Erith & Belvedere   4          White 1, 16, 46, D Gibson 15

Fleet Town               3          Darnton 44, Pegler 45, Williams 87

Southern League Southern Division, 18 August 1999

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, the historic occasion marked by a remarkable match and one of Whitey’s finest hours.

 

Nearly two years after the fire that burned down the old stand at Park View, Belvedere, and after 18 months of playing out of portakabins, the 1999-2000 season brought a new beginning.  This was the Deres’ first home match at their new base, Park View Road.  It was marked by the visit of a journalist from The Times – that’s not the Kentish Times, it’s yer actual The Times!  And Steve White gave us a dream start…

 

DERES HOLD ON FOR NARROW WIN

 

A lack of discipline nearly cost Erith and Belvedere what should have been three comfortable points last Wednesday.  The Deres were reduced to ten men for the second successive match and were clinging on to their second win in as many games despite racing into a 3-0 lead.

 

Erith were rampant early on and took just 27 seconds to register their first goal at their new Park View Road home.  Steve White’s shot went beyond keeper Geraint Bevan, who was beaten again on 15 minutes.  Danny Allen squeezed the ball through to Danny Gibson who shot home from a narrow angle.

 

Fleet crumbled and within 60 seconds their unstable defences had again been breached.  White pounced on a poor backpass and rounded the keeper for his second goal of the game.

 

The Deres slotted into cruise control as Fleet rarely troubled them.  The biggest problem for Erith was keeping their heads as both sides exchanged a series of nasty challenges.

 

The game was turned on its head a minute before the break.  Andy Darnton pulled one back for the visitors as Erith’s defence went missing and with 40 seconds Tom Pegler scored from close range after keeper Craig Tucker fumbled a long range shot.

 

On the restart White was positively sluggish compared to his first-half showing.  This time it took him 48 seconds from the kick-off to complete his hat-trick and restore Erith’s two-goal lead when he was left unmarked eight yards out.

 

The Deres wasted a number of chances to make it five or six.  Clayton Probets fired over from close range and then White failed to convert despite rounding the keeper.

 

Aaron Barnett was sent off on 85 minutes for a second bookable offence and Fleet quickly took advantage to make it a nervous final few minutes when John Williams headed in their third goal.

 

Erith and Belvedere: Craig Tucker; Chris Whitehouse, Ben Roostan (Andy Mills 75), Tim Bealey, Aaron Barnett, Danny Gibson, Stuart Abbott, Clayton Probets, Danny Allen (Barry Fox 62), Steve White, Germain Amanuel (Daryl Apps 58).

Attendance 141.

 

You had to feel sorry for the chap who reportedly arrived late, nipped off early at half-time and left before full-time – missing six of the seven goals!  The man from The Times, Walter Gammie, gave us a good write-up, highlighting our history and Welling United’s. 

 

It was a fairly happy first season in our new home – a good late run took us up to 8th although we finished mid-table in 11th, Whitey top-scoring with 16.  Fleet finished bottom.