First Team Vs SC Thamesmead

18 April 2019

SC Thamesmead               0

Erith and Belvedere          4          Curtis 12, Harding 27, 57, 90

RECORD-BREAKING HARRY SHOWS DEDICATION TO THE TITLE RACE

It was a great night for the Deres and a memorable one for Harry Harding in particular.  This game brought forward from Good Friday to the Thursday night enabled Deres to go top of the table for the first time this season, however briefly, and put a little extra pressure on the top two.  And Harding’s fifth hat-trick of the season took him to 44 goals, breaking the club record for a season set by the club’s all-time top scorer Colin Johnson in 1965-66.

It has to be said that Thamesmead were at a certain disadvantage, having played a 1-1 draw at Kent Football United only 48 hours earlier, and with their manager Joe Ford recovering from serious illness in hospital.  But the Deres still had to make sure of three points, and had an early warning when a loose ball by George Jones allowed Thamesmead to break and needed Dan Teeley to come out of his area to clear.

In the 7th minute Kameiko Pope-Campbell made a forward run to set up Ramell Lake for a glorious shot from just outside the box which came down off the crossbar, and Chan Quan’s followup was well held by Charlie Martin.  Deres wouldn’t be denied for long, however – Harding was first to a long Teeley clearance and won a corner, which Lake played to the far post where Rob Curtis beat his marker to head in and put Deres ahead after 12 minutes.

Teeley was in action again on 20 minutes, when Timi Osibodu sent in a peach of a cross for the burly Anthony Fenech to head downwards from close range.  Teeley blocked the header and pushed Fenech’s follow-up shot around the post.  7 minutes later Harding picked up a clearance from a Thamesmead attack, fed Pope-Campbell who glided past Osibodu and returned it to Harding who found the far corner from just outside the box for 2-0.

Deres had led 2-0 at the same venue against Welling Town and gone on to lose 4-3, so they were on their guard against overconfidence.  Any anxiety was eased in the 57th minute, though, when Connor Dobson found sub striker Jojo Ogunbiyi, whose pass across the face of goal was met by Harding a few yards out.  There was more than a suspicion of offside but the goal stood, taking Harding level with the record.

Thamesmead kept plugging away, notably ex-Deres Max Williams, who sent a header just wide, and Merrick Simms whose cross deflected off Fred Obasa to give Teeley problems.  But with Ogunbiyi putting in his usual shift Deres controlled the latter stages, and in stoppage time Jones’ forward ball found Harding in space.  He turned Jamie Rawsthorne beautifully and his curling left-foot shot nestled in the far corner, a quality finish to claim the record for himself and make it 4-0.

The following day Welling won 3-0 at Kent FU, but Bridon lost 2-1 at Forest Hill Park to leave Deres lying second and hoping for a slip-up from the leaders.  Unlikely but still in the running.

THAMESMEAD: Martin; Mensah, Osibodu, Rawsthorne, Bilal, Caetano, B Williams (Jesus 58), Fenech (Smith 75), J Williams (Etumnu ht), M Williams, Simms.

DERES: Teeley; Hill, Barrett, Lake (Ogunbiyi 48), Curtis, G Jones, Dobson, Quan, Pope-Campbell (Obasa 61), Harding, Mpungi.