Snodland Town 3-3 Hollands & Blair - I think we’ve had one loss in 10, which really shows that we’re hard to beat, which is quite a nice feeling, says Snodland Town player-manager Connor Dymond

Snodland Town 3 – 3 Hollands & Blair
Location	Potyn's Sports Field, Snodland Community Centre, Paddlesworth Road, Snodland, Kent ME6 5DP
Kickoff	15/09/2026 19:45

SNODLAND TOWN  3-3  HOLLANDS & BLAIR
Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 15 September 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Paddlesworth Road

SNODLAND TOWN player-manager Connor Dymond says it’s a nice feeling that his side are showing that they are hard to beat after grabbing two stoppage time goals to share the points in a thriller to maintain their unbeaten home league record.

Hollands & Blair manager Ian Draycott saw his side counter-attack and take the lead after only 115 seconds through winger Muhammed Cham before Snodland Town striker Christopher Alhassan drilled home a leveller soon after.

The outstanding Dean Grant, 36, scored two clinical finishes to give Gillingham-based Blair a deserved lead during a dominant second half – kicking down the slope – as they were 3-1 up with 11 minutes of normal time remaining.

However, Hollands & Blair capitulated in embarrassing fashion during eight minutes of stoppage time and Snodland Town winger Kian Scott scored twice to take his tally for the season to five goals to grab a point.

“Eventful. It was eventful. I think a good game for the neutral, I suppose,” said Dymond.

“With 10 minutes to go we were dead and buried but overall, it’s good to not to lose at home. That’s been the main objective this season.

“When the boys made the subs, I thought the management team made some really good decisions.  In the last eight minutes (of stoppage time), that’s when the momentum changed. They had a chance to watch the game, what has just happened and implemented it. Everyone took the chance.”

Hollands & Blair assistant manager Sam Groombridge added: “Bitterly disappointed not to see the game out, being 3-1 up. I think it was eight minutes of injury time, yes, disappointed mate.

“We haven’t played for a long time (since beating Phoenix Sports 1-0 at home on Saturday 5 September). It’s been tough to get momentum going. I think that showed, maybe in the first half. Obviously, we know here for everybody the hill makes a difference, a slight slope. 

“Yes, I’m sure for the neutral it was an entertaining game, especially with the finish but we’re disappointed, we should’ve seen the game out!”

The crowd of 261 were treated to an decent game of football played on a pristine grass pitch – although the slope favours the team kicking down it – as playing midweek games at the start of the season in mild weather is lucrative to all ninth-tier football clubs.

Snodland Town created the game’s first chance after only 30 seconds when Harry Hudson’s long throw from within the left-channel was cleared out to impressive and often high right-back Tyler Jackson, who drilled a dipping 30-yard drive which was pushed over the crossbar by Blair goalkeeper Daniel Ellis right-hand and referee Jeff Davis strangely awarded Ellis a goal-kick instead.

Hollands & Blair’s opener was therefore controversial because instead of defending a corner kick, they swiftly broke and winger Kelvin Boissiere threw the ball in from the half-way line and Grant fed Cham down the left-hand side (having cut past three Snodland defenders, Tom Cousins, Kevin Akpoedafe and Jaydon Bolarinwa off the ball) before cutting onto his right-foot and beating Frankie Leonard with a composed finish into the bottom right-hand corner.

“It’s good for Mo. He’s given us a return. He got an assist last game, a goal today, so it’s good,” added Groombridge.

Dymond added: “You’re testing me there. I must’ve blinked and done a warm-up but I know the boys weren’t happy with it.  It was not lazy but nonchalant, just switching off at certain times and that’s probably a little bit of frustration because Frank (Leonard) doesn’t deserve it at the moment, he’s playing wonderful.”

Snodland Town restored parity with a move down the right, with six minutes and four seconds on the clock.

Attacking midfielder Bobby Dunn fed Tyler Jackson down the right and he played Alhassan in behind Joshua Brooker and centre-half Charlie Weston and he drilled his right-footed angled 12-yard drive across the keeper, the ball bouncing in front of a diving Ellis before nestling into the bottom far corner.

