Molesey recorded back-to-back wins to all but guarantee their Ryman League status and put a severe dent in Hythe’s playoff ambitions in the process.

The game ended in unsavoury scenes, with a mass brawl resulting in red cards for Hythe’s Mitchell Chapman and Kieran Campbell, and an allegation of spitting by a Molesey player.

It slightly marred what had been arguably Molesey’s best performance of the season.

They tore into the visitors and should have had the game wrapped up at half-time, but had to settle for a two goal cushion courtesy of Ross Chalke’s header and Ronald Sobowale’s instinctive finish.

The visitors were much improved in the second half and halved the deficit when substitute Kenny Pogue lobbed Liam Allen, but Joe Nwoko’s penalty made the game safe.

The Moles welcomed Dre Grobler back from suspension, and he was joined in the back four by Ashby Charles, Ryan David and Josh Andrews.

It was the visitors who had the game’s maiden chance, with Allen turning Dean Grant’s effort around the post inside five minutes.

From then on it was all Molesey.

Tom Windsor and Joe Nwoko both had efforts cleared off the line, and Nwoko was denied by Joe Mant.

Ashley Lodge was at his industrious best, and had a hand in the opening goal, sending a deep cross to the far post where Chalke headed powerfully beyond Mant.

Lodge was the next player to have an effort cleared off the line after Mant and Jerald Aboagye had made a mess of dealing with a through ball, but the Moles didn’t have to wait long for the second goal.

It owed much to the perseverance of Nwoko, who sprung the hopelessly ineffective Hythe offside trap and squared for Sobowale, who flicked with impish precision into the far corner.

Molesey also had two decent shouts for a penalty turned down, with Chalke grappled at a corner going unpunished, and then Sobowale looked to be hacked down in the box but the ref somewhat bizarrely awarded a free kick for the visitors.

The Moles were nowhere near as fluent in the second half, and Hythe much improved from their dismal first half showing.

A goal appeared to be coming, and it duly arrived on the hour mark when Josh Burchell was allowed out of a cul-de-sac too easily, the otherwise impressive Grobler missed his header and Allen was in no man’s land as Pogue lobbed in from outside the area.

You got the sense there were more goals in this, and it looked for the world like it would be the visitors who would strike next, with Craig Lewington clearing off the line from Craig Cloke.

A heap of pressure and succession of corners went unrewarded, but as it looked like it would be a long final ten minutes, Sobowale was tripped in the box and Nwoko ended his 2017 goal drought by smashing home the penalty.

There was controversy and relief in equal measures within 60 seconds, when Pogue appeared to win the ball cleanly against Allen and Sam Adams drove home the loose ball, but the ref harshly adjudged Pogue to have fouled the Moles keeper.

The game had entered stoppage time when an off the ball clash just outside the Molesey box resulted in players from both sides piling in, with subsequent red cards for Campbell and Chapman, and a yellow for Dave Cook.

The visitors were incensed, although could quite easily have had their numbers reduced moments earlier when Cook, angered with Sobowale for the penalty decision, swung an elbow into the forward’s face when both were chasing a through ball.

Furthermore Grant was said to be lucky to escape with just a booking following a first half off the ball incident with David. A succession of second half fouls by the same player resulted in a succession of final warnings.

The win puts the Moles 13 points clear of the bottom three with eight games to play. Bettering the one point per game ratio will be a realistic ambition going into the final weeks of the season.

Saturday offers the opportunity to improve their poor away record, with a trip to Herne Bay.