Dover Athletic         1          Westgarth 40

Erith & Belvedere   3          Moyce 30, 50, Walsh 70

Southern League Southern Division, 21 August 1982

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, another opening day to remember.

 

Spring 1982 saw the Deres celebrating the Kent League title and promotion to the Southern League (although they weren’t connected – promotion had been confirmed before the title was settled).  This was our first Southern League match, and things went well, although the gaffer was right to be cautious.

 

PETER’S NOTE OF CAUTION

 

Erith and Belvedere may have won a battle with their first Southern League southern division victory last Saturday but there is still a long way to go in the war.

 

And no-one is more aware of that fact than manager Peter Peters, who will be taking positive steps during the next few days to ensure that the 3-1 win at Dover does not breed complacency.

 

His players will need no reminding that the fight for first team spots will be fierce, while the prospect of Hounslow’s visit to Park View this Saturday provides another sobering thought.

 

Peters warned: “Obviously everyone is overjoyed at last Saturday’s result, but we must not get carried away.  We have a good squad of players and competition for places will be very keen.”

 

Underlining Erith’s strength in depth is that Peters travelled to Dover with six of his recognised squad unavailable for various reasons.

 

This might have proved a crippling blow for many clubs, but Erith were able to shrug off their absence and chalk up an historic victory in impressive fashion.

 

One of Erith’s heroes was striker Kevin Walsh who joined the Park View outfit last week after spending last season at Cray Wanderers and a short spell at Bromley during the summer.

 

Walsh sealed Erith’s win with the third goal and Peters added: “Kevin will do much to bring the best out of the young players in the side and I see his style of play as a tremendous asset.”

 

Walsh will almost certainly lead the attack this Saturday, with Erith entertaining Hounslow almost 60 years to the day since the club came into existence under its present name.

 

Peters concluded: “The club has had many ups and downs over the years – especially in latter yeas – but the optimism and spirit at the club at present heralds what is hoped is the beginning of a new era for Erith and Belvedere.”

 

Nest Tuesday Erith take on Folkestone at Park View in the Southern League Cup first round, second leg.

 

There was no team line-up with this report, but the team that played Hounslow was:

Martin Dillnutt; George Henning, Graham Cowley, Gary Cooper, Paul Harding, Colin Avery, Alan Hart, Tony Munday, Bobby Moyce, Kevin Walsh, Steve Lane (sub Gary Hewitt).

 

Peters was so right to be cautious.  Deres lost the next four and won only four more league games that season.  Conceding 6 goals to RS Southampton in the last 30 minutes of the season, we finished bottom, but stayed up due to ground grading issues.  Things got better slowly after that.