6 October 2020

Erith and Belvedere          1          Humphris 27

Balham                                  2          Read 39, Gordon 45

ANOTHER NEARLY NIGHT FOR DERES

Erith and Belvedere went down to their third odd-goal defeat in a week on a chilly Tuesday night at Park View Road.  Once again a failure to take chances led to defeat in a game they could have taken something from.

Balham, one of two unknown quantities moving into the SCEFL this season and so far more successfully than Tower Hamlets, began well with efforts from Tom Read, over the bar, Tomasz Wocial, a curling shot wide of the left post, and Hamish Frew, a hard drive well saved by Rilwan Anibaba, in the first ten minutes.

Deres came back to make a chance or two of their own, George Humber with a header that wasn’t struck firmly enough to trouble Haydn Read in the Balham goal, then Jamie Humphris slipping Frew and sending a drive just wide of the far post.

Balham responded with the moment of the match on 21 minutes, the dangerous Luke Hedges sending in a powerful shot destined for the top left corner but beautifully saved by Anibaba.  After this the opening goal was almost an anti-climax, Humphris’ angled free-kick from the left evading everybody to nestle in the far corner and give the new signing from Beckenham a goal on his home debut.

Another Deres free-kick from almost the same spot three minutes later saw a variation, with Marlon Patterson setting up Humphris in the centre for a drive that went just wide.  Deres looked comfortable at this point, yet by half-time they were 2-1 down after two soft goals in quick succession.  In the 39th minute a left-wing cross by Tom Read evaded everybody just as Humphris’ free-kick had to equalise, and a minute before the break Anibaba, having just pulled off a great save from Ash Snadden’s free-kick, fumbled at a corner to give Cam Gordon a tap-in for what was to prove the winning goal.

The second half produced little of note, apart from what would have been a spectacular scissor-kick by Hedges in the 56th minute which went wide, a good effort by Deres’ sub Henry Dasofunjo which Haydn Read saved well, and a late Deres effort which clipped the outside of the post. 

Gordon received a second yellow three minutes from time, but during the remaining minutes and stoppage time the Deres were unable to set up enough pressure on the Balham goal, or to take their chances when they did come.  At some point it will come right and they will score a few, but not just yet.

DERES: Anibaba; Adeyemo, Patterson, Moore (Hawkins 78), Curtis, Barrett, Humphris, Richards (Nosike 66), Beckford, Krasniqi, Humber (Dasofunjo 66).

BALHAM: H Read; Frew (Murphy 66), Kyei, David, Erriu, Henry, Wocial, Snadden, Gordon, Hedges (Sinclair-Scott 62), T Read.