Match Reports: Wells have keeper sent off as Deres net eight

Erith & Belvedere moved up into sixth place in the Kent League Premier Division following a comprehensive 8-1 triumph over Tunbridge Wells.

Two players in particular were to play a major role in the Deres triumph – Adrian Deane and Nick Smith.

Deane’s first minute cross bamboozled Wells goalkeeper Stuart Harvey and struck the inside of the post before bouncing away to safety.

Two minutes later, Smith mazed his way through the Tunbridge defence but couldn’t find a shot to beat Harvey from 8 yards out.

However, Smith was to get on the score sheet after nine minutes. Deane fired a curling through ball into the path of Smith and Harvey rushed out to meet the ball, but Smith beat him too it and fired the ball into the empty net to open the scoring.

Ten minutes later, Deane got on the scoresheet. Lee Morgan was fouled 25 yards out in a very central position and Deane netted from the resulting free-kick.

On 23 minutes, the key turning point in the game came as Wells were reduced to 10-men.

Smith was once again put through on goal and as he rounded Harvey, he was brought down.

Referee Mr S Kay showed no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot and after consulting his linesman, he brandished a red card to Harvey to the dismay of the Tunbridge Wells players and management team.

With no replacement goalkeeper on the bench, defender Daniel White put on the jersey and his first job was to face the penalty.

White dived the right way, but Deane managed to squeeze the penalty between White’s outstretched right arm and the post to make it 3-0.

Three minutes later it was 4-0. Smith was brought down out wide on the edge of the area. Matt Johnson stepped up to take the free-kick and his cross come shot found the back of the net.

Wells were to pull a goal back on 32 minutes as a venomous Joe Hitchings effort was juggled by Deres keeper Matt Bromby before nestling in the back of the net.

Bromby wasn’t to pay for his terrible error against his former club as the Deres went on to score four further goals.

On 34 minutes, Aiden Pursglove got his name on the scoresheet with a tap-in from literally centimetres. John Farley’s cross looked to be over-hit but Morgan managed to divert the ball goalwards and Pursglove was on hand to ensure it would be 5-1 to the Deres going into the interval.

With the match all but over as a contest, the second half started slowly.

The closest Erith came were from two shots straight at White in quick succession from Sam Friskey and Deane.

Erith had to wait until the 73^rd minute to add to their lead as Smith converted a Sam Friskey cross with an acrobatic half-volley.

Friskey and Smith linked up again for the next goal although when Friskey pulled the trigger to slide the ball past White, the last thing he was thinking of was to pick out Smith.

But in the end that’s what he did as the ball rebounded off of the post and to the feet of a grateful Smith who completed the hat-trick.

Substitute Lee Benevente rounded off the rout with a neat finish from just inside the penalty area.

The result means that Erith have had both an 8-1 win and an 8-1 defeat in the league in the space of two months!

More goals can be expected in the next Deres game as they travel to the Small Glen to face Slade Green, who Erith beat 6-1 earlier on in the season.

ERITH & BELVEDERE: Bromby, Bedford, Scowen, Morgan (Benevente 79), Holder, Farley (Hill 70), Deane, Johnson, Pursglove, Smith, Friskey.
Subs: Bell, Browne.

Attendance: 71

Chatham Town 0-0 Croydon Athletic
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 5^th January 2008
By John Crow

Following their heavy midweek defeat at Cray Wanderers, which saw the Chats go behind with barely three minutes on the clock, a rearranged Chatham defence - with Danny Larkin missing through injury - kept a clean-sheet at the Maidstone Road Ground.

But, once again, there were no goals at the other end either, as the Chats played out their fifth goalless draw of their Ryman League Division One South campaign.

A welcome returnee was youngster Justin Ascheri, now recovered from the broken bone in his foot, who started upfront alongside Pat Bishenden - having played the last 15 minutes on Wednesday to test his readiness.

Once again, though, chances were to be at a premium at both ends - as the goal-shy Chats came up against a side clearly content to grind out a draw, providing little for their travelling supporters to get excited about.

Although Croydon Athletic probably just shaded the balance of play in the first half, it was the Chats who came close to opening the scoring with just seconds on the clock.

Darren Smith taking a free kick deep on the right, which was headed across the goalmouth by Bishenden - visiting ‘keeper Gareth Williams finally snatching the ball off the foot of Ascheri at the foot of the left upright.

At the other end, John Whitehouse was once again in top form - though he had reason to thank team mate Matt Solly - playing in a more defensive role than usual - who got back to clear the ball off the line from Reggie Savage in the 13th minute.

Three minutes later, and it was only the quick reactions of Whitehouse that denied Moses Ademola what looked a certain goal - but there were chances at the other end, too, Smith going desperately close midway through the half, when his 25-yard piledriver eluded the reach of Williams only to scrape narrowly over the crossbar.

The final chance of the opening 45 minutes once again fell to the Chats, just seconds before the whistle, as Smith broke through in the middle - before laying the ball off into the path of Mark Brooks on his right.

Brooks, in turn, cut into the penalty area before delivering a great low cross into the six-yard box that was unluckily cleared out of harms way by the flailing leg of Michael Harney.

The Chats had again come close to taking the lead through Smith - when he unleashed one of his devastating long-range free kicks after Shirley handled the ball.

This time, however, it was not to be as a defender charged the ball down in the 18-yard box - a similar fate befalling another attempt from slightly closer range shortly after.

As far as play was concerned, it was nearly all one-way traffic by now - with Brooks and Craig Govey unstoppable on their respective wings, but somehow there was never anybody in the right place at the right time to finish off the moves.

Chatham’s last real chance of the game fell to Bishenden in the 74th minute, when he launched a good ball into the penalty box that was taken by Williams at full-stretch.

But when the final whistle sounded, it was clearly the visitors who were the happier of the two teams - having achieved the draw that they came for.

For Chatham, meanwhile, it was another two valuable points lost - with the prospect of some very tough games before them over the next few weeks.

Chatham Town: Whitehouse, Binks, Finn, Goodger, Solly, Best, Smith, Brooks, Bishenden, Ascheri, Govey.
Subs: King, D Larkin, Botterill, Oravec

Attendance: 132

Referee: Mr S Child (Beckenham)