Who will blink first in the race for top spot?
With it being Non-League Day, crowds were up from their usual gates for most of the home clubs and there was plenty of entertainment available for those that perhaps do not usually watch non-league games or those at Step 5 anyway.
There were not as many goals around as there usually is it seems but now we are coming to the climax of the season, the result perhaps is more important than the performance.

AFC Varndeanians v Little Common kick off this review and it was our recent visitors, Little Common who took home all the points with a 1-0 win, Bunn scoring the only goal in the 77th minute.

Bexhill United v Saltdean United went the way of the away side 1-0 which may have been a surprise to some but with Shonk departing the Pirates, thus depriving them of their main goal scoring threat, a narrow win for Saltdean United was perhaps on the cards.
Ziolkowski scored the only goal in the 50th minute in front of 188 spectators and those three points put them two points ahead of the bottom side, although they have played one game more but do have a better goal difference.

Crowborough Athletic v Horsham YMCA ended up with the home side taking all three points with a 1-0 win, Smith with the all important goal from the Crows perspective in the first half with a neat control on the chest and a shot on the turn.
A result that keeps the Crows in third place but with games in hand on those above and most of the 306 in attendance went home happy.

Eastbourne Town v Shoreham ended 0-0 which halted Town’s recent good form but they still remain in the last play off place, four points ahead of sixth place Haywards Heath Town, although they have played one game more.
As for the away side, they have improved a lot since the new year and have hauled themselves well clear of the relegation zone and now occupy 15th spot.

Hassocks v Crawley Down Gatwick finished 3-1 to the Robbins in front of what may have been the largest gate of the day, 324 people. Bakhit put the visitors ahead right on half time but second half goals by Khallouqi and Turner (2) meant the three points remained with fourth placed Hassocks.
Perhaps their title hopes are now over but they are well placed to earn a play off spot at the end of the season.

Lingfield v Haywards Heath Town finished 2-0 to the away side, a result that keeps them right on the heels of fifth placed Eastbourne Town and in contention for a play off birth.
Second half goals from Finney and substitute, Connolly, secured the win but they did have Gilbert sent off in the 93rd minute.

Loxwood v AFC Uckfield finished 1-1, which was a good result for the away side but with their nearest side, Saltdean United winning away, it actually means they are now two points behind them at the foot of the table.
Bignell scored for the away side, whilst Law had put the home side 1-0 in the 39th minute.

Pagham v Newhaven ended up 0-0 which dented the Dockers title hopes slightly as it meant they dropped points to all three sides around them, Steyning Town, Crowborough Athletic and Hassocks.
The home side are currently the draw specialists in the division though, having drawn five out of their last six games and many of those five have been either 0-0 or 1-1, so perhaps the end result was not such a surprise.

Peacehaven & Telscombe beat their visitors, Midhurst & Easebourne 2-0 with goals from Barclay and Cook. Barclay’s strike was apparently a wonder goal, according to their “X” account.
The result means both teams keep their positions in the table, the home side in eighth and the away side in ninth.

The last game of the day saw Steyning Town take on Eastbourne United Association at home and the home side kept their top position with a narrow 1-0 win.
With 132 in attendance Shooman scored the all important goal in a game where everything was contested and defences were largely in control throughout.

So the top four still have everything to play for, whether the title or a play off spot and at the bottom and the battle for survival, both Saltdean United and AFC Uuckfield will be looking at each others results very closely.
Let’s see how the mid week fixtures affect things shall we?