“It was a great passage of play and when we’re at our best, when we move the ball quick, just little intricate passes, little triangles. I know they’re all cliches, but you need those people in to positions and Chris is a sharp shooter.  You need him in the box on the half-turn and put it to bed. It was a great finish,” said Dymond.

Groombridge added: “I know Dan was disappointed with the first goal but Dan Ellis is who you want as your number one. He’s been fantastic throughout the season so far and I’m sure he’ll continue to be.

“It was a frantic start to the game, a frantic finish to the game, so disappointed to concede any goal, especially so quick after scoring.”

It was a frenetic start to this Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division clash and Hollands & Blair created a couple of chances while kicking up the slope.

Boissiere shifted the ball past Tyler Jackson before whipping in a quality cross towards the edge of the Snodland Town penalty area where Grant’s free-header crashed against the underside of the crossbar and Harry Smedley’s offside flag denied attacking midfielder Kane Rowland a goal from the rebound.

Dymond was full of admiration for Grant during the post-match press conference and Blair’s good moments during the game came from the impressive number nine.

“I know Dean well, always played against him for the last 10 years and he’s a nightmare in the box.  He’s a nightmare for defenders and you just can’t take your eye off him because it will fall to him.”

Tyler Jackson was penalised by the referee for a foul on Blair’s holding midfielder Jack Peters and Reece Gillies’ quality delivery into the corridor of uncertainty was met by centre-half Matthew Gething’s free-header which sailed over the crossbar (12:44).

Snodland Town were denied the lead thanks to brilliant goal-line defending from Brooker (28:47).

Alhassan split open Blair’s left-sided centre-half Weston to put Emmanuel Shoderu through on goal and the Londoner skipped past Ellis and looked certain to roll the ball into the empty net, but Brooker showed enough desire to get back and slide in to clear the ball off the line.

“We were knocking on the door, always trying to create chances from different opportunities and just try not to be one dimensional a lot of the time,” said Dymond.

“We changed the shape in there as well, which is something to look at going forward.”

Snodland Town then kept knocking on the door and Ellis was called into making a couple of saves.

Snodland Town raided the centre of the pitch as Dunn slipped a ball to Hudson, who played the ball along the deck to Alhassan, who tried to find the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the D and Ellis smothered the ball low to his right, with 34:09 on the clock.

Snodland Town were awarded a couple of free-kicks by referee Jeff Davis and Dunn’s left-footed effort from 25-yards bounced off the six man wall and sailed over the crossbar.

Snodland’s left-back Tom Cousins threw the ball into the Blair penalty area (41:17) and Hudson had his moment at the back post but his right-footed toe poke towards the bottom right-hand corner was held by Ellis, low to his left.

Tyler Jackson and Scott were a threat down the right and linked up well during the game and Scott cut in from the wing and curled his left-footed shot around Ellis and past the far post as both sides went into the dressing rooms on level terms.

“I was positive because it was there for us,” said Dymond.

“I just said to them, stop bitching at each other a little bit, stop bickering and just get on with it because football isn’t that easy.  No team is going to let you take the mick out of them.  No team is going to just let you pass it around you.  They obviously didn’t listen!

“We ended up making a change. We went to a three-at-the-back and two up top and just tried something different and probably unlucky not to win it at the end.”

Groombridge added: “We wanted to get in one-all. We said to them at half-time, we’ve had a long time off. It’s difficult to get momentum and I think that showed with a bit of hesitancy in our tackles and in some of our play.

“At half-time we had a good chat and obviously the boys came out and reacted for 45 minutes, just not the last eight added on.

“It’s a good group here, it’s a group of men. There are some youngsters in there but we knew what we had to do and in fairness they went out there and did it for 45 minutes, or 53 minutes or whatever was played.”

Hollands & Blair controlled the second half – while kicking down the slope – and Grant was giving the Snodland defence a torrid time.

Snodland centre-half Akpoedafe opened the gate (7:11) after failing to cut out Rowland’s sublime through ball down the heart of the pitch for Grant to outpace the number six and keeper Leonard came out to narrow the angle, only for Grant’s right-footed shot from eight-yards ping against the base of the right-post.

“Granty will be disappointed, I think. He backs himself to score there. We back him to score them, as you saw later on in the game, so listen he put it right after,” said Groombridge.

Dymond added: “That was one chance and then he goes through again and scores on the next one. As I said, you just can’t take your eye off him and you can’t five away sloppy passes or silly fouls because these top guys, they’ll punish you.”

Ellis launched a big free-kick upfield and the ball skimmed off a Snodland head and Boisssier’s speculative overhead kick was comfortably caught by the former Bearsted keeper.

Hollands & Blair deserved their lead when it arrived with 14 minutes and 16 seconds on the clock, following a well-worked seven man move.

Started by Gillies inside his own half he played the ball inside to Brooker, who played the ball down the hill to a deep Grant, who played the ball short to Peters, who switched the play out to Boissiere on the right.

He then played right-back Datiel Jackson on the overlap and he whipped in a great right-footed cross from the by-line towards the near-post where the classy Grant cut across his man and flicked his first time shot into the bottom right-hand corner from six-yards – Goal of the Season so far!

“It was a well-worked goal and I think we deserved it,” admitted Groombridge.

“it was good football, it was good to watch. I think people mistake us for being one-dimensional in our play and we’ve played some good stuff.

“Listen, the pitch is amazing! Whoever done the work, it’s credit to them. It certainly got a bit quicker as the night got in. It was quite slow to begin with but the slope does play a part but both teams have to play it and it does seem to affect the game.”

Dymond added: “It’s something that you can put down to good play but usually it’s not good play, it’s usually sloppy defending or being too lethargic in our play, maybe thinking it’s too easy. That’s what I said to them. Football has a funny way of batting you on the backside.”

Snodland Town were offering nothing in attack, other than Tyler Jackson putting in a cross towards the edge of the Blair D were Scott’s hooked shot being comfortably caught by Ellis as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

Datiel Jackson’s throw-in was flicked on by Rowland and Cham’s lay-off gave Gillies his big moment to officially kill the game off but his first time drive from 25-yards was held by Leonard, low to his left (26:37).

The impressive pair of Tyler Jackson and Scott linked up again (32:33) when Jackson fed Scott in behind and Ellis made a vital save, low to his left, before Hollands & Blair counter-attacked to score their third goal of the night, with 33 minutes and 26 seconds on the clock.

Gillies, who was inside his own half, played the ball the hill on the break to release Cham, who picked out an unmarked Grant, some 20-yards over to the right and Grant clinically drilled his right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

“Clinical from Granty, like I say,  he put the missed chance earlier in the game to bed by getting two,” said Groombridge.

“Dean’s been good. Dean’s a pivotal role in the squad. He knows his role. Kane Rowland does an awful lot of work up there with him and they’re starting to get a really good partnership together, which is good.

“It’s never won is it? But we should’ve seen the game out!”

Dymond said: “He’s annoying ain’t he but football’s never ever, how many times have you seen teams get one and then get one again?

“I think that’s how it went with us.  I think we looked a little bit dead and buried until we saw eight minutes go up on the board.  I think we were the better side (during stoppage time) and I don’t think they touched the ball apart from the two times they kicked off.”

Managers tend to bring on five substitutes and hardly of them ever make an impact but it was the tale of two strikers in this game.

Draycott made a tactical blunder by taking off Grant in the 84^th minute while the Snodland ‘management team’ of Barney Sullivan and Rhys Terry made a tactical masterstroke by bringing on wide-left striker Sekou Traore, who was quiet until stoppage time.

When asked that taking Grant off produced the momentum shift in the game, Groombridge replied, “I didn’t see it as that but Dean was on a yellow card, the game was getting quite feisty. We’re 3-1 up, we should’ve seen the game out.”

Dymond came on in the 65^th minute and played at right centre-back and Blair’s forward line didn’t press the 32-year-old so he was able to dictate the tempo of the game.

The board went up for eight minutes and Snodland’s players showed character to dig themselves out of a hole.

Gillies delivered a free-kick into the Snodland penalty area and keeper Leonard  comfortably plucked the ball out of the air and the home side scored through route-one play.

Leonard then hooked a left-footed kick up the hill and the ball sailed over the head of Blair centre-half Datiel Jackson just over the half-way line.

Traore then sprung into life and charged into the penalty area, shot towards goal, which was blocked by Ellis and Scott’s shot trickled across the keeper and nestled into the bottom far corner, to pull a goal back with 45:44 on the clock.

Dymond said: “Route one. As I said, there’s no right way to win a football match or right way to score a goal anyway. 

“Frank’s got that in his locker. I don’t think he miss-placed a pass tonight, so I give him the assist on that. It’s a great goal.”

When asked what his goalkeeper brings to the side, Dymond replied, “Absolutely everything! He’s like another player on the pitch. His distribution is unbelievable. I think he’s a fantastic shot-stopper, goalkeeper. I know people say that’s his job but he don’t really put a foot wrong.”

Groombridge added: “I mean the ball’s bounced twice. I think it’s come from our free-kick. Hugely disappointed with both the manner of the goal and obviously to concede it, not great.”

You should never leave a football match early, as Snodland Town grabbed an equaliser with 48 minutes and 35 seconds on the clock, as Blair fell apart following a set-piece.

Traore had a shot blocked and Akpoedafe (up for the throw-in) turned into an attacker as he found space on the left and put over a great low cross by wrapping his left-foot around the ball from close to the by-line towards the near post of a crowded goal-mouth and Scott poked his first-time shot into the bottom left-hand corner to spark bedlam.

“I think Sekou’s been a massive handful when he came on. I don’t think they could deal with his physicality,” said Dymond.

“We probably missed him over the last six weeks because he’s been out with a hamstring injury and just nursing that.

“I think it was a great passage of play. A never say die attitude and Kian at the moment is coming up with the goods, so it’s a pleasure to see.

“I’ve never seen a kid want is so bad. Kian missed a sitter, bless him, on Saturday (a 1-1 draw at Tunbridge Wells), an open goal and it was killing him, so hopefully he’s going to feel rewarded with this.

“I know it’s not a win but you have to take it like a win because of where we were with 10 minutes to go and especially if we carry that momentum into Saturday and realise we’re not that bad going forward if we put our minds to it.”

Groombridge added: “Like I say, gutted, gutted for the boys, got ourselves in a good position and disappointed to drop two points.

“I’m not sure (why it happened). We’ll look back and we’ll dissect it.  Listen, never too high, never too low. We’re two unbeaten now. Yes, we would’ve though we’d could get the three points today but it’s a draw and we’ll go again Saturday.”

Shell-shocked Hollands & Blair had one later chance to win it (50:22) when Datiel Jackson shifted the ball past Jimmy Shepherd and put over a cross, which was cleared out to Cham, whose right-footed hooked volley flew straight down Leonard’s throat which was enough to put both club’s in the play-off zone tonight.

Ajay Ashanike’s Fisher remain at the summit (14 points from seven games) following their 3-1 win in Crayford over SE Dons tonight.

Snodland Town (12 points, three wins, three draws and one defeat) remain in second-place, while Tony Russell’s AFC Greenwich Borough (11 points from five games), Faversham Strike Force (11 points from eight games) and Hollands & Blair (10 points, three wins, one draw and two defeats) make up the top five.

“I think it looks probably better than what it is at the moment but I’d definitely taken it if you had offered it to me at the start of the season,” admitted Dymond.

“Listen, it’s a work in progress at the moment, so just keep the boys level headed and keep working hard.

“I’m enjoying it. I can’t say I’ve had too many problems. We had some good results. I think we’ve had one loss in 10, which really shows that we’re hard to beat, which is quite a nice feeling.

“But we’re still a new ground and that’s what I keep stressing to everyone. We’re still finding out loads about each other and it’s nice not to lose at home. That’s our main aim this season.”

Groombridge seeks a reaction from his players for Saturday’s trip to Hextable.

“We need a reaction. We certainly need to bring our majority of the second half performance and start the game in that way but we’ll reaction. I’m sure we’ll react.”

Hollands & Blair have appointed a new chairman in Estate Agent Stewart Carroll, who sponsors the club, although former chairman Paul Piggott was in attendance tonight.

“Business as usual. We carry on. We know Stewart anyway. Paul Piggott’s still around, great for the club. It makes absolutely no difference to us.

“The start of the season has been a bit mixed.  We’ve dropped some points in our eyes, like today. It’s two points dropped but no, it’s a half-decent start that we’ll look to build on.

“Aspiration wise, we’ve just got to keep marching forward.  I’m expecting a competitive game (at Sutton Athletic).  Two teams that will be up for it but I back us at the beginning of every game and I’d love to come away with the three points.”

Dymond – who played for Newport County in their Third Round home tie against Blackburn Rovers in January 2016, hitting the post in a 2-1 home defeat while on loan from Crystal Palace – searches for another FA Cup upset when Sheppey United visit here on Saturday in the Second Qualifying Round.

Ian and George Batten’s side sit in the bottom six in the eighth-tier Isthmian League South East Division table with one win from their opening four outings.

After beating Faversham Strike Force 1-0 in the Extra Preliminary Round, Snodland Town have beaten Harrow Borough and Margate both by the 3-1 scoreline away from home and are plotting another upset at the weekend.

“We’re going for it. We’ll give them a right go. We’ll be underdogs again, no doubt, just because of the league tables,” said Dymond.

“We’re going to go and enjoy it and we’re hopefully going to give the fans’ something to shout about and hopefully get into the next round of the Cup. I don’t think the journey is meant to stop here.

“I think it will be feisty. I think we know each other’s games. A lot of us have played together in recent years. I think we’ll make it into a really eventful game.  I think there will be goals in the game. They’ll be two teams really going for it.

“It’s been an unbelievable run.  That (Faversham Strike Force) was a hard-fought win because we didn’t really know where we were at. We had a great result against Rusthall the week before, then we got drawn against Harrow, didn’t really know too much about them, go and beat them and Margate doesn’t get any easier and then we rolled them.  The next best is probably Sheppey, if you don’t get Maidstone away like the fans wanted, so hopefully we can get them in the next round.

Dymond, who has played for Crystal Palace, Barnet (loan), Newport County (loan), Bromley, Welling United, Hemel Hempstead Town, Kingstonian, Margate, Cray Valley, Herne Bay, Ashford United, Sporting Club Thamesmead, Hollands & Blair, VCD Athletic and Snodland Town was asked to recall his personal FA Cup highlight.

“I had a chance to play for Newport in the Third Round against Blackburn. We lost 2-1 and they went down to 10 men but that was my highlight.  Have a look at that. That was a good game and we should’ve won that one and I hit the post.”

Sheppey United reached The FA Cup First Round for the first time in November 2023, losing 4-1 in a televised clash against League Two side Walsall.

Snodland Town: Frankie Leonard, Tyler Jackson (Todd Brand 90), Tom Cousins (Connor Dymond 65), Harry Hudson, Jaydon Bolarinwa, Kevin Akpoedafe, Nathanial Olawole, Emmanuel Shoderu (Gurpreet Benning 65), Christopher Alhassan (Sekou Traore 74), Bobby Dunn (Jimmy Shepherd 80), Kian Scott.

Goals: Christopher Alhassan 7, Kian Scott 90, 90

Booked: Nathaniel Olawole 81

Hollands & Blair: Daniel Ellis, Datiel Jackson, Joshua Brooker, Jack Peters, Charlie Weston, Matthew Gething, Kelvin Boissiere (Murisiku Batula 68), Reece Gillies, Dean Grant (Drew Briffitt 84), Kane Rowland, Muhammed Cham.
Subs: Callum Flynn, Ian Draycott, Tom Fitzgerald

Goals: Muhammed Cham 2, Dean Grant 60, 79

Booked: Dean Grant 53

Attendance: 261
Referee: Mr Jeff Davis
Assistants: Mr Harry Smedley & Mr Ryan Andrew

Match Duration:
First Half: 46:49
Second Half: 52:59