First Team Vs Crowborough

11 January 2020

Erith and Belvedere          2          Pope-Campbell 65, Lake 70

Crowborough Athletic      2          Harrison 52, White 89                    

It was a sombre day for the Deres as they marked the deaths of two club legends, club President Larry O’Connell and record goalscorer Colin Johnson, both of whom had succumbed to dementia in the previous fortnight. 

On the field, it was another enterprising performance from the midfield in particular, but yet another frustrating outcome.  James White’s equaliser in the 89th minute meant that the Deres have lost eleven points to goals conceded in the last five minutes of matches, six of them (three last-minute equalisers) in the last six games.

The first half saw plenty of bright football and decent chances at either end but no goals.  Jack Funnell set up the first two chances for Crowborough, the first hit wide by Ola Akinwande, the second ending in a complete air-shot by Cameron Williams.  At the other end Kameiko Pope-Campbell had a good effort tipped over for a corner on 12 minutes and Ramell Lake placed a free-kick too close to keeper Cameron Hall.

Towards half-time a goal looked likely at either end: Tony Hill was robbed by Funnell but Reggie Yembra covered his run; Hill’s free-kick from the right was met by a powerful header by Pope-Campbell which hit the bar; and Funnell managed the miss of the season from a few yards out with the goal gaping after Williams fed him.

The breakthrough goal came in the 52nd minute when Jordan Harrison, a former North Ferriby United forward making his debut after moving south, buried a chance which came off Dan Teeley.  Deres continued to play attractive football with Guyliano Mpungi having a shot blocked and another wide after a quick 1-2 with Pope-Campbell.

On 65 minutes Deres were level, the outstanding Lake playing a through ball to Pope-Campbell, who slotted home for his fourth goal in three games and his 12th of the season.  In the next few minutes Mpungi shot high after another Pope-Campbell shot was blocked, Lake blasted one into the woods, but then in the 70th minute Lake fired in a beauty reminiscent of his strike in the London Senior Trophy final last season, and Deres led 2-1.

A flurry of substitutions followed, and as the game drifted a little it was a case of “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”.  Sub Bruce Muchenje laid the ball off for a Lake drive which was blocked, which could have given Deres a cushion.  Instead the near inevitable happened: a goalmouth scramble during which Deres failed to clear, and centre-back James White was on hand to snatch the equaliser.

The point took Deres up a place to 17th, but the sequence of late dropped points is still ominous.

DERES: Teeley; Hill (Toke 74), Dobson, De Melo, Yembra, Jones, J Wade (Miller 59), Quan, Pope-Campbell, Lake, Mpungi (Muchenje 74).

CROWS: Hall; Boddy, Salter, Barton, White, Killick (Wood 81), Funnell, Williams, Harrison (Taylor 78), Carrington (Pratt 73), Akinwande.