CHARLIE’S HAT-TRICK DELIGHT
CHARLIE MacDonald’s first-half hat-trick inspired a dramatic 4-3 victory for VCD Athletic over hosts Guernsey.
The striker responded to Paris Pereira’s strike with three of his own before Alex Gaggin notched another soon after the break.
A stunned Guernsey pulled two back thanks to Carlos Canha and a Jack Steventon own goal but the away side kept out several late efforts to take the spoils.
New manager Chris Lynch orchestrated
Sittingbourne’s fourth win in a row as they continued their stunning recovery with a 3-1 win over Faversham Town.
His side took the lead early on through an emphatic finish from Timmie Babbington, who had ghosted in behind Town’s defence.
Sittingbourne’s 295strong home crowd – their largest this season – couldn’t believe their eyes as Lewis Chambers added a second from distance.
Faversham fought their way back into the game and reaped their reward when captain Matt Bourne scored against his former club before substitute Billie Lewins headed home to take Sittingbourne above their opponents in the league. Meanwhile, Cray
Wanderers extended their mammoth lead at the top of the division thanks to a Karl Dent winner at Phoenix
Sports which secured a 10 win.
The away side created numerous chances in the opening exchanges as they looked to assert their authority on a Phoenix side desperate to make up ground on the playoff spots.
And Dent took full advantage of confusion within Phoenix’s defensive ranks to break clear of the back four and slide the ball home on the half hour.
But the host side squandered two late chances to equalise, with Kenny Ailery firing wide of an open goal and Kweku Ansah denied by Nick Blue in the Wanderers goal. Whitstable Town keeper Dan Eason’s heroics weren’t enough to keep his side in the game as they lost 3-1 at local rivals Herne Bay.
Eason made three outstanding saves early on before a Bradley Schafer free-kick deflected off the wall to loop over the helpless keeper.
Bay then gained complete control of the game when Danny Leonard’s shot deflected off defender Stuart West and flew into the net.
Town striker Charlie Smith took advantage of a mistake by keeper Simon Overton, who swiped his kick at thin air, to halve the deficit as he ran the ball into the goal.
Bay sat back as they secured their third straight win when Ronald Sobowale finished low, only for Town’s Taylor Fisher to hit the crossbar late on before ex-Bay Harry Brown went perilously close with a volley.
Early strikes from Samuel Hasler and Jay May strengthened Ashford United’s promotion hopes as they put away an injuryravaged Whyteleafe 3-1.
The play-off chasing hosts were 2-0 down after three minutes courtesy of a 30-yard rocket from Hasler and a precise finish from May after a Danny Parish cross.
It took less than ten minutes for Leafe to respond, however, as Bradley Wilson converted a penalty after Andre McCollin was brought down in the box.
But a red card for captain Helge Orome broke the side’s momentum as Ashford skipper Sam Corne scored just after the break to reassert his side and go home with the points, despite keeping heroics from the excellent Tyler McCarthy. Elsewhere, bottom side
Greenwich Borough put in a stellar team performance to take down
East Grinstead Town by 2-0.
A Rhys Paul strike separated the sides at the break. A red card for the Ryan Johnson opened up the game further and Teshuane Tyreece put the fixture beyond doubt.