First Team Vs Greenways

30 March 2019

Erith and Belvedere          2          Quan 15, Ogunbiyi 47

Greenways                           1          Cross 75

DERES REGAIN THE INITIATIVE – FOR NOW

It’s squeaky bum time – the time of year when supporters at least have one eye on the scores coming in from elsewhere and how they affect the table.  And this was a prime example of a squeaky-bummed win: the Deres not firing on all cylinders but holding on for a vital three points while others faltered.

Going into the game, all of the top three could finish on 80 points, with Deres having a game in hand on Bridon Ropes and two on Welling Town.  With Welling being held 0-0 at home by Kennington, and the Ropes in a remarkable 4-4 home draw with Snodland, Deres are once again in a position to overtake them – but there are tough fixtures ahead, not least at Kennington next Saturday.

The unpredictably of games in this division was emphasised by Greenways’ performance: having been routed 6-1 at their own ground by Deres in December, they took the game to the home side, and Lewis Wood and Brad Cross both tested Dan Teeley in the opening ten minutes.  But it was Deres who drew first blood.  Ramell Lake, making progress down the left wing, sent in a beautiful cross in the 15th minute which Chan Quan met with a bullet header to open the scoring.

Harry Harding had a couple of shots blocked midway through the half, the first being followed up by JoJo Ogunbiyi who was flagged offside, the second just being tipped over the bar as he tried a second bite.  But what could have been the most spectacular moment went to George Jones, who tried a graceful lob from the Deres’ side of the centre circle – not a difficult save for Josh Klemen but impressive!

Two minutes from half time Harding was brought down in the box by Klemen, giving a chance to extend the lead – but his attempted Panenka didn’t fool the keeper, who had the easiest of catches.

It was a frustrating day for Harding, still chasing the club scoring record but now going three games without scoring for the first time since August and booked for a sliding tackle on Randeep Sabharwal early in the second half.  But before that he had been at the heart of the move that brought the Deres’ second goal, his forward ball finding Quan whose cross was met with a downward header into the net by Ogunbiyi within two minutes of the restart.

It wasn’t a safe 2-0 lead, as it was a nervy second half display by Deres – careless passing in their own half let Tom Reardon in for a 57th-minute shot that went high.  An effort by Tony Hill just missed a bus on Park View Road, and with 15 minutes to go Greenways got a grip in midfield and Brad Cross was allowed to run through the Deres defence to pull a goal back.

It looked dodgy for a while, but with Owen Jones introducing the two recent signings, Osita Isichie and Fred Obasa as subs, Deres held on.  Isichie robbed a defender and had a thrusting run ended with a good save, and Harding hit the bar with a 87th-minute header as Deres managed to defend at the right end and bank three vital points.

DERES: Teeley; Hill, Barrett, Curtis, Yembra, G Jones, J Wade, Quan (R Wade 84), Ogunbiyi (Obasa 80), Harding, Lake (Isichie 65).