AVELEY continued their quest for promotion from the Isthmian Premier with another win on the road in Kent yesterday (Saturday, 18 March).

The Millers came away from Margate with a 1-0 win courtesy of Harry Gibbs' close range finish on 43 minutes.

The goal came after a freekick was knocked back across the face of goal and Gibbs forced the ball home. Margate were angry that the assistant referee had raised a flag as the ball was headed back in but the immediately lowered it and, after consultation with the referee, the goal stood.

Third-placed Aveley were also able to make up ground on leaders Hornchurch who managed just a point, thanks to sub Charlie Stimson's 90th minute goal in a 1-1 draw at Haringey.

It promises to be a very tight climax to the title race, with Hornchurch having seven matches left and Bishops and Millers six each.

Avelely are just three points behind the Urchins, level on points with second-placed Bishops Stortford. Hornchurch do have a match in hand.

A crucial clash could be Millers' home game with Bishops Stortford on Easter Saturday (8 april).

Meanwhile Aveley are back in action on Wednesday at Parkside with a Thameside Trophy quarter-final against Buckhurst Hill.

While Aveley are embroiled in a promotion race, things continue to be tough for borough neighbours Tilbury in the Isthmian North.

The Dockers face a big task now to avoid having to go into an end of season relegation play-off and the danger of automatic relegation remains a distinct possibility.

In their second outing in charge, returning management duo of Marc Harrison and Liam Wallace were powerless to stop Dockers slipping to another home defeat, their twelfth of the season, at the hand of promotion-chasing Heybridge Swifts.

Dockers have won just one of 16 league clashes at Chadfields this season - compared to five wins on the road!

The latest defeat was a single goal defeat by Swifts, who scored in the first minute through Matthew Price and retained the advantage.

Luke Wilson thought he had equalised for the dockers in the second half but the effort was ruled out for offside. The full match report by Mason Hutchinson can be read here.

Tilbury's next three matches match will be pivotal - and fortunately., perhaps, they are away in two of them!

Currently fourth-from-bottom, next Saturday they travel to second-from bottom Coggeshall Town who are just three points behind them - and have three matches in hand.

Following that Dockers play host to 17th-placed Great Wakering Rovers on Saturday, 1 April and then go to Witham on Easter Saturday (8 April). Witham are currently 16th, a place above Tilbury but five points ahead of them and with two matches in hand.

The bottom two teams in the division are autmatically relegated while the next two will have home advantage in a relegation/promotion decider against a team that finishes second in one of the Step Five teams in the region.

Concerns for future matches for Grays Athletic are definitely of a more upbeat nature and thanks to a fine 2-1 win over third-placed Lowestoft yesterday, Grays are back in the promotion play-off zone.

Grays scored in each half through Troy Osei-bobie (18 minutes) and the prolific Sam Bantick (77).

Lowestoft caused a few late nervous moments when Adam Hipperson converted an 81st minute penalty but they held on and go fifth, climbing above felixstow and Walton United who wre the latest victims of leaders Hashtag United who have now won 21 successive league matches!

East Thurrock United's slim hopes of a late season run and sneaking a play-off place are all but mathematically over after a 1-0 defeat at Gorleston.

The Rocks went to the seaside and found themselves behind to George Keys' eighth minute goal and they found thesmelves a man down after 52 minutes when Tamerson Eyong picked up a second yellow and was dismissed.