off the inside of the left-hand upright.
Seven minutes later and it was three after Bradley Wilson's cross was headed home by centre-forward James Cottee.
The Chips were given hope in the 67th minute as Saidou Khan's free-kick was headed home by Luke Elliott.
But this was quickly snuffed out as Ashford restored their three-goal lead two minutes later with Bitmead completing his hat-trick, touching home Wilson's cross.
Westfield claimed the points in another see-saw contest that saw them complete a remarkable turnaround from 2-0 down to beat Ware.
The first chance falls to Westfield, who hit Ware with a quick counter-attack as Jamil Okai's close range effort deflected wide.
The visitors rode the storm and went in front, Leigh Rose volleying into the far corner after a perfectly-judged cross from Albert Adu.
They soon smelt blood as Charlie Yexley's cross found a well-positioned Rose, who volleyed again but this time too close to Gary Ross.
Adu’s screamer made it two, hitting his effort from more than 25 yards and finding the bottom corner of Ross’ net.
Okai halved the deficit from a few yards out and as quickly as that, the game turned on its head as Karle Carder-Andrews sent Rickets the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Carder-Andrews converted another spot-kick in the second half to seal the spoils, once again fooling the keeper with a cool penalty.
Liam Ferdinand’s fine form continued as he fired
Bracknell Town to a second successive victory, beating Molesey 2-1.
Ayo Majekodunmi whistled an effort just wide of the post from 18 yards as Molesey made the better start.
But just before the interval, Bracknell led as Ferdinand turned his man and his cross-cum-shot sailed over the keeper into the top corner from 25 yards out.
After the break he put the seal on the result by racing onto Mark Scott’s long clearance and calmly slotting the ball home. Tayo Oyebola volleyed in for Molesey on the hour mark, recovering an overhit cross from the right, but it proved mere consolation. Meanwhile
Uxbridge prevailed over South Park thanks to a deflected firsthalf effort from Luke Maguire.
Uxbridge started the better and Park were thankful that Jake Hill cleared off the line, before Josh Greenleaf dragged a shot wide for Park from Elijah Richardson’s cross.
The deadlock was broken when Maguire picked up a loose ball, drove forward and saw his shot deflect past Michael Eacott in the visiting goal. Elsewhere Hayes and Yeading thrashed Egham Town thanks to a hat-trick from Lewis Toomey.
Toomey popped home an opener on the half-hour mark, doubling the lead on 37 minutes with a calm finish from inside the sixyard box after Duncan Culley’s through ball .
His third was the best of the lot, a fulminating effort from 30 yards out that left the keeper with no chance, before substitute Lee Barney added a fourth with three minutes to play.