11 December 2021

Erith and Belvedere          4          Dyer 45 Rooney pen 64 Dasofunjo 79 Lear pen 82

Lordswood                          1          Afoke 78

DERES THE MASTERS OVER LORDS

Erith and Belvedere have had a few chances this season to overwrite bad memories from the 2019-20 season when they were at their lowest ebb, and this was a case in point.  On their previous visit to Park View Road Lordswood cruised to a 4-0 win against a team that was falling apart.  This time, curiously, it was a third consecutive match in which the Deres went 2-0 up, let the opposition back into it then pulled away to win.

Deres had the best early chance in the 5th minute when Danny Lear’s shot was saved and Henry Dasofunjo’s followup was headed off the line.  Lee Lewis shot over the bar from the edge of the box five minutes later, but in the 12th minute the Deres had a scare when Marlon Patterson slipped, allowing Tate Rayner to cross from the right and Tom Carter somehow blasted over the bar from inside the goal area.

Freddie Cray and Lear missed decent chances before the 20-minute mark, but thereafter the Deres’ approach play began to look somewhat ponderous.  Lordswood were not making inroads at the other end, apart from a Henry Arnold shot on 41 minutes which gave Rilwan Anibaba a fairly easy one to hold.  Then right at the end of the half came the highlight of the game: a beautifully delivered forward ball from Ryan Flack for Kazzeem Richards down the left, who centred for James Dyer who slipped his marker and buried the chance to give Deres a half-time lead.

Dasofunjo had a couple of chances early in the second half, blocked in the box after Anibaba had found him with a long ball, and blasting over when receiving a fine ball from Dyer.  But when he was brought down in the box, Luke Rooney buried a convincing penalty to make it 2-0 in the 64th minute.

The game looked settled, and Lordswood had used all their substitutes, when a concerning incident arose in the 75th minute.  An accidental clash off the ball left Lordswood’s Matt Atkins lying seemingly unconscious on the edge of the Deres’ box for a couple of minutes.  He was revived but in no fit state to continue, and Lordswood enquired about having a concussion substitute.  The Deres’ bench and directors made it clear they had no objection, but referee Jacob Miller advised that no such rule was in place for SCEFL as yet, so his hands were tied. 

So Lordswood had to complete the game with ten men… and 12 minutes from time they unexpectedly pulled a goal back through Caleb Afoke.  Deres soon restored their two-goal cushion with Dasofunjo converting a simple chance, and three minutes later Lear picked himself up from a foul in the box to convert the Deres’ second penalty of the game.

DERES: Rilwan Anibaba; Lee Lewis, Marlon Patterson (Kazzeem Richards 15), Freddie Cray, Lucas Atkins, Luke Rooney, Ryan Flack, Tom McNamee, Danny Lear, James Dyer (Richard Jimoh 65), Henry Dasofunjo.

LORDSWOOD: George Bentley; Tate Rayner, Josh Gilbert, Kyle McDowell, Matt Atkins, Caleb Afoke, Tom Carter, Will Palmer, Charlie Tagg, Dominic Wynter-Stevens (Adam Sheepwash 67), Henry Arnold (Ryan Freeman 67).