Erith & Belvedere   3                      McCann 9, Kissi 48, 90      

Beckenham Town  2                      Ramsamy 49, Turner 77

Kent League, 20 April 2013

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, back to the 2012-13 Kent League double season and the moment that brought out the 9-year-old in many of us.

As we’ve mentioned before, the Kent League title race was a classic, and this was the second of six games in 15 days that would decide the trophy.  Deres had led the table since the New Year, but VCD were on a superb run, and on 1 April the teams had shared four goals, making Deres the only team to take any points off the Vickers since December.  A 1-1 draw for Deres at Corinthian on the 9th, while VCD had a surprisingly easy 9-2 win against a Lordswood side that featured 11 changes ahead of the Kent Senior Trophy final, meant that VCD, who had started the year 8 points behind from a game more, were now 2 points behind on level games.

For the last Saturday home game of the League season, former players had been invited along for the Old Deres Reunion, and we were treated to the sight of our appearance record holder Dennis Crawford sitting alongside club President Larry O’Connell in the stand.   They were treated to an early goal by Kieron McCann, giving Deres a lead they held to the break.

Three minutes into the second half Richmond Kissi made it 2-0, at which point it would be customary that season for the Deres to relax and perhaps add another couple.  Instead Damien Ramsamy pulled one back almost immediately, and 13 minutes from time Jamie Turner struck to level the scores at 2-2.

As time slipped away, and we heard that VCD were 2-0 up at Erith Town, it felt like our title hopes were slipping away too.  Which is why, when a cross came over from the right at the Danson Park end and Richmond Kissi met it with a firm far-post header to clinch it at 3-2, it was mayhem.  Grown men behind the goal found their inner nine-year-old and skipped across the terraces.  Well I did.  Not just a clinching goal to keep us two points clear, but the Deres’ 100th league goal of the season in just 28 games.  And the title race still very much alive…

Erith & Belvedere: Scott Chalmers-Stevens; Allan Matthews, Sam Hasler, Paul Springett, Richie Davies, Drew Crush, Orlando Smith, Jamie Wood, Andy Constable (Alex Waugh), Richmond Kissi, Kieron McCann.

Beckenham Town: Bourne, Paul, Tipple, Clark, Fofona, Beard, Turner, Ramsamy, Nunn, Britnell, Die.