Erith & Belvedere 1 Tunbridge Wells 1

Match 10/18/1603 - Thursday, 19th July 2018 - Pre-Season Friendly

Erith and Belvedere (1) 1
Tunbridge Wells (0) 1 Jefferies 81
Headcount: 49

Admission: £4 Senior
Programme: None
Mileage: 70/393

Tunbridge Wells supporters would have walked away from this preseason friendly a little underwhelmed by the performance of their first half team made up of senior players but highly encouraged by some bright youngsters in the second period.

Sadly, as I lament game after game preseason, the absence of any information regarding who was who on both sides leaves those kids largely unnamed. One name that did surface was that of Ewan Jefferies, a 17-year-old, who capped a fine display with an equalising goal for the Wells.

The first half was dominated by Erith & Belvedere to the degree that the Wells created just a single chance, a header from a corner by Ollie Cooke that was cleared from the line.

After surviving an early scare when a goalbound header was cleared by Drew Crush, the hosts went in front after eight minutes when a through ball opened up an opportunity that left Cameron Hall diving at the feet of the forward but coming off second best as the Erith man slid the ball into an empty net.

The method in which the goal was scored became a somewhat recurring theme as single passes cut through the Wells back line leading to some desperate defending to stay in the game.

Right from the outset of the second half the Wells’ youngsters attacked the game with a positive mindset with a Jefferies header from a corner bringing a save out of the rotund E&B custodian.

A curious incident on the hour saw an Erith defender sent off for spitting. An Erith official was dispatched to the dressing room for the player’s explanation which was that he had only shouted and not spat.

Jefferies tested the keeper on a couple more occasions before an E&B free kick came back off the crossbar after 76 minutes.

But, five minutes later, a cross from the right was smartly met by Jefferies at the near post to give the Wells something to take from the game.

Young Jefferies made the evening a worthwhile trip and I’m hoping that the Tunbridge Wells management saw enough to have some faith in the lad in the upcoming season.

Erith & Belvedere 3 Tunbridge Wells 2

Match 35/16/1343 - Tuesday, 5th October 2016 - Southern Counties East

Erith & Belvedere (2) 3 Oshilaja 35, Adesite 36, Froggatt 76
Tunbridge Wells (0) 2 Crandley (pen) 51, Large 84
Attendance: Est. 50

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 78/3,117

Tunbridge Wells’ unbeaten run of five matches was brought to an end at a blustery Park View Road as the hosts, Erith & Belvedere ran out 3-2 victors. There was further despair for manager Jason Bourne with injuries to key players, Ryan Crandley and Alfie Hall.

Bourne’s squad was already stretched with goalkeeper Steve Lawrence missing with a broken thumb. There were four changes in total from Saturday’s home win against Bearsted, the ageing limbs of Michael Czanner took Lawrence’s place in goal, whilst there was a surprise return for Luke Hackett who had returned to parent club Dorking Wanderers, but has been told he can get game time when he is not required by Dorking; also returning to the club and straight into the side was Brad Potter and Tom Mackelden returned to the starting line-up. Tom Bryant, Kane Penn (injured on Saