18 February 2023

 

Erith and Belvedere          3          N Palmer pens 60, 90+5, Aderonmu 89

Lordswood                          3          Stewart 22, 49, Medley 35

 

SIX GOAL THRILLER AS DERES MAINTAIN DISTANCE

 

Nathan Palmer confidently drove home a penalty in the 5th minute of stoppage time to rescue a point in a dramatic match which had seen Lordswood take a 3-0 lead.  The equaliser in a remarkable comeback was the Deres’ 100th goal of the season in all competitions, and saw Palmer and Tunde Aderonmu both notch their 20th goal of the campaign within five minutes of each other.

 

The Deres’ four league draws this season have followed a pattern: two away 2-2 draws where what seemed late winners were cancelled out by even later equalisers, and two home 3-3 draws against bottom-half opposition who refused to follow the script.  Lordswood were certainly up for the battle: under new management in the shape of Matt Barman and setting the emphasis on youth with seven of the starting eleven being 20 or under.

 

Deres shuffled the pack from the Punjab defeat the previous Saturday and gave a debut to new signing Joe Denny from Phoenix Sports.  However after only 16 minutes Ryan Johnson limped off having jarred his knee in a tackle.  Bradley Ryan came on, but while the new shuffle was settling in Lordswood capitalised.  Todd Brand found an alarming amount of space on the right but Rob Strachan managed to block his shot.  From the corner Josh Reid’s bicycle kick found Ethan Stewart’s head but it was an easy catch for Adam Molloy.  But two minutes later the same combination struck: Reid found Stewart at the far post and this time he found the target to give the Lords a 21st-minute lead.

 

Ryan had a chance on the half-hour when Lewis Chambers’ long throw was headed out to him but shot high.  Five minutes later the Deres were two down when Luke Medley was given way too much time in the box.  Time stood still as he picked his spot and Molloy was beaten again.

 

Deres had been lacking spark throughout the first half despite Nathan Palmer’s constant prompting, but out of the blue a drive by George Monger from outside the box hit the bar in first-half stoppage time, and his team-mates were unable to follow up the rebound. 

 

Andy Constable made three changes at half-time, reverting to those who had been rested, but within four minutes of the restart Stewart bagged his second of the game heading in a simple left-wing corner and Lordswood had a three-goal lead.

 

The comeback started on the hour when Bradley Ryan, causing trouble in the box, was shoved over and the referee saw enough in the challenge to award a penalty.  Nathan Palmer converted and retrieved the ball in a game-on gesture.  However for the next half-hour chances were equally divided.  Lords sub Alex Kokoshi had Molloy at full stretch to push away a drive from the edge of the box; Tunde Aderonmu chested down a ball which Ryan swivelled to shoot but Crump held it; the ever-dangerous Medley cleared the bar, and Danny Lear was released by Monger and brought a good save from Crump.

 

As full-time approached, supporters started to accept a 3-1 defeat and with news of Erith Town winning at Rusthall, the gap getting narrower.  But then a cross was pumped in from the left and Tunde Aderonmu got in a header which eluded Crump.  Stoppage time was about to begin, and the Deres put further pressure on.  In time which might have been added on for Lordswood’s stoppage-time substitution, a speculative shot into the box and the normally reliable Harry Goodger dived to make what would have been a competent save if only he’d been wearing the No 1 jersey.  Instead it was a penalty, and Nathan Palmer took the responsibility again.

 

And as a bonus news filtered through that Rusthall had also equalised with a last-minute penalty, meaning a three-point swing had been averted.  A terrific finish, then - but for the first time all season the Deres have gone three games without a win.  They travel to Punjab United again next Saturday which is a tough assignment following the Kent Senior Trophy semi-final exit there last week.

 

DERES: Adam Molloy; Fraser Walker (Jerome Wade 81), AJ Morrison (Ryan Palmer ht), Ryan Johnson (Bradley Ryan 16), Joe Denny, Rob Strachan, Rory Ward (Tunde Aderonmu ht), George Monger, Danny Lear, Nathan Palmer, Lewis Chambers (Tyrell Richardson-Brown ht).

LORDS: Tom Crump; Todd Brand, Lucas Mvongo (Kyle McDowall ht), Joel Odeniran, Harry Goodger, Julian Kuhr, Josh Reid (Alex Kokoshi 66), Ryan Neal (Mason Morgan 63), Luke Medley (Kameiko Pope-Campbell 90+2),Billy Marsh, Ethan Stewart (Ola Adegbulugbe 78).