Erith & Belvedere   1          Newstead 16

Sheppey United      2          Cook 47, Irvine 88   

Kent Amateur Cup Final, 10 May 1952 – at Maidstone

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, a near-miss in our third Kent Amateur Cup Final in six seasons.

 

On 10 May 1952, having finished a creditable 4th in the Corinthian League, the Deres rounded off the season with a cup final.  The campaign had begun with the first game of 1952, a 6-1 tonking of Rochester and Borstal with Jim Paris bagging a hat-trick on his way to 31 goals for the season.  In the second round we won 3-1 at Cray Wanderers, a game marked by a minute’s silence and black armbands for the death of King George VI three days earlier. 

 

The semi-final against Bowaters Lloyd, formerly a successful Kent League club under the name Lloyd’s Paper Mills, took three meetings: in the initial game we went 2-0 down at home in 25 minutes but earned a 2-2 draw; an away replay a week later was abandoned at half-time in blizzard conditions, and the second attempt at the replay ended with a 3-1 away win after Bert Clarkson’s inswinging corner swung all the way into the net for the opener.

 

So to a fine spring day in Maidstone and a day that didn’t go according to plan.

 

 

DERES BEATEN IN KENT AMATEUR CUP FINAL

Sheppey Score Decider Two Minutes From End

 

 

Erith and Belvedere were beaten by Sheppey United in the final of the Kent Amateur Cup at Maidstone on Saturday.  The score was 2-1, the winning goal coming two minutes from the finish.

 

In the first half Deres played better than Sheppey and were more constructive, but in the second half the latter improved slightly, Deres’ defence played an outstanding game and the forwards combined well.  In general, the Deres were unlucky to lose.

 

Play started with strong attacks by both sides, Leek making a good save after a long shot by F Harris (right-half).  Newstead’s long throw-in put Paris in a good position to score, but he missed.  This was followed by combination between D Irving (outside-left) and R Cook (inside-left) and a good clearance by Penney.

 

From a corner after 15 minutes, Stather got his head to the ball and Sheppey’s goalkeeper, S Matthews, just managed to deflect the shot for another corner.  From this Newstead was well positioned to put the ball into the net with a flying header.

 

Sheppey attacked, but Deres’ defence was solid, and the tide turned, Newstead just missing with a fine shot.  A little later he passed across the goalmouth to Clarkson.  It should have been a goal but Clarkson slipped.

 

Deres got a shock after two minutes of the second half when from a free-kick Cook shot straight into the net.  Leek did not seem to see the ball until too late.

 

From then on Sheppey began to dictate the course of play, though Deres’ forwards still had their chances.  At this point the game became quite robust and more was heard of the whistle and the spectators than hitherto.

 

Sheppey put on the pace and but for weak finishing, particularly by Irvine, might have scored.  Both sides were playing their hardest and one Deres attack was ended by an ingenious backward header by McCullough, which the goalkeeper collected.

 

Two minutes from the end, when most people were expecting extra time, Irvine redeemed his earlier shortcomings by putting Sheppey ahead after a pass by B Diggins (centre-forward).

 

The cup was presented to Diggins, Sheppey’s captain, by the Mayor of Maidstone (Alderman B J Watson, J.P.)

 

Erith and Belvedere: Ernie Leek; Bob Penney, Bill Bower; Vic Parker, Harold Gurr, John McCullough; Roy Newstead, Billy Reay, Jim Paris, Reg Stather, Bert Clarkson.

 

- Kentish Times, 16 May 1952.

 

Deres supporters dismayed at the defeat could go and cheer themselves up with the hit movie of the day, Singin’ in the Rain, at the Regal, and if they were lucky, later that month, an each-way bet on Lester Piggott, who rode the second-placed horse in the Derby at the age of 16.