erith131104

Both sides fire blanks

Lordswood and Erith Town missed good chances at North Dane Way on Saturday, leaving the Medway side second from bottom in the Go Travel Kent League Premier Division table.

Erith started the game well and after four minutes Steve Smith took aim from 30-yards only to see Lordswood goalkeeper Scott Muttock tip the shot over the bar for a corner.

Making changes to last week's starting eleven, Lordswood were unlucky not to take a13th minute lead when a corner came over and Gary Peck's header was headed off the line by Arron Hayrattin and Andy Doerr's first time shot crashed into the side netting.

Three minutes later, Matt Fagan crossed to the far post to Hayrattin whose attempted fly kick went over the Lordswood crossbar.

Lordswood's next opportunity saw Doerr on the right surge forward into the penalty area beating a couple of defenders on the way and his shot was comfortably saved by Chris Arnold.

Smith shot over for the visitors before Lordswood came back and on the half-an-hour mark. Andy Skiinner's long throw caused panic in the visitors penalty area and Andy Freeman six yards out missed with his head but Adam Overton on the far post lunged at the ball, which went over.

Just before the break, Skinner's 35-yard free kick forced Arnold to tip over the bar and Freeman's cross on the left found Overton whose shot was saved by Arnold and Ashley Russell's headed rebound was cleared off the line.

The second half continued in the same vein with both sides missing good chances.  Five minutes after the break, Lordswood goalkeeper Muttock was called into action saving Danny Hogarth's six-yard shot.

In the 58th minute a long ball forward found Doerr in space and as the prolific striker reached the penalty area his chip was comfortably saved.

Eleven minutes later Hogarth latched onto a loose ball and his shot from 12-yards flashed just past the post.  Fagan was denied by Muttock and the last chance of the game went to the home side as Sean Hetterley beat the defender to reach the by-line and his low cross was met by Doerr who turned quickly and his shot was cleared off the line and from the rebound Freeman's follow up shot was blocked and Erith survived.