Deres drop five points over Holiday programme

Saturday:  Hythe Town 2-2 Erith & Belvedere

Two late goals from second-half sub Darryl Wilson and Leon Braithwaite earned a battling Erith & Belvedere side a point to take away from the Reachfields Stadium on Saturday, writes Thomas Hawes.

The game had started promisingly and appeared as if it was going to an intriguing tussle between two sides that had begun the season in positive fashion, knocking six past their respective opponents in their FA Cup exploits.

It was the away side that created the opportunities in the opening stages of the game, both strikers Braithwaite and Anton Smith missing clear-cut chances.

Meanwhile at the other end Stuart Daffin, who had came into the game on the back of scoring four times in the 6-0 midweek mauling of Lordswood, was causing the Deres defence all sorts of problems.

However, what had begun an evenly fought contest was to turn very one-sided as Erith & Belvedere were reduced to ten men after just 21 minutes.

Referee M Cole showed little hesitation in showing Austin Berkley a red card after the ex-professional took his protests over a minor decision one step too far. A schoolboy error from such an experienced player left the Deres side looking very young indeed – especially with player/manager Wayne Brown on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Erith & Belvedere now faced seventy minutes of trying to avoid conceding and battling to snatch a goal on the break to take something back to Park View Road.

Hopes of getting to half-time level soon faded for Wayne Brown’s side as a hopeful punt forward eventually fell to the feet of Daffin on the edge of the area.

The prolific frontman shifted the ball onto his right foot and cheekily tucked the ball through Deres keeper Darren Placid’s legs to give Hythe Town a 1-0 advantage going into the interval.

Hythe began the second-half the same way as they had ended the first – camped out in the Erith & Belvedere half of the pitch.

Without the talented midfield dynamo Austin Berkley to orchastrate the flowing moves that had become the norm during Brown’s reign, the visitors were reduced to hopeful long balls forward for Braithwaite and substitute Darryl Wilson to contest.

Any hopes of a miraculous Erith & Belvedere comeback appeared to be dashed when Hythe doubled the lead after 52 minutes.

A fine move down the left hand side culminated in a dink by Roy Godden to find the unmarked Dale Skelton in acres of space on the edge of the penalty box. Skelton took one touch to control and fired home past Placid.

Then came the first of two key moments in the game, which would ultimately decide how this encounter was to pan out.

A good cross from the left arrived knee high to Hythe captain Roy Godden, who agonisingly saw his flick come off the outside of his boot and onto the post before bouncing away to relative safety.

Hythe continued to dominate, searching for a goal to put the game beyond any doubt, whilst Erith continued their uncharacteristic long ball game.

However, the Deres were given a lifeline after 79 minutes when a long ball took a fortuatous ricochet and into the path of Darryl Wilson, who only had the keeper to beat. Wilson kept his cool and slid the ball past Nick Day.

The goal injected belief into Erith & Belvedere and they realised that they now had a chance to salvage something from the clash.

All of a sudden, the ten men of Erith & Belvedere began to show why they are widely tipped to win the Kent Premier League this season as they dominated the final ten minutes.

The Deres had a number of opportunities to equalise and it seemed more likely that an equaliser would come before the final whistle.

The goal eventually came with just five minutes left on the clock. An error by Hythe keeper  Day, who had been frustrating the Deres with his time wasting antics throughout the second half, meant that Tommy Martin had the opportunity to cut the ball back to a Deres player to slide the ball in the net. Martin duly obliged and picked out Danny Beszant.

Beszant, who came into the game on the back of scoring three times in his first two outings of the season, could believe it when he miskicked the ball from just eight yards out.

However, Beszant’s miskicked shot turned into an excellent pass as the ball rolled away to an unmarked Braithwaite just six yards out. A player of Braithwaite’s class wasn’t going to miss from six yards out and he fired the ball hard and low into the bottom left hand corner of the net to provoke ecstatic scenes from the Deres players.

Most teams would decide to shut up shop and hold on for a point in this situation – but not Erith & Belvedere.

The away side continued to try and force opportunities and even came close to completing a remarkable turnaround in injury time.

Left-back Vinny Durrant charged into the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot from 18 yards out that look destined to trouble Day in the Hythe goal. Durrant watched on in agony as his shot went over the bar.

This spirited comeback, having looked down and out with 15 minutes left to play, will no doubt add to the Deres promotion credentials.

Nevertheless, had Berkley refrained from his outburst towards the referee, then the outcome of the game could have been very different.

Although it is a point gained in difficult circumstances, Erith & Belvedere came to the south coast expecting to return home with three points in the bag and cannot afford to drop too many more points against the likes of Hythe – especially so with title contenders Thamesmead and Whitstable thrashing perennial strugglers Sporting Bengal and Erith Town in convincing fashion.

Hythe Town: Day, Walker, Walmsley, Ransley, Guiver, Skelton, Brazier, Fisk, Godden (capt), Daffin (Barham 66), Winfield.
Subs: Dunlop, Pearce, Amore, Porter

Erith & Belvedere: Placid, Bedford, Durrant, Tague, Maycock (Simpson 45),  Johnson, Beszant, Berkley, Braithwaite (capt), Smith (Wilson 45), Nougher (Martin 61).
Subs: Parmenter, Taylor

Attendance: 93