26thsept05

Innocent Deres move into fourth place

After a rocky start to the season, Erith & Belvedere have got their campaign for promotion  up and running with three consecutive league victories, the latest of which coming at home to Greenwich Borough on Saturday, writes Terry Hawes.

The Deres came into the game off the back of a 3-2 win away at Deal Town and they continued their good form straight away as Anton Innocent latched onto a hoofed clearance after just two minutes. His lob from an acute angle nestling in the corner of the net, leaving all at Park View Road stunned.

They could have been 2-0 up inside five minutes, but the Greenwich defence somehow cleared the ball out after a goalmouth scramble.

Innocent was in dazzling form, his pace, strength and trickery bamboozling a Borough defence that had already leaked 23 goals this season. Greenwich conceded their 24^th goal of the league campaign after 24^th minutes as a rasping Innocent drive from 35 yards out bounced in off the underside of the crossbar.

The Deres had enough time to add a third before half time, Chris Dickson keeping his composure to score his fifth  league goal of the campaign from the acutest of angles.

 A sloppy and complacent Deres side began the second half poorly and the bottom side punished the home side accordingly as White headed home after 53 yards to give Borough hope.

Erith & Belvedere continued to play sloppy football and had White’s finishing been better then Greenwich would have pulled it back to 3-2 after 60 minutes.

Boro’ continued to pressure the Deres and they were very unfortunate not to make it at least 3-2.

The Deres began to play better football in the last quarter of an hour as the team began to relax more.  Innocent had chances to complete his hat-trick, most notably when he had a strong penalty appeal turned down in the final moments of the game.

Defender Craig Dakin surprised everybody in the final set piece of the game as his free kick almost found the top corner but his shot was saved.

This win moves Mick Acland's men up into forth place in the Kentish Observer League table.