Erith & Belvedere   3          Humphries 10, Nohilly 12, Smale 64

Fareham Town       2          Odey 80, 84   

Southern League Southern Division, 6 May 1995

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, the day we were 3-0 up and cruising, but then spent a nerve-racking ten minutes a goal away from relegation.

1994-95 was a turbulent season– starting with Harry Richardson unveiling a new-look team he described as “like having a Porsche turbo in the garage – we’re top four certainties”.  But Richardson and his star strikers Sean Devine and Wade Falana had all gone by November; Martin Johnson had a brief spell as player-manager and Tom Hake took over in January.  By this final-day match a run of seven defeats had put Deres in danger.  They went into this game knowing a win would save them from the drop, but a draw would not be enough if Poole won at Bury.  Yet wins for both Erith and Poole would send Fareham down, despite beating Bashley the previous Thursday.

But all bets seemed off when Deres took a two-goal lead in the opening 12 minutes.  In the 10th, a forward ball by Gary Groom was squared into the path of Ivan Humphries, who slammed it home from close range.  Two minutes later Groom's marvellous through ball sent Richard Vercesi away, only to be sandwiched by two Fareham defenders, and Jed Nohilly tucked away the free-kick.  Apart from a Grobbelaar-type excursion by Jeff Wood to save from Steve Coleman, Fareham offered little contest.

The second half began with a Groom header against the post and a fine save by Wood from Ricky Burnside.  Fareham tried a double substitution, but in the 64th minute Justin Smale volleyed in a third Erith goal from Nohilly's cross.  Fareham's heads dropped - the sweltering conditions and their exertions on Thursday had left them exhausted, and with news of Poole leading 2-0 at Bury, their relegation seemed assured.

Then came the twist in the tail.  Tom Hake sent on forward Damon Verrall for Humphries instead of defender Gavin Tagoe, and ten minutes from time Paul Odey broke clear and slotted the ball beneath Wood.  Four minutes later Odey did it again, and with their supporters celebrating wildly an equaliser looked on the cards.  Fareham had five good chances in the last 15 minutes, and in the end one pass decided Erith's season - when the Deres were caught on the break, the final ball went not to the dangerous Burnside, but to the unmarked Gavin Sandrey, who screwed his shot wide.

From somewhere the referee found five minutes of injury time, during which Wood stopped a 20-yard volley from Neil Kerton, and the home supporters prayed for the final whistle.  When it came the Deres could celebrate, but Fareham, gallant and tearful in relegation, had contributed greatly to possibly the most dramatic match at Park View in 13 years of Southern League football.  (The next twist came a while later when Fareham were reprieved from relegation as well, but nobody could have known that on the day!) 

Erith & Belvedere:  Jeff Wood; Gary Groom, John Dixon, Simon Williams, John Palmer, Lee Ealham, Justin Smale, Andy Kearns, Richard Vercesi, Ivan Humphries (Damon Verrall 77), Jed Nohilly.

Fareham Town:  Wheeler; Mottashed, Anstice, Sandrey, Dow, Strowger, Coleman (Vernon 57), Odey, Burnside, Charles (Cormack 57), Kerton.