Erith & Belvedere   11        Brown 10 (pen), 57, Smith 12, 20, 49, Skinner 25, 72, 75,

Peake 26, 32, Stone 80

Aylesford PM             0                   

Kent Amateur Cup 1st round, 18 December 1926

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, the rout that remains our biggest ever cup win in peacetime.

 

We took a bit of a beating earlier this month at K Sports to the tune of 7-0.  However the Paperboys, under their original name of Aylesford Paper Mills, took an even bigger shellacking at our hands, back when they were a Maidstone & District League club.  When Aylesford came to Park View on the last Saturday before Christmas 1926, the Deres were playing their tenth cup tie in the last 13 games, having reached the third qualifying round of the FA Cup before going out to Dartford and the fourth qualifying round of the FA Amateur Cup before losing to Cray Wanderers.  As a result we were well down the table, having played half as many games as leaders Chatham Town.

 

DERES’ TAILS UP – ELEVEN GOALS AT BELVEDERE – Aylesford Outclassed

 

For some weeks Erith and Belvedere had a lean time as far as goals were concerned, but on Saturday, against Aylesford Paper Mills, they ran up the huge score of eleven goals to nil.  Aylesford are a Maidstone and District League team, and although they played up pluckily to the end they were completely outclassed.

 

Team changes made by Erith had the desired effect of strengthening the forwards without weakening the defence.  Webb and Peake formed the right wing, Smith returned to the centre-forward position, and Skinner was tried at inside-left, with Stone outside-left.  Coshall returned to partner Barnett.  All of them did well against opposition not so weak as the big score suggests.

 

With the forwards in brilliant form, goals came at regular intervals, after Brown scored the first with a penalty.  Aylesford in between the goals enjoyed a good measure of the play, but their attacks petered out without becoming dangerous.

 

Aylesford went with a rush from the kick-off, but they were beaten back.  Good work from Marks enabled Stone to give Skinner an opening.  He lost the ball, recovered it, and sent in a hot drive which struck the bar.  Webb and Peake were next in it, and again Skinner had a go, his shot passing over.  From the goal-kick Peake secured and shot, and a corner resulted.  This was scrambled away and then, after ten minutes, the first goal came.  Thompson was fouled, and when he sent the ball well up, Peake was tripped near the goal.  Brown, the captain, took the penalty kick and easily scored.

 

Aylesford got away again, and Barnes had a chance when Coshall slipped in the mud, but his shot was very wide.  Erith came straight back, and when Stone centred after a fast run, Webb tapped the ball to Smith, who scored from close in (12 minutes, 2-0).

 

Conley saved twice, and then the visitors attacked on the left.  Couchman shot wide, and just afterwards Balloch was busy, following a centre by Wimsett.  The third goal came after 20 minutes.  Marks and Webb indulged in some fine passing, and Smith got another chance as a result.  He took the ball through with his head and scored, quite in his old style.

 

Thompson, who played well all through, next had a try, but after beating four men he shot over.  Aylesford were playing strongly, and at intervals did well enough to deserve a goal.  From a move on their left, Roberts found an opening, but Balloch saved his shot.  Marks found Clarke inches outside the penalty area, and again Balloch saved.  Some clever combination between Skinner, Webb and Peake brought the fourth goal, Skinner’s shot going in off the post after 25 minutes.

 

A minute later, Peake scored the fifth.  Receiving from Webb he shot, and the ball went in off Coomber.  Erith continued to attack, and one drive by Stone was only got away with difficulty.  Peake scored the sixth after 32 minutes.  He went through the defence, slipped in the mud, and shot while lying on the ground.  A funny incident followed another brilliant attack.  Skinner, Smith and Peake had the ball near goal, and Skinner’s shot was partly saved by Conley.  As the ball went to the other end of the goal, Smith and Peake walked away, thinking it was a “cert”, but Coomber dashed in and cleared.  Just on the interval Aylesford should have scored, following a centre by Couchman, but Barnes shot wide. Half-time: Erith 6 Aylesford 0.

 

The second half saw much the same run of play, with Erith getting goals, and Aylesford playing well enough to keep the game interesting.  A delightful move by Skinner led to number seven.  He dribbled the ball towards the right, drawing the defence that way, and then slipped it across to Smith.  The latter had a clear run, and Conley had no chance with his shot (four minutes).  Brown scored the eighth after 12 minutes, sending in a shot from 30 yards, which went in close to the post. 

 

Aylesford were given a bit more rope during the next 15 minutes, and then Skinner, dribbling through, scored number nine.  Skinner also got the next from 25 yards, and Stone added number 11.  Aylesford were by no means “beaten” yet, and Balloch had to tip over the bar a great shot from Barnes.  Erith had two or three more chances before the finish, which came with the score: Erith 11, Aylesford PM 0.

 

Erith: George Balloch; Charlie Barnett and John Coshall; Albert Marks, Joe Thompson and Charlie Brown; Hugh Webb, Tom Peake, Albert Smith, Sid Skinner and Ernie Stone.

Aylesford Paper Mills: C Conley; A Crittenden and C Coomber; P Shepherd, A Clark and S Craig; A Wimsett, B Barnes, A Imms, J Roberts and E Couchman.

 

Tom Peake was making his debut, and it’s quite something to score your first goal after 26 minutes and make it 5-0!  Five seasons later Peake became the first player ever to reach 100 goals for the Deres.