Lordswood 2 Erith & Belvedere 2

Erith & Belvedere dropped two more points in their quest for the third and final promotion position out of the Kent League, despite being ahead twice at Lordswood on Saturday, writes Thomas Hawes.

With tricky wind conditions and a bobbly surface to contend with, it was the away side that started the better.

The alert Deres front pairing of Steve White and Leon Braithwaite coped with the swirling wind far better than the Lordswood back-line and in all fairness Erith should have been two goals ahead after ten minutes, such was their domination.

The home side had to wait 21 minutes for their first shot, Lyndon Guscott’s tame shot easily saved by Ricky Hall.

After 29 minutes, the Deres deservedly took their lead when White nodded home Mark Nougher’s cross from four yards out.

White could of double his tally for the day a minute later when Jody Ricketts played him in, but Lords’ Sean Hetterley made a crucial last ditch tackle for his side.

Having being second best for much of the first half, Lordswood changed their tactics and they were rewarded with an equaliser six minutes into the second period.

Hetterley whipped the ball in from the right, and to the delight of the Medway club’s support, Harrison Tague turned the ball into his own net to level the game.

The Deres were soon back ahead, however, when Ricketts fed the ball in to an unmarked Leon Braithwaite, there was only going to be one outcome.

Braithwaite slid the ball under the Lordswood keeper’s body and the ball trickled over the line to restore the Deres lead.

Lordswood soon clawed their way level, Bob Chiverton nonchalantly lobbing Ricky Hall from 12 yards.

Despite the introduction of new signings Grant Murphy and Jason Chalk, the Deres couldn’t score the goal to take home three deserved points.

The dropped points, coupled with victories for Whitstable Town and Thamesmead Town, means that Erith slide down to 5th place in the Kentish Observer League table.