Catch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS3gjrZ43tI

7 March 2023

 

Erith and Belvedere          1          Lear 26

Hollands and Blair             2          Brown pen 33, Wright 90

 

DERES SEE THE PELOTON IN THE DISTANCE

 

There’s a brilliant photograph from around 2010 in which Bradley Wiggins, having broken away in a stage of the Tour de France, looks over his shoulder to see the peloton massing in the distance, the foreshortening effect from a head-on shot making them loom larger.  That’s about the position Deres are in at the moment.

 

The injury-hit hosts peppered the Blair goal in the second half but lost due to a last-minute defensive lapse.  They now have to sit back for 10 days while Phoenix Sports and Erith Town play their games in hand, by the end of which Phoenix could be 5 points behind on level games with 9 to play.

 

With Ryan Johnson injured, George Monger ill and Lewis Chambers away visiting his ill grandfather, Deres were below strength particularly on the bench.  But they started brightly and in the second minute Nathan Palmer played a good ball forward but found Danny Lear surrounded by Blair defenders.  Apart from a 7th-minute scare when Tom Walmsley chased a poor back pass, broke clear and shot just wide under pressure, Deres dominated the opening quarter. 

 

On 13 minutes Rory Ward fed Tyrell Richardson-Brown who squared into the 6 yard box for Lear but ex-Deres keeper Lewis Mitchell dived on the ball first.  Three minutes later a lovely ball from Rory Ward found Lear but he hesitated too long and there was no flag.  Then on 25 minutes Bradley Ryan crossed deep into the box but Nathan Palmer volleyed wide.

 

The opening goal came on 26 minutes when Lear robbed Blair full-back Harry Brown and coolly tucked it home.  Yet Brown had a measure of revenge just seven minutes later when an offence at the corner of the Deres’ penalty area was spotted by the assistant referee (though nobody else seemed to have seen anything) and Brown converted from the spot.

 

Blair showed plenty of threat going forward now, nobody more so than Harvey Welford, who waltzed through challenges and warmed Molloy's hands with a shot, then just before half-time shot across the face of goal after rounding Molloy.  At the other end Rob Strachan smacked the bar with a header from a corner and had another cleared off the line.

 

Archie Burnett shot high from the edge of the box early in the second half, while there was a fine shot on the turn by Blair’s Tom Walmsley which Molloy did well to hold on to.

 

On the hour mark great work by Tunde Aderonmu set up Nathan Palmer who netted but was given offside.  A minute later a goalmouth scramble went for a corner from which Ryan brought a good save from Mitchell.  Shortly afterwards Ward fed Ryan whose drive was well saved by Mitchell. Deres were peppering the goal but nothing was going in.

 

More chances as the game went into the last twenty minutes.  Ryan was tripped by Jack Simon who earned a yellow.  The free kick was headed across goal by Strachan but came to nothing.  On 76 minutes Nathan Palmer cleared the far post following good work by Ward,

 

Indeed Nathan Palmer was everywhere, at the heart of the Deres’ efforts to grab a win in the last few minutes.  He did well to set up Ryan Palmer, whose shot was blocked; he went on a solo run but go an unlucky bounce; he had a big shout for hands from a shot in stoppage time but no penalty was given.

 

Then one mistake at the back let in Sam Wright and totally against the run of play Blair had a 92nd-minute winner.  And suddenly Deres have a run of 1 win in 6 league games, and have taken just four points from three successive home games with one to come.

 

DERES: Adam Molloy; Fraser Walker, AJ Morrison, Archie Burnett (Ryan Palmer 64), George Snelling, Rob Strachan, Tyrell Richardson-Brown, Rory Ward, Danny Lear (Tunde Aderonmu 56), Nathan Palmer, Bradley Ryan.  Subs: Dom Emptage, Andy Constable, Nathan Edwards.

BLAIR: Lewis Mitchell; Danny Walder, Harry Brown, Elbie Boichat, Joe Kane (Tom Loynes 12), Rob Gillman, Jack Simon, Louis Valencia, Tom Walmsley, Sam Stace, Harvey Welford. 

Subs: George Hall, Sam Wright, Shaun Welford, Ben Brown.