Gravesend & Northfleet 3 Maidenhead 2

GRAVESEND & Northfleet cut the gap at the top of the Ryman League, Premier Division to just five points with a home victory over Maidenhead United last night.

The Fleet got off to a bright start and took the lead after only six minutes with one of the best goals seen at Stonebridge Road so far this season.

Steve McKimm and Darren Smith linked up well down the right wing before McKimm crashed a fierce volley into the top corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

To Maidenhead's credit they didn't let the goal depress them and after a good period of pressure, in which they won a series of corners, they grabbed an equaliser on 28 minutes.

Fleet boss Andy Ford won't be happy with his side's defending though, after they allowed a left wing cross to squirm all the way through to Ricky Ibe who made no mistake from close range. However, Ford will have been delighted with how his team responded as they took the game to the visitors, eventually gaining their reward one minute before the break when McKimm tapped in his second goal of the match from Jimmy Jackson's near post centre.

In the early moments of the second period, the Gravesend manager decided to switch things around by bringing Matt Lee and Liam Hatch off the bench in place of Aaron Barnett and Danny Lye, and the change soon worked.

Hatch, who has just returned from a one-month loan spell at Ashford Town, showed he has lost none of his appetite for the game by snatching the unlikeliest of goals in the 64th minute.

After closing down one of the home defenders his tackle was so forceful it deflected the ball back over the stranded goalkeeper and into an unguarded net.

Hatch's evening turned sour just over 15 minutes later when in a similar incident he was sent off for a heavy challenge on an away defender, which left the player with a suspected broken leg.

The dismissal seemed to trouble the Fleet players and it wasn't a huge surprise when Obioua Ulasi pulled one goal back for Maidenhead but his 90th minute curling shot was too late to prevent the points going to the home side.

Gravesend, who are unbeaten in the league since October 9, are five points behind Canvey Island but, with three games in hand, they will be confident of overtaking their rivals.

Fleet continue their title challenge when they entertain Billericay on Saturday.

Gravesend: Blake, Burton, Martin (Williams 74), Barnett (Lee 52), Duku, McKimm, Smith, Lye (Hatch 52), Jackson, Wilkins, Booth.