Whyteleafe come back to take the points and reclaim a play-off spot

Hythe Town are a much improved side, and they have made several good signings that have seen them climb away from the relegation places.

Leafe, for their part surrendered a two-goal lead, something home fans have seen happen several times recently, but this time they managed to recover the situation and score a winner that was either a wonder strike or a fluke.

Whyteleafe came out strongly and took an early lead when Jensen Grant converted Jason Thompson's corner with a thumping header.

Hythe got the ball into the net in the 45th minute through Bradley Jordan, but he was offside when Phil Stevenson’s header across the face of goal picked him out.

Whyteleafe caught their visitors out cold in the 46th minute, going on the attack straight from the kick off.

Roscoe DSane ran at the home defence, rounded keeper Hayward and slotted home to increase the lead.

Hythe then had a good spell, Welford breaking clear in the 65th minute but Ceesay made a good save.

The visitors pushed Harvey forward to add an extra man to the attack and this paid off in the 71st minute when he received the ball on the edge of the box and his shot on the turn found the back of the net.

The newly invigorated visitors equalised two minutes later when the free scoring Welford headed home from a James Morrish cross and five minutes later they thought they had taken the lead when Wells stabbed the ball home from close range, but it was disallowed for offside.

The match winner came after 82 minutes - Ryan Fowler fed the ball to Bird wide on the left and from some 35 yards from goal he hit the ball into the area.

Whether it was shot or a cross, it flew over the stranded Hayward and into the far corner of the net.

Hythe however had not given up hope in what was a pulsating second half and almost snatched a point in the 87th minute when Welford’s shot struck a post and bounced clear to safety.

Leafe brought on an extra defender in Tommy Smith to shore up the defence and hold on for the three points that took them back into the play off places.

Whytelefe: Ceesay, Hamlin, Bird, Patterson-Bohner, Thompson, Graham, Fowler, Grant, DSane (Henry 49), Andrews (Smith 87), Clayton. Subs not used: Pratt, Penfold.