12 November 2022

 

Erith and Belvedere          2          Chambers 59, Aderonmu 62

Canterbury City                  0

 

DERES MADE TO BATTLE BUT TEN POINTS CLEAR

 

For the second week running it took Deres an hour to break down a resolute defence, but two quick goals ensured a 13th win in 15 league games and Deres go ten points clear.

 

Written by Kevin Olver

Given the respective clubs’ league form so far this season it was always going to be a tough assignment for City to go to Park View Road and gain anything from this fixture. In fact, to put the task further into perspective, their eventual defeat coupled with results elsewhere left their hosts a massive ten points clear at the top of the table - a noteworthy achievement given that we’re still well short of even half-way through the season. Despite the distance between them (as the table reads) City can still be proud of giving a decent account of themselves as they frustrated E&B time after time, succumbing only to two early quick-fire goals in the second-half.

 

As it was the eve of Remembrance Sunday a minute’s silence was held which was impeccably observed by all present as a hush enveloped the stadium broken only by the parrakeets flying overhead and the passing traffic on the busy main road just over the terracing – a sombre moment to pause and remember, a fitting tribute and one that should never be forgotten.

 

It was probably likely that E&B would dominate from the start and that is pretty much how it played out. The bulk of the possession and chances fell to the hosts but City dug in and defended resolutely frustrating their opponents for long periods of time as the first-half wore on. Several balls in to the City box were cleared away from danger although E&B’s Danny Lear did see one shot blocked well by Nico Cotton before he curled another effort wide of the angle, before the forward was then thwarted again when Danny Keyte dived into deny him once more. Rob Strachan then fired wide for the hosts as City, under pressure for certain, seemed more organised of late and more determined to keep their opponents out.

 

E&B were bossing the ball for long periods of time, but it would be fair to say that although they were pinging it around left, right and centre they more often than not eventually ended up back where they started as City worked tirelessly to close them down and it wasn’t really until the twenty-fourth minute that they saw a clear sight of City’s goal when Nathan Palmer curled an effort in from the left that stroked the face of the City bar and rebounded to safety. This gave them a bit of impetus and they now started to turn some of the possession into chances as firstly, George Purcell shot wide from the edge of the box and then City keeper Lee Kidman made a smart save to deny Fraser Walker.

 

The rest of the half saw a succession of balls into the City box via four or five assorted free-kicks and corners - all of which were cleared or dealt with by City, and when they weren’t the E&B radar was off beam as Purcell saw another effort fly wide while Palmer saw his shot clear the bar. City were relying on trying to hit the hosts on the break with Henry Arnold leading the way, but with that plus a corner and a series of long-throws they didn’t really trouble the E&B keeper Adam Molloy although he did well to punch clear one dangerous looking in-swinging corner.

 

As the break approached, E&B were looking more threatening as a further series of dead-ball situations tested City, but the radar was still faulty as Purcell ballooned an effort over the bar and onto the road outside and Jerome Wade fired wide as the clock inexplicably ticked over forty-seven minutes – given there had been no stoppages or incidents it was a bit strange to imagine where the extra time had come from, but nevertheless, the whistle eventually brought the half to an end and a fairly contented City and a highly frustrated E&B trotted off the pitch for a rethink with the game goalless.

 

I don’t know what was said in the home dressing room during the interval but E&B definitely came out in a more purposeful and decisive play mode. Straight from the start a low ball in from the right was almost squeezed in at the near post but a combination of said post, Kidman and Lear amounted to just a goal-kick and a lengthy injury stoppage for the keeper. He was eventually fit to continue thankfully as E&B began to swamp City who needed every ounce of effort to keep them at bay as it sometimes became a bit of ‘anywhere will do’ to clear.

 

Kidman then reacted quickly to slide out and smother the ball as Lear came chasing in, while he then did well to beat away an effort from Palmer who had jigged from side to side to create some space on the edge of the box. Despite E&B’s dominance, City were in fact just a moment away from taking the lead when they broke forward at pace direct from a home corner as Arnold found himself leading the way and then firing off a low shot that was heading in before Molloy managed to dive down low to his left to save it. The keeper couldn’t hold it however and the ball spilled out from him with Harry O’Donnell a whisker away from poking the loose ball home only to be beaten to it by a split second by a covering defender who cleared.

 

E&B soon put that incident to one side though and it wasn’t long before Bradley Ryan had fired just off target before they picked their way through the City box on another attack only to see Keyte dive in with a splendid sliding block at the expense of a corner. Although this was initially cleared the ball eventually fell to Lewis Chambers who cracked a low shot in from the edge of the box that flew past Kidman to give E&B the lead as finally, City’s stubborn resistance had been broken.

 

Unfortunately for City within a couple of minutes the hosts had doubled their lead when a very decent cross from the left from Anthony Johnson was perfectly weighted and timed for Tonde Aderonmu to pick his spot with a firm header just inside the post for 0-2.

 

Despite there still being thirty or so minutes to play, it was vital that City didn’t allow the runaway league leaders to run away with this game and to their credit not only did they continue to thwart and frustrate their opponents even further, they also had a couple of chances to almost get themselves back into the game.  E&B continued on the attack though and Kidman saw a ball in from Ryan Johnson go safely over his bar before Aderonmu, played through, went inches wide of the far post. Strachan then struck a long shot wide but the City defence continued doggedly to obstruct and obviate E&B’s efforts as Keyte and Marcus Travers, amongst others, made important blocks and interceptions before substitute Rory Ward hit an effort wide of the City upright.

 

With around five minutes to go, City were desperately unlucky not to get a goal back when a Rob Burgess effort almost caught a complacent Malloy out as he attempted a back handed push over the bar, he missed the ball and fortunately for him at least, it glanced off the face of the bar before being scrambled to safety via a corner.

 

As the game ran into stoppage time, City working manfully to the end defended another brace of E&B corners and still had time for Seb Rowland and Arnold to send in dangerous balls through the heart of the E&B box, but alas neither could be converted to give the visitors at the very least a deserved consolation goal. It wasn’t to be however and the game ended soon after with for City, a very credible and satisfying performance if not the result they would have wanted.

 

DERES: Adam Molloy; Fraser Walker (Ryan Palmer 63), Anthony Morrison, Jerome Wade, Ryan Johnson, Rob Strachan, George Purcell (Tunde Aderonmu 60), Lewis Chambers, Danny Lear, Nathan Palmer (Gerry Owen 68), Bradley Ryan (Rory Ward 73).  Sub: Jack Miles.

 

CANTERBURY: Lee Kidman; Dylan Ruler (Zac Farmer 78), Nico Cotton, Danny Keyte, Marcus Travers, Sam Odubanjo (Rob Burgess 68), Luke Carey (Alex Emery 84), David Hjelm (Sebastian Koloko 88), Seb Rowland, Henry Arnold, Harry O’Donnell (Egid Aydin 73).

 Picture by Robin P