VCD Athletic 3-0 Erith Town

VCD ATHLETIC 3-0 ERITH TOWN
Thursday 19^th October 2006
Kent League Premier Division
Stephen McCartney reports from The Oakwood

VCD Athletic moved into third place in the Kent League table with a comfortable win over struggling Erith Town tonight.

Goals from Brad Ryan, Darren Thomson and Paul Foley saw off a shot-shy Erith Town side, who have now lost their last five games, failing to find the target in four of them.

A downpour before kick-off helped the ball zip off the lush playing surface at the revamped Oakwood, but their was a scare before the game as the three floodlight towers on the stand side of the ground didn’t come on at the first time of asking.

But the lights finally came on, the rain stopped before kick-off and it was the home side that created the first goalscoring opportunity when Foley’s towering header flew over following Ashley Probets’ left-footed hanging free-kick from the right flank.

Playing just one man up front, the Dockers sprayed the ball around the pitch in their own half, but lacked the killer touch up front.

Former Dartford striker Wayne Grizzle, without a goal this season, was lacklustre in holding the ball up and creating chances.

Slick passing from the visitors after 15 minutes ended with Rob Bryant’s cross-come-shot finding the side netting from the right flank.

But the Dockers failed to test VCD Athletic’s highly-rated goalkeeper Grant Wallis.

The talented Marc Merridan, making his second start following his move from Kent League rivals Thamesmead Town, was forced off the pitch with a suspected broken arm and was taken to hospital for X-ray’s.

The first real chance of the game came after 33 minutes.

Former Arsenal youngster Probets’ swept in a free-kick onto Foley’s head and this fell to David Hunt, whose hooked shot was blocked by Nick Wilson in the Erith Town goal.

But Ryan broke the deadlock just two minutes before the break, driving a shot across Wilson and into the bottom left hand corner.

Mark Greatorex came close to doubling the lead on the stroke of half-time, but he shot agonisingly past the foot of the far post.

Thomson scored his first goal of the season after just 21 seconds into the second half, when he rode a couple of desperate challenges and picked his spot into the bottom right hand corner.

Probets fired in two long range shots within a minute of each other but both attempts flashed just past the right post before Foley sealed the win after 53 minutes.

Probets’ free-kick from the left by-line was met by a powerful header off Foley’s shaven head and found the bottom left hand corner of the net via a deflection.

Erith’s only on-target shot of the entire game fell on the hour mark when Jamie Lover cut in from the right and drove a shot towards goal, but Wallis equal to it.

Vickers, meanwhile, finished the game well and squandered chances with David Hunt and Gary Ward trying their luck from distance and Probets driving a late chance past the near post.

And Dockers’ Ryan Hackett, who endured a painful season last year finishing at the foot of the table with Sevenoaks Town, came close to scoring a consolation when his 35-yard free kick flew agonisingly past the left upright.

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