First Team Vs Stansfeld

9 March 2019

Erith and Belvedere          4          Ogunbiyi 13, Harding 48, Pope-Campbell 62, J Wade 86

Stansfeld                              1          Shinners 80

DERES CONVINCE AS THEY GO SECOND

Erith & Belvedere extended their club record unbeaten run to 17 games in a vital encounter on a gusty day at Park View Road.  At the start of a vital 32-day period in which they were to play the five games they had in hand over league leaders Welling Town, this win took them into second place as Kennington were without a game and Sutton Athletic were held at Forest Hill Park.

Deres had played Forest Hill in midweek, and promptly signed their forward Kameiko Pope-Campbell, who made an impressive debut.  Indeed he nearly got on the scoresheet within five minutes, creatively lobbing Stansfeld keeper Lewis Collier, although it wasn’t a difficult goalline clearance for Frankie Beale.

Prolific scorer Harry Harding was playing a slightly more withdrawn role, and turned provider when his cross from the left was headed in by Joseph Ogunbiyi for his 7th goal of the season after 13 minutes.  Guy Mpungi (after a fine through ball from Reggie Yembra) and Reece Barrett shot wide as the Deres continued to press.

Midway through the half came Stansfeld’s best chance, as Joe Clark’s deep cross from the right was met by Billy Shinners with a diving header that went well wide.  That was the fate of all the visitors’ first-half attempts, with shots from Shinners and ex-Dere Joe Minter ending up in the woods within two minutes of each other.  Before that, nine minutes from half-time, an excellent move involving Tony Hill and Pope-Campbell saw Ogunbiyi brought down in the box, but no penalty was awarded.

Deres made things more comfortable three minutes into the second half when Mpungi’s corner from the right was flicked on by Hill for Harding to head home his 37th of the season.  Mpungi was involved again on 62 minutes when his good work down the left was rewarded by a well-taken debut goal for Pope-Campbell to make it 3-0 and put the result beyond doubt.

Or so it seemed – eight minutes later Shinners rose unchallenged to pull one back for Stansfeld.  Reggie Yembra, so impressive in defence this season, had taken a knock early in the second half, and his absence maybe contributed to only the second goal Deres had conceded in eight games.  Stansfeld pressed in search of a second, but didn’t really threaten Deres’ goal before substitute Jerome Wade made sure of things four minutes from time.

Deres could celebrate going second, and the fixture on Wednesday now looks huge – 1st v 2nd at Welling Town, with Deres six points behind and 4 games in hand.

DERES: Teeley; Hill, Barrett, Lake (J Wade 71), Yembra (Curtis 52), G Jones, Pope-Campbell, Quan, Ogunbiyi (Holley 84), Harding, Mpungi.

STANSFELD: Collier; Clark (Smith 68), Beale, Bannan (Hassan 59), Killilea, Summersby, Gibbons, Cray, Shinners, Minter, Rooney (Jenkins 79).