4 February 2023

Phoenix Sports                   2          Kwayie 52, Pugh 90+6

Erith and Belvedere          2          N Palmer 78, Richardson-Brown 88

ALL SQUARE AS DERES MIND THE GAP

Erith and Belvedere came away with a satisfactory point from a derby match against their closest challengers, having at various stages looked like coming away with nothing and nearly celebrating a win.  Going into the game Phoenix were the Deres’ closest challengers – if they won this match and all five games in hand, they would cut the gap to ten points – but their pre-match talk suggested they were realistically  looking at the battle for second place.

Ryan Johnson and Tyrell Richardson-Brown returned to the starting line-up with Rory Ward and Bradley Ryan on the bench.  The first half was cagey with few chances: Phoenix blasted their first one high and wide, while the nearest Deres came was when a Nathan Palmer shot took a deflection reminiscent of Paul Parker’s at Italia 90 and hit the crossbar with keeper Andy Walker stranded.

Changing ends goalless, Phoenix took the lead on 52 minutes when a cross was headed back into the goal area from the right, Richardson-Brown tried to head it clear but only flicked it on to Tashi-Jay Kwayie whose emphatic header beat Adam Molloy at the near post.  Kwayie had had a sighter a minute earlier, and was quick to capitalise on this one.

On the hour another in a series of threatening long throws by Lewis Chambers allowed Ryan to set up Tunde Aderonmu who shot inches wide. But as Phoenix began to dominate it looked like Deres’ second league defeat was on the cards.  Then on 78 minutes a centre from the right fell to Nathan Palmer, who saw his first shot blocked but buried the second to level the game and clock up his 30th career goal for the Deres.

Ten minutes later Nathan Palmer’s crossfield ball didn’t look like creating anything until Lewis Clark’s mishit backpass fell handily for Richardson-Brown, whose shot went in off the underside of Walker’s body as he half-blocked it.  It looked like a late winner until the referee added on nearly seven minutes of stoppage time.  Part of that amount was down to the Deres’ own celebrations but it was still very long for a game with few injury stoppages. 

Near the end of the 6th extra minute a corner from the right was headed down at the far post by Ryan Sawyer; Ryan Johnson cleared it off the line but only as far as Andy Pugh who drove home an equaliser.  Honours even but Deres maintained the gap to Phoenix – it’s now Erith Town who are Deres’ closest challengers, 25 points behind with 5 games in hand.

PHOENIX: Andy Walker; Henry Douglas, Tom Cousins (Lewis Clark 43), Ryan Sawyer, Lee Bird, Francis Babalola, Tashi-Jay Kwayie, Alfie Evans, Matt Bourne, Mikey Dalton, Andy Pugh.

DERES: Adam Molloy; Ryan Palmer, AJ Morrison, Jerome Wade (Rory Ward 74), Ryan Johnson, Rob Strachan, Tyrell Richardson-Brown, George Monger (Bradley Ryan 59), Tunde Aderonmu, Nathan Palmer (Fraser Walker 90+5), Lewis Chambers.