Greenwich Borough 3-1 Erith & Belvedere

Goals from Chris Hubbard, Danny Tipple and Meshach Nugent helped Greenwich Borough ease to a comfortable 3-1 over Erith & Belvedere at Harrow Meadow on Saturday, writes Thomas Hawes.

Since the managerial team of Paul Gorman, Chris Cosgrove and Gary Davies took over the helm at Erith & Belvedere, the Deres have been the better side in almost every match, but this was the exception as a rampant Greenwich Borough ripped apart the Deres.

Ex-Slade Green duo Phil Miles and Terry Malin have worked wonders at Borough since taking over in the summer.

Last season Borough were a poor side and finished 13th but this season they finished a credible 5th, only seven points behind champions Whitstable Town.

Borough were the better side throughout and deservedly took the lead after 27th minutes.

A neat passing move culminated in Chris Hubbard firing past a helpless Neil Murray to give the home side the lead.

Erith could only muster up one shot in the whole of the first period as Mark Nougher blazed over from 20 yards.

The Deres best spell of the game came at the start of the second half and they capitalised on this with a goal.

A neat through ball by Adrian Deane was dummied by Micky Collins and Ashley Dunkley found himself through on goal. Dunkley looked up and lobbed the bobbling ball over the onrushing Michael Holder.

The young striker was making his first start for the club and celebrated as if he’d scored a cup final winner rather than a goal, which may have moved the Deres up from 7th into 6th place.

The joy for Dunkley was to be short-lived though as he was booked for removing his shirt during his celebration.

The Deres continued to press but Borough always looked like the better side and soon regained the lead when a through ball in the 66th minute beat the offside trap and Danny Tipple, a player who had been linked with a move to Erith & Belvedere, was on hand to fire his side ahead with a cool finish.

It wasn’t long before Greenwich were 3-1 up. A ball whipped in from the left fell to Meshach Nugent who tapped home his 25th goal of the campaign.

To make things worse for the visitors, Collins was sent off in the second minute of stoppage time after elbowing a defender.

Judging by this performance Borough will be up there challenging for the Kent League title.

For Erith & Belvedere, positives must be taken from the good performances of Dunkley and Murray and the result has to be put into context.

The Deres team included a few players who had been in the reserves for most of the season and Steve White and Michael Gonzague were rested.

On top of this, Paul Gross, Lee Morgan and Tom Maycock were also out. Nevertheless, a good pre-season and positive start to the season is necessary if the Deres are to win the Kent League.

Greenwich Borough: Holder, Smith, Tipple, Yiadom, Waters (capt.), Samuel, Moore, Budak (Kallon 52), Nugent, Grant (Elliott 82), Hubbard.
Sub: Ward.

Erith & Belvedere: Murray, Bedford, Diggins (Simpson 59), Nougher, Crawley, Anderson (Scowen 86), Johnson (Golding 84), Collins, Dunkley, Deane.
Subs: White, Gonzague.

Attendance: 107

www.kentishfootball.co.uk would like to thank Thomas Hawes for sending us his match reports on Erith & Belvedere - we wish the club well next season.