Erith & Belvedere 0-0 Erith Town

Erith & Belvedere and Erith Town played out a competitive but tight draw in the Bank Holiday Erith derby at Park View Road, writes Thomas Hawes.

The Deres remain top of the Kent League table, on goal-difference above Beckenham Town, but with a swarm of teams around them with games in hand, the Deres are likely to drop down a few places.

Erith Town are a much improved side from recent years and this encounter was certainly the most closely contested Erith derby yet, with there being little to separate these two sides despite their contrasting playing styles.

Erith Town remain the physical side that they always have been, but now they have added some quality frontmen with bags of pace. And it was this pace combined with physical presence that saw the visitors have the better of the first half.

Grant Wallis was called into action on numerous occasions to help save the
Deres, but it was Erith & Belvedere who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Mark Nougher curled a shot inches wide of the post from 20 yards.

In the end though, the Deres were relieved to make it to half-time still level.

The visitors continued to control the play in the second half and came close to taking the lead, but it was once again at the other end where the game came closest to getting it’s first goal.

On 67 minutes, the Deres second corner of the match was whipped in by home debutant Drew Watkins.

Paul Gross was on the end of the corner but the tall central defender saw
his shot cleared off the line.

The game became stretched towards the end, with both sides going all out to
secure three precious Kent League points.

At full-time, both teams knew that they could have snatched a goal and all three points, but a point at Park View Road is a good one for Erith Town and onsidering that the away side had the better of the play, the Deres will be relieved to have picked up another point.

On the injury front, Joe Fitzpatrick is likely to be unavailable for selection for Friday’s FA Cup Preliminary Round tie with Ashford Town having picked up a bad knock.

ERITH & BELVEDERE: Wallis, Bedford, Maycock, Fitzpatrick, Gross, Morgan, Button, Watkins, Hassett, Smith, Nougher.

Attendance: 131