Bridges Great Away Win

With both sides already guaranteed Play Off places at worst, both were also hoping to avoid another meeting on Tuesday night. Ramsgate needed to win and hope that leaders Cray Valley would lose, whilst Bridges needed to ensure that they equalled or bettered Chichester’s result.

Bridges were the winners on that score, but the sides could still meet at Ramsgate on Friday night if both win their Play Off semi finals, Rams being at home to Chichester and Bridges travelling to third placed Sittingbourne on Tuesday.

Whatever happens, Jamie Crellin deserves great credit for guiding Bridges to a best ever Isthmian League position of fourth. And they thoroughly deserved this victory, notably in a first half where the whole team flourished.

Ibrahim Jalloh set the tone with an early surging run that finished with Tom Hadler holding onto the resulting shot. Joe Taylor and Benny Bioletti briefly threatened before Hadley tipped over a ferocious effort from Noel Leighton, and then came a 23rd minute opener for the visitors. Brilliant play by the outstanding Dan Ferreira sent Nabeel Ghannam clear on the right and his low cross was stabbed home by JALLOH.

Jalloh had another well saved soon after before a Brannon O’Neill corner in the 29th minute was deftly guided home by the predatory LEIGHTON.

Leighton could have added another in the first minute of the second half after more good work by Harvey Woollard and Jalloh, whilst Ghannam also came close. Bridges’ back line were blocking everything, but one challenge in the box warranted a penalty according to the referee, and TAYLOR duly despatched his 53rd goal of the season from the spot after 57 minutes.

Ramsgate made three quick changes, but Bridges continued to look dangerous themselves with Leighton hitting a post, a foul on Jalloh looking a good shout for a penalty and Leighton and substitute Adam Adam both being brilliantly denied by Hadler.

At the other end Jasper Sheik made one excellent diving save and also came out of his goal to make a superb interception, but Billy Irving and Tresor Difika looked to be in control for most of a pulsating ninety minutes. An excellent win and now one or possibly two important Play Off games await.

			Home				Away				Total
			P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
	C	Cray Valley PM	19	11	7	1	19	18	1	0	38	29	8	1	103	32	+71	95
	2	Ramsgate	19	14	3	2	19	14	2	3	38	28	5	5	106	41	+65	89
	3	Sittingbourne	19	11	2	6	19	11	7	1	38	22	9	7	82	41	+41	75
	4	Three Bridges	19	13	3	3	19	9	4	6	38	22	7	9	98	68	+30	73
	5	Chichester City	19	10	1	8	19	11	5	3	38	21	6	11	83	43	+40	69
	6	Lancing	19	11	2	6	19	8	5	6	38	19	7	12	71	66	+5	64
	7	Sheppey United	19	10	3	6	19	8	4	7	38	18	7	13	76	57	+19	61
	8	Herne Bay	19	8	5	6	19	8	6	5	38	16	11	11	74	63	+11	59
	9	Broadbridge Heath	19	7	7	5	19	7	3	9	38	14	10	14	59	56	+3	52
	10	Sevenoaks Town	19	7	6	6	19	6	1	12	38	13	7	18	61	65	-4	46
	11	Ashford United	19	10	0	9	19	4	3	12	38	14	3	21	57	82	-25	45
	12	Burgess Hill Town	19	7	4	8	19	4	7	8	38	11	11	16	59	70	-11	44
	13	Hythe Town	19	4	6	9	19	8	2	9	38	12	8	18	54	71	-17	44
	14	Horndean	19	8	2	9	19	4	5	10	38	12	7	19	57	76	-19	43
	15	Merstham	19	7	4	8	19	4	4	11	38	11	8	19	58	72	-14	41
	16	Phoenix Sports	19	5	5	9	19	5	3	11	38	10	8	20	52	91	-39	38
	17	Littlehampton Town	19	6	5	8	19	4	2	13	38	10	7	21	49	76	-27	37
	18	East Grinstead Town	19	4	5	10	19	5	2	12	38	9	7	22	52	86	-34	34
	R	Beckenham Town	19	5	3	11	19	2	5	12	38	7	8	23	57	93	-36	29
	R	Erith & Belvedere	19	4	3	12	19	2	5	12	38	6	8	24	27	86	-59	26