First Team Vs Tunbridge Wells

7 September 2019

Erith and Belvedere          4          Pope-Campbell 16, 90, De Melo 17, Quan 83

Tunbridge Wells                 2          Froggatt 19, Powell 25

NOTHING TO BE DISGUSTED ABOUT IN A CRACKER

Erith and Belvedere gave notice that they might not just be making up the numbers in this season’s SCEFL when they ended Tunbridge Wells’ 100% record in an outstanding match at PVR featuring a remarkable first-half goal burst.

The Wells line-up featured two former Deres in keeper Tommy Taylor and forward Josh Froggatt, and the latter proved a thorn in his former club’s side as he was their main threat in a thrilling first half.

Both sides had early chances, Kameiko Pope-Campbell having a shot blocked after good work by Eric De Melo and Euan Sahadow drawing a save from the returning Dan Teeley, before the flurry of goals that lit up the afternoon.

In the 16th minute Pope-Campbell finished off a spell of pinball in the Wells box to put the Deres ahead, and barely a minute later De Melo cut in from the right wing to put a beautiful curling shot past Taylor.  Deres didn’t have long to savour being two up against the league leaders, however, before Froggatt pulled one back on 19 minutes, and after two more important saves from Teeley, more good work by Froggatt set up Danny Powell to equalise at 2-2.

Things settled down slightly, although Pope-Campbell had two chances in the 37th minute, and Powell and George Blake shot wide and high respectively just before half-time.

On the hour came a moment Deres skipper George Jones will remember for a while – Chan Quan worked as hard as ever to make space on the left and laid the ball into Jones’ path.  His piledriver from 25 yards smacked the crossbar hard on its way into the woods at the Danson end.  Both teams strove for the winner in a highly entertaining open game, until the decision went the Deres’ way late on.

In the 81st minute Quan again made progress down the left before cutting in onto his right foot, giving a defender the slip and making space for a curling shot into the far corner, a real worldie.  As the Wells pressed for an equaliser into stoppage time, and Taylor came up for a corner, Deres broke before the Wells keeper fully regained his ground, and Pope-Campbell’s shot rolled slowly into the goal despite Taylor’s efforts to catch it.  It may be only September, but ending an opponent’s 100% record is never a bad thing, and this was one of the best games at PVR in a long while.

DERES: Teeley; Hill, Dobson, De Melo, Yembra, Jones, Ngegba (Adeniran 60), Quan, Pope-Campbell, J Wade, Kalonda (Feudjiro 68).

WELLS: Taylor; Hope, Nurden (Griffin 56), Blake, Cheek, Lawal, Froggatt, Beecroft, Powell (Rogers 86), Blewden, Sahadow (Thompson 65).