Erith & Belvedere 2-0 Faversham Town

With Faversham leading the group before the game, the Deres needed at least a point to join them in the quarter-finals.

Goals from Mark Nougher and Daryl Wilson eliminated both Deal Town and Sevenoaks Town from the competition.

A crowd of just 47 watched this encounter at a sparse Park View Road ground in Welling - one of just two games that survived the waterlogged conditions around the county.

Erith & Belvedere opened the scoring after nine minutes when Nougher scored his eighth goal of the season.

Faversham defender Gary Stock tripped Wilson just outside the penalty area and Nougher took advantage, with a quickly-taken left-footed free-kick from 20-yards, which he stroked past former Ramsgate goalkeeper Jurgen Wild.

Mitch Crawley was desperately unlucky not to double their lead in the 18^th minute.

The central midfielder unleashed a thunderbolt from 35-yards, which crashed back off the crossbar and Steve White’s follow up shot looped over the crossbar off Wild’s legs.

Crawley turned provider when he won the ball in midfield and played in Wilson but Wild smothered the ball at his feet as the striker tried to walk the ball in.

Graham Taylor tried an audacious overhead kick on the half-hour mark, which flashed past the left post, but the Faversham striker was flagged offside.

Faversham were reduced to ten men on the stroke of half-time when skipper Mark Smith picked up a second yellow card.

Erith & Belvedere defender Lee Morgan needed treatment after he planted a header over the crossbar from the home side’s first corner of the second half.

But Faversham squandered two excellent chances to draw level when Taylor headed straight at goalkeeper Neil Murray from 15 yards after John Goodwin got in behind the home side’s defence.

Then substitute Anthony Pace dragged a shot past the far post from a shot from the left hand side of the penalty area.

But immediately after Pace’s 57^th minute chance Bexleyheath based referee Mr Martin Lehane was forced to swap duties with one of his assistants, Petts Wood based Mr Joe Neanor, after pulling his calf muscle.

Mr Lehane lasted just six minutes running the line and was replaced by Kent League referee Mr Neil Baker, although he was kitted out in a grey top, navy blue tracksuit bottoms and football boots.

Stand in referee, Mr Neanor pointed to the penalty spot in the 70^th minute when Deres skipper, top scorer, White was pushed over by Kris Parker.

But what was one of many bizarre decisions made by the officials, the man in the middle noticed an offside flag and awarded Faversham a free-kick instead.

Many shots reigned in on Wild’s goal late in the game through Crawley and substitutes Adrian Dean and Glen McTaggart.

But the home side doubled their lead with the last kick of the game - in the ninth minute of stoppage time - when Wilson rifled home his fourth goal of the season past Wild at his near post.

These two sides meet again at Park View Road on Saturday in a Kent League fixture and www.kentishfootball.co.uk shall bring you a preview to this game later in the week.