Prime suffered a minor blow in their promotion quest during the week when Tonbridge Invicta III were awarded 2 bonus points which took them above The Numbers and into 2nd place in the table.

Nonetheless they went into their biggest game of the season in confident mood on the back of 10 consecutive wins - but they faced Valour without key winger Scott Walters and star striker Joe Walker. Sander and Davis replaced them in the starting XI, with Henshall moved up front to partner Excell. Goldsmith, Goulding and Gilbert made up the bench.

The visitors were clearly missing a few players from the meeting at Horsmonden earlier in the season and this game Prime the impetus to force the pace early on.

Ellis looked threatening down the left but Excell and Henshall were largely starved of service with the majority of the game taking place in the midfield third.

The back 4 all looked solid, with Walker and Parsons dominating in the air - despite the threat of Valour's burly striker Steve Ednie.

Prime forced the first opening on the 20 minute mark when good work from the combative Polinski resulted in Excell getting a chance - but he was denied by a smart save by the keeper.

It was the same combination that forced the vital breakthrough 10 minutes later. Henshall escaped down the right and from his cut-back, Polinski drilled in a low shot that the keeper did well to parry, but Excell was on hand to net the rebound from close range.

Valour forced a string of corners but unlike last week's game against Hawkenbury, Prime defended these well. There was an injury scare for Prime when the immaculate Parsons was caught on the ankle, but he battled on despite an obvious limp.

Goldsmith's options were limited with Goulding arriving late due to parental duties and Gilbert suffering with a throat infection - plus the player/boss' own knee problem - so he was relieved when Parsons announced he would fight on for the second 45.

Valour were a different proposition in the second half. A side that lacked incision in the first half were suddenly putting the Prime back 4 under intense pressure with some neat passing movements.

Ednie's surprising turn of foot stretched Walker to the limit, but with some calm handling from Kerton, Prime rode the storm - although they were lucky when their midfielder toe-poked inches wide from just inside the box.

Goldsmith brought himself on with half an hour to go - with Sander the man replaced. Henshall reverted to his preferred right-wing role. The move helped to relieve some pressure on the Prime back 4 with Goldsmith's aerial presence enabling him to hold the ball up and force an increasingly frustrated Valour outfit to play large periods of the second half deep inside their own half.

Valour continud to press but they were getting no joy against either Davis or Mazurkiewicz down the flanks - forcing them to ply their trade down the centre of the pitch where Abu and Polinski were immense.

The closest they came was from a 25-yarder from their defender which Kerton palmed away before Henshall scrambled the ball to safety.

Goulding came on for the last 10 minutes replacing Ellis who had run himself into the ground.

Prime continued to defend like their lives depended on it and in stoppage time, Henshall went on a lung-bursting run down the right wing and from his cross, Excell seemed to have fluffed his lines initially but his scuffed shot only served to be the perfect dummy which resulted in the keeper diving away, leaving him to stab home at the second attempt.

This turned out to be the last kick of the game and the final whistle was greeted with scenes of jubilation from The Numbers who closed to within a point of their rivals with 2 games in hand.