Saturday January 10

 

FIRST DIVISION

Banstead Athletic 0-8 AFC Greenwich Borough

Chessington & Hook P-P Bridon Ropes

Croydon 6-1 Lydd Town

Halls AFC 0-3 SE Dons

Lewisham Borough 1-1 Greenways

Rochester United 3-0 Welling Town

SC Thamesmead 2-1 Staplehurst Monarchs

 

Just like in the Premier Division, the weather huffed and puffed but only managed to blow one game away. Chessington & Hook v Bridon Ropes fell foul, but the rest got on with it like grown-ups. And thankfully so, because the football delivered.

The headline? The top three didn’t just win — they won at a canter. Fourteen goals scored, zero conceded. This title race is officially a three-horse stampede.

SE Dons sit at the front after a polished 3–0 win at Halls AFC. Joe Thomas wasted no time (2’), Ryan Palmer added control late on (76’), and Aaron Watson sealed it deep into stoppage time. That’s 14 unbeaten now for the Dons, who look like they’ve got cruise control firmly engaged.

Rochester United are right on their heels after their own no-nonsense 3–0 victory over Welling Town. Lucas Payne opened the scoring before Mack Reilly decided one wasn’t enough, adding goals either side of half-time. Efficient. Ruthless. Very Rochester.

And then there was AFC Greenwich Borough… who appear to be playing a different sport altogether. An 8–0 demolition of Banstead Athletic made it three clean-sheet romps on the spin — 7–0, 5–0 and now 8–0. Nathan Godziemski set things in motion, Elliott Carey and James Miles joined the party, Bradley Ryan bagged a late brace, and Banstead were left picking up pieces. Games in hand too. Terrifying stuff for everyone else.

Croydon finally remembered how good they can be, snapping a four-game losing run by battering Lydd Town 6–1. Kanan Fitton scored twice in the opening 15 minutes, Neil Spencer struck early, and Pat Ward added a late double to put the gloss on it. The Trams are back sniffing around the play-offs — Lydd, meanwhile, are very much stuck in the mud.

SC Thamesmead showed grit to come from behind and beat an in-form Staplehurst Monarchs side. Oliver Lankshear struck early for the visitors, but Jamie Williams levelled before Abdulai Turay grabbed the winner late on. A big result against a team that’s been flying.

The only stalemate came in South London, where Lewisham Borough and Greenways shared the points. Andrea Carrera looked to have nicked it late for Borough, only for Jake Lovell to equalise deep into stoppage time. One point each — probably fair, probably annoying for both.

All in all? Plenty of goals, a title race heating up nicely, and proof that the First Division never does quiet Saturdays. Not its style.

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