Lordswood                          0

Erith and Belvedere          1          Ward 85

RORY GETS THE DERES OFF AND RUNNING

Substitute Rory Ward got the Deres off to a winning start in their 101st season of football, calmly tucking away an 85th-minute chance having previously been denied by a very dubious offside decision.  Deres had dominated the second half of a fine competitive opener, and got their reward in the end.

Tony Beckingham’s first Deres starting squad included only Reece Barrett, Nathan Palmer and James Hawkins from last season, plus Ryan Johnson and Ben Wilson from Matt Longhurst’s 2015 FA Vase quarter-finalists and double-winning Andy Constable, the assistant manager being named as a sub.

The opening exchanges showed two well-marshalled defences offering few chances, but the best ones that came in the first half fell to the Deres.  Nathan Palmer lobbed George Bentley in the 14th minute and the Lordswood keeper was relieved to see the ball come off his left-hand post.  Malachi Hudson sent a shot just wide of the same post two minutes later.  Lordswood’s first chance was sent high and wide by Joshua Reid midway through the half, and their later free-kick took a long time to set up and was launched into the trees behind the goal.

The home side had shaded it territory-wise in the first half, but the Deres had had the better chances.  After a couple of substitutions early in the second half the visitors began to dominate, although the final ball wasn’t working and at the other end Nat Murray sent a low shot harmlessly wide of the far post midway through the half.

With fifteen minutes to go Tunde Aderonmu released Rory Ward, who buried the chance only to be denied by an offside flag despite the entire Deres bench being convinced he had timed the run to perfection.  Aderonmu himself met a right-wing cross with a solid header eight minutes from time which drew a fine save from Bentley.

Three minutes later came the decisive moment as Palmer sent another glorious through ball to Ward – this time the flag stayed down and Ward tucked away the chance for the first goal of the Deres’ second century.

Adam Molloy held on to a Reid shot in the 89th minute which was Lordswood’s best chance of the game, and Deres played out three minutes of stoppage time looking good value for the victory, although they will look sharper as the season progresses.

LORDS: George Bentley; Kyle McDowall (Luke Reid 77), James Teodorescu, Bola Olajide, Junior Baker, Phillip Makinde, Joshua Reid, Callum O’Shea (Harley Gorse 82), Zak Jakubowski, David Jesus (Mehmet Piro 63), Nat Murray (Lucas Mvongo 90)

DERES: Adam Molloy; Reion McFarlane, Reece Barrett, Ryan Huckle, Jack Miles, Ryan Johnson, Jedd Smith (Rory Ward 65), George Monger, Tunde Aderonmu, Malachi Hudson (Henry Arnold 60), Nathan Palmer (Ben Wilson 89).  Subs not used: James Hawkins, Andy Constable.