First Team Vs Bridon Ropes

24 April 2019

London Senior Trophy Final (at Dulwich Hamlet)

Bridon Ropes                      1          Murphy 7

Erith and Belvedere          4          Pope-Campbell 81, 96, Lake 98, Quan 111

            (after extra time)

DERES TURN OUT THE ROPES’ LIGHTS

Erith and Belvedere won the London Senior Trophy on a night of high drama in Dulwich which saw the Deres concede an early goal, turn the tables and dominate extra time, but not before a 23-minute interruption for floodlight failure.

Results over the Easter weekend had somewhat altered the dynamic of the game,  being played three days before the final league games of the season.  Bridon Ropes had suffered two unexpected defeats, taking them out of the title race, while Deres were still a point off the lead, needing a win next Saturday to have any hope of overtaking Welling Town.  So while the Ropes were at full strength, Owen Jones had shuffled the Deres’ pack, making several changes and giving first starts to Fred Obasa and Bobby Holley.

The opening exchanges were fairly even but the Ropes took an early lead on 7 minutes.  Tyler Anderson-Parr’s pace beat Rob Curtis to reach the by-line and he cut the ball back for Murphy to sweep a shot across the keeper into the far corner from 8 yards.  It was Murphy who had the best chance of the half to increase the lead, as a fierce drive from 30 yards out drew the first in a series of superb saves from the outstanding Dan Teeley.

With Lake going close at the other end, having a shot cleared by the feet of Ropes keeper Alex Jones, it was 1-0 at half-time.

Both sides had had decent chances early in the second half when the floodlight tower to the right of the end Deres were defending failed with 64 minutes gone.  Locating the fault, switching off and a full switch-on took 23 minutes, and when play restarted the initiative began to pass to the Deres.  But it wasn’t until nine minutes from time that they equalised: Lake floated in a free-kick from the left, Jones punched it out only as far as the far post where Curtis rose, headed the ball across goal and Kameiko Pope-Campbell powered his header into the net from 8 yards.

So the game went into extra time, and Deres deservedly took the lead in the 96th minute when Fred Obasa played a low cross from the right to Harding, who put it on a plate for Pope-Campbell to slot into the right-hand corner from a few yards out.  Less than two minutes later it was 3-1 when Obasa played a short corner from the right to Ramell Lake, who cut inside and drilled a powerful left-footed curler through a crowded penalty area to find the bottom far corner for the goal of the night.

The goal could have knocked the stuffing out of the Ropes, but Nathan Simpson hit the post with a fine effort on 103 minutes, and early in the second half of extra time Richard Jimoh’s cracking 30-yard free-kick was held by Teeley.

Deres completed the scoring nine minutes from the end when Pope-Campbell played the ball short to Harding, whose right-footed drive was spilt by Jones and fell kindly at Quan’s feet. He took a touch before lashing a right-footed shot into the roof of the net from eight yards.

Both sides had chances in the closing period before Downes was shown a straight red card for a bad touchline foul on Harding.  The whistle cam soon after that to end a resounding night of victory for the Deres.
 

ROPES: Jones; McCarthy, Downes, Dennis, Nicholls, Smith, T Anderson-Parr (Woodcock 62), Kalonda, Murphy (Medley 93), Simpson, Dasofunjo (Jimoh 91).

DERES: Teeley; Hill, Yembra, Lake, Curtis, Dobson, Obasa, Holley (Quan ht), Ogunbiyi (Mpungi 70), Harding, R Wade (Pope-Campbell 54).