Erith & Belvedere 2-0 Whitstable Town

Erith & Belvedere made it six points in two days thanks to a surprisingly comfortable victory over league leaders Whitstable Town, who prior to the game had an unbeaten away record in the Kent League, writes Thomas Hawes.

Paul Gorman fielded a much changed side from the team that beat Croydon 24 hours before and the Deres strength in depth showed as the Deres took an unlikely six points from two games against two of the top two teams in two days (both games ended 2-0) to assert their promotion credentials for
next season.

Similarly to the Croydon game, it was the away side that started positively
and showed just why they were top of the Kent League with a performance more suited to the Ryman League in the opening stages of the match.
 
Erith & Belvedere weathered the storm in the opening 15 minutes and the remainder of the first half was an evenly fought and cagey affair between these two Kent League heavyweights.

The second half was to be a different story though as Erith & Belvedere
looked like the side heading for the Ryman League as they took control of
the game.
 
It was therefore no surprise when the home side took the lead ten
minutes into the second half.
 
Austin Berkley received the ball just inside the penalty area before being unceremoniously barged over.
 
The referee showed no hesitation in awarding a penalty kick and Adrian Deane stepped up and fired the ball past Kevin Fewell, who was agonisingly close to making a save, to give the home side the lead and leave the travelling army of Whitstable fans stunned.

Things were to get even better for the Deres as just three minutes later they were two up.
 
Matt Johnson, who had worked hard down the right hand side all day, whipped in a teasing ball into the penalty area. The ball wasn’t cleared properly and Micky Collins was fortunate enough to be on the end of the clearance.
 
Collins took a touch before firing home from twelve yards out. The 36-year old striker was visibly delighted with the goal that sealed Whitstable’s fate.

In truth, the Oysters rarely threatened the Deres goal, in fact they didn’t
come close to pulling a goal back until the 82nd minute when Stuart King,
who had scored the penalty that guided Herne Bay to a 2-1 win at Park View Road last season which effectively cost the Deres promotion, struck a free-kick against the upright.

There were some comical exchanges between the Whitstable fans and Deres joint manager Chris Cosgrove throughout the second half, but it was the
Deres who had the last laugh as they made it five wins out of six, the
surprise defeat to Faversham being the only blip on the Deres excellent run.


Meanwhile for Whitstable, five points in six games isn’t championship-winning form, but a win over VCD on Monday will surely be enough to secure the title.

The Deres are hot on the heels of Greenwich Borough and Hythe Town and can overtake Hythe should they beat them at Park View Road in a 3pm kick-off next Saturday.
 
Erith & Belvedere: Hughes, Bedford, Diggins, Maycock, Gonzague, Morgan (Smith 69), Johnson, Deane, Collins (Chioma 90), Berkley, Nougher (White 79).
Subs: Percy, Anderson.
 
Whitstable Town: Fewell, Gess, Parker (Button 81), Thomas, Ohakam, Martin (Hossick 81), Lane, Perona (Constable 65), Akinde, King, Strouts.
Subs: Keir, Adcock.

Attendance: 112