18 April 2022

 

Holmesdale                          1          Powell-Downey 87

Erith and Belvedere          1          Lear 75

 

FAIR AND SQUARE AS DERES DRAW WITH DALE

 

The Deres’ low-key finish to their 100th season continued with a well-deserved point at Holmesdale, but again their style of play perhaps deserved more.

 

With Reece Barrett sitting it out, Calum McGeehan consolidated second place in this season’s appearances list with his 37th game since arriving from Hollands and Blair, but the honours were taken by Nathan Palmer, making his 50th Deres appearance taking into account his season with the club in the SCEFL second tier.  Golden oldie Andy Constable, who in Holmesdale’s previous game at Fisher had scored his 400th senior goal at the age of 43, was their main spearhead.

 

Deres were again playing it around nicely and patiently, Luke Rooney directing and encouraging from the sidelines, but it wasn’t until midway through the half that the first decent chance came, Lee Lewis’ 24th-minute free-kick being headed just wide by Calum McGeehan.  Three minutes later Palmer’s cross was screwed wide by Stefan Cox, and just afterwards Danny Lear was foiled by a bobble as he was about to fire.

 

Lewis and Leach both had good chances in the later stages of the first half, and on 44 minutes Palmer’s shot whistled over the bar.  It seemed a matter of time before the Deres’ pressure paid off.

 

Indeed the opening minute of the second half saw a lovely move with Palmer crossing to Lear who had his back to goal but improvised a backheel that so nearly caught Edwards off his guard in the Holmesdale goal.

 

Dale were not out of it, and although Andy Constable was not having his most effective day and was withdrawn, Reuel Powell-Downey looked dangerous when he came on and gave McDonald a warning with twenty minutes to go.

 

On 75 minutes James Dyer’s corner from the right caused havoc in the Dale defence and Danny Lear emerged from the crowd to head home his 20th Deres goal in only his 29th appearance to put them ahead.  But once more, late on, the Deres dropped points.  Powell-Downey lined up a free-kick some 25 yards out and it was perfectly placed.  No disgrace in being matched by a goal like that, even if the Deres had had the majority of the chances.

 

Kennington beat Lordswood as expected to clinch 5th place, so the Deres can now only finish 6th or 7th, depending on their result at relegation-threatened Rusthall and the Dockers’ result home to Chatham Town – the Chats with the merest hint of a chance of snatching the title, depending on Tower Hamlets getting the unlikeliest point of the season at Sheppey.

 

DALE: Nathan Edwards; Rolex Bulti, James Teodorescu, Cian McCarthy, Gabriel Ntumba, Jacob Skelly, Amoah, James Shield, Andy Constable (Bailey Dell 54), Rory Ward (Reuel Powell-Downey ht), Clyde Semazzi.

DERES: Ted McDonald; Lee Lewis, Ross Craig, Harry Maher, Calum McGeehan, Teddy Green, Nathan Palmer (Neil Spencer 76), Josh Leach, Danny Lear, Stefan Cox, James Dyer.  Subs not used: Jude Salmon, Ryan Penton, Reece Barrett, Airidas Vilinauskas.