Saturday 3rd January
PREMIER DIVISION
Chislehurst Glebe 2-1 Corinthian
Erith & Belvedere P-P Bearsted
Holmesdale P-P Faversham Strike Force
Kennington 1-1 Fisher
Larkfield & New Hythe P-P Hythe Town
Phoenix Sports P-P Hollands & Blair
Punjab United P-P Stansfeld
Snodland Town P-P Rusthall
Whitstable Town 4-0 Sutton Athletic
The cold weather wiped out any hopes of football on grass, but thanks to some excellent artificial surfaces, three Premier Division games survived the deep freeze — and they still managed to deliver talking points at both ends of the table.
At the top, the message remains the same: it’s not easy stopping Whitstable Town. The league leaders opened up an eight-point gap with a commanding 4–0 home win over Sutton Athletic, extending both their winning run to six games and their unbeaten run to an impressive thirteen. Nathan Jeche set the tone early, before second-half goals from Bradley Schafer and a late double from Javaun Splatt turned a competitive contest into another statement victory. Sutton leave empty-handed and, more importantly, outside the play-off places — a reminder of just how unforgiving this division can be.
At the other end of the table, Chislehurst Glebe took a huge step towards safety with a gritty 2–1 win over Corinthian at Foxbury. Jeferson Bento put the hosts ahead early before Khavarn Williams doubled the advantage just before the hour. Corinthian pushed late and pulled one back through Jamie Billings deep into stoppage time, but it proved too little, too late. The result gives Glebe a five-point cushion above the relegation zone, while Corinthian’s winless run stretches to six games.
The day’s remaining fixture saw Kennington and Fisher share the points in a dramatic 1–1 draw at Homelands. On the half hour mark, Tom Jones gave Fisher the lead — that’s not unusual — and for long periods it looked like that goal would be enough to drive the fish into the top five. Kennington, however, refused to fold and were rewarded in the dying moments when Ryan Philpott kept his nerve from the penalty spot to rescue a point.
Only three games survived the weather, but they still reshaped the title race, eased some relegation nerves, and underlined just how tight the battle for the play-off places remains. Even in freezing conditions, the Premier Division never goes quiet.