The NLP’s midweek review: National League South

By Matt Badcock
MAX KRETZSCHMAR’S late goal for Hampton & Richmond Borough stopped Chelmsford City moving four points clear at the top of the National League South on Tuesday night.
The Clarets had to settle for a draw for the second game running after the former Wycombe Wanderers and Woking man struck in the 90th minute to cancel our Chris Dickson’s first-half opender.
Rod Stringer’s side are now two points clear of East Thurrock United and St Albans City, neither of who played last night.
Braintree Town are level on points with the pair in fourth place after their 1-1 draw with Welling United.
Phil Roberts scored his fifth goal of the season for the Iron but they were pegged back through Jeffrey Monakana’s equaliser for the Wings, who saw Joe Healy sent off for two yellow cards late on.
On a night when none of the top five won, Havant & Waterlooville slipped to fifth place after they were beaten by Truro City. Alfie Rutherford had given the Hawks the lead but strikes from Noah Keats and Cody Cooke’s late winner meant the points went back to Cornwall.
Dartford eased their way past winless Whitehawk – Alfie Pavey, Ryan Hayes, Elliot Bradbrook and Lyle Della-Verde did the damage for the promotion hopefuls, who are now sixth.
The biggest win of the night came at Weston-super-Mare, who started the evening second from bottom of the table. Doubles for Jake Reid and Dayle Grubb, before Jake Lee added a fifth, saw them crush Wealdstone 5-1.
Jamie Taylor continued his good goalscoring form with two in Eastbourne Borough‘s 3-1 home win against Concord Rangers.
And there was a brace for Hemel Hempstead‘s Rowan Liburd in their 4-2 win at Poole Town. Warren Bentley had given the home side the lead after three minutes, but Will Spetch’s own goal levelled it up just three minutes after that. Liburd then got his two, Bentley cut the deficit, but Jordan Parkes scored Hemel’s fourth on 69 minutes.
Gloucester City‘s four-game winning streak came to an end in a fiery game against Chippenham Town.
The league new boys went ahead after two minutes through striker David Pratt and Jake Andrews made it 2-0 in the second half.
Louie Soares and Stefan Brown scored in Hungerford‘s 2-1 win at Bognor Regis Town, while Bath City beat Oxford City by the same scoreline.
Cristian Navarro put Oxford ahead before the half-hour mark, but second-half strikes from Jack Batten and James Lucas won it for the Romans.