Cray Wanderers edged to a 3-2 win at Carshalton Athletic to enhance their Ryman League Premier Division promotion credentials.

Jack Clark was the hero with a brace for Wands, with Leigh Bremner adding the other as Wands went sixth, outside the play-off places on goal difference, but having played more games than the sides around them.

Cray are also on nine points behind leaders Billericay.

Kwesi Appiah made it 32 goals in 29 appearances this season with a hat-trick for Margate as they brushed past Hastings United to make it nine points from nine over the festive period.

Appiah put the hosts ahead after just two minutes and added his second five minutes later and although the visitors pulled one back after the break, Appiah made it 20 league goals for the season when he notched his third shortly after the hour mark.

Tom Bradbrook sealed the win 18 minutes from time while Simon Overland kept Hastings out at the other end with some key saves.

The win took Gate up to ninth and within five points of the play-off places, with at least one game in hand on the sides above them.

After 14 goals in their previous two games, Folkestone Invicta needed only one to see-off Whitstable Town in a Ryman League Division 1 South derby at the Belmont.

Defender Josh Burchell bagged the only goal in the 89th minute to make it seven straight wins for Invicta, who went third, just two points off the top of the table.

After consecutive losses the Oystermen are 19th and just five points ahead of the drop-zone.

Maidstone United continued their return to form with a 3-0 win over landlords Sittingbourne at Bourne Park.

The Stones made it three straight wins and are six points off the leaders after Alex Waugh opened the scoring on 32 minutes.

Sam Groombridge doubled the lead 19 minutes from time and two minutes later Shaun Welford made the points safe, heading his 24th goal of the season.

Sittingbourne have slipped to 16th having lost three straight and are winless in six league games.

Hythe Town made it back-to-back wins after their derby drubbing at Folkestone, edging past Ramsgate 3-2 at Reachfields after a blistering second half.

Kane Rice put Scott Porter's side ahead five minutes into the second half but Ramsgate turned the game on its head with two goals in three minutes shorty after the hour from Ian Pulman and Gareth Cornhill.

However Hythe made it seven wins from nine league games and opend-up a five point gap over 10th-placed Merstham after a Dave Cook penalty on 69 minutes and a Brendon Cass winner six minutes later.

Ramsgate are 11th, five points behind 9th-placed Hythe.

Chatham Town overcame Tilbury 3-0 in Ryman League Division 1 North.

Lloyd Blackman headed the opener on 14 minutes and Gary Tilley doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time from a narrow angle.

Tilley grabbed his second a minute from time with a superb solo strike which ended a run of two straight losses for the Chats who rise to 13th.

They are only two points behind Thamesmead Town who recorded a 1-0 win at Romford thanks to Lea Dawson's header 20 minutes from time.