Norton Sports         0         

Erith & Belvedere   7          Wilfort 5, Sawyer 28, 34, Cassius 45, P Gross 52, Solly 75, Wood 86     

Kent League, 3 April 2011

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today (coincidentally, honest!), the game that became known as the “Mother’s Day Revolution” as Micky Collins’ side kicked into gear.

 

Micky’s first season was stagnating somewhat after a promising start.  By the end of March the Deres had won just three games out of 14 and were languishing in 10th place.  This game at Woodstock Park had been put back to the first Sunday in April, which was Mother’s Day.  Several players declared themselves unavailable on account of the day, although there were only four changes to the starting line-up – and the new-look Deres smashed seven past the hosts.

 

The home team created the first chance of the afternoon though as leading scorer Ashley Baverstock fired in a low shot from the angle of the penalty area that Dean Ruddy had to block by his far post.  But with their first attack of the afternoon, Adam Gross played in a free kick from the left and John Wilfort rose highest at the far post to plant a looping header over Nick Shaw and into the far corner of the goal.

 

On 25 minutes as Frankie Sawyer chased a ball out of the Deres midfield, Shaw raced out of his penalty area and cleared the ball with his hand just before the two players collided. The referee surprisingly awarded a free kick to Norton for a late challenge by Sawyer on the keeper.  But Sawyer wouldn’t have to wait long for his first of the game - he chased a long throw in towards the penalty area and as Shaw again raced out of his goal, he got to the ball first to head over the keeper for 2-0.

 

Sawyer grabbed his second goal and the Deres’ third soon after as he collected Matt Solly’s perfectly weighted ball down the left and with defenders and the keeper bearing down on the former Hastings United striker, Sawyer lobbed the ball over Shaw to put the Deres in a commanding position.

 

Five minutes before half time Sawyer looked to have the opportunity to grab a hat-trick goal as he again got beyond the home defence but Lewis Rivett pulled back the striker on the edge of the box to concede a free kick and collect a yellow card.  On the stroke of half time, the Deres grabbed a fourth goal as Solly collected a clearance out of the home side’s defence before playing the ball down the channel for Marcus Cassius who burst into the penalty area and guided the ball past Shaw and into the bottom corner of the goal.

The Deres continued to press forward in the second half and Paul Gross grabbed a goal his hard work up front merited as Sawyer broke free down the left before putting in a low cross from the bye-line and Paul Gross had the simple task of side-footing the ball home from close range.

 

Norton didn’t let their heads drop though - the introduction of substitute Joe Sands gave the home side some attacking impetus and Sands warmed the hands of Ruddy as he jinked inside Adam Gross before hitting a powerful drive that Ruddy blocked away.

 

Rivett hooked a shot over the bar following a corner kick as the home side briefly rallied.  Baverstock hit a low shot narrowly past the post as the home side continued to search for some consolation before Sawyer spurned another chance for his hat-trick as he pushed the ball wide of Shaw and could only watch as the ball rolled slowly past the far post.  Seconds later the lively Sawyer once again got beyond the home defence before hitting a rasping angled drive that Shaw could only parry and Solly pounced onto the loose ball to hit his first Deres goal.

 

Ben Taylor, who had moved out from his defensive position into midfield to bolster the home side’s attacking force, headed straight at Ruddy from a corner kick before hitting a curling shot from 20 yards moments later that Ruddy had to tip over his own crossbar.  Jamie Wood flashed a shot narrowly wide of the target before Robert Welling saw his shot also just miss the target as the game moved from box to box.

 

Sawyer’s break into the box was ended by a challenge from Goodger and as the ball was partially cleared, Wood collected the ball 20 yards from goal. Guiding the ball past one defender, Wood shifted the ball onto his left foot before drilling a low shot into the corner of the goal to confirm the Deres’ fourth best away win of all time!

 

After the game, Deres manager Micky Collins praised his players and added, “We now have to try and do that consistently to finish as high up the League table as possible.”  They certainly did: beginning with this game Deres picked up 22 points from the last 24, with Sawyer scoring 11 in his last 9 appearances.  Only a late VCD equaliser prevented an 8-match winning streak and a 3rd-place finish: as it was we ended up 5th and well placed for a title challenge the following season.

 

Norton Sports: Nick Shaw, Frazer Roberts, Lewis Taylor (Sabeur Trebelsi 84), Ben Taylor, Jack Goodger, Lewis Rivett, Ryan Rook (Joe Sands h/t), Russell Jeffrey, Andy Irvine, Ashley Baverstock, Tony Clark (Robert Welling h/t).

Erith & Belvedere: Dean Ruddy; Allan Matthews (Freddie Pooley 79), Adam Gross,  Matt Solly (Adam Griffin 75), Richie Davies, John Wilfort, Marcus Cassius, Jamie Wood, Frankie Sawyer, Paul Gross, Kirk Watts (Robbie Cochrane 75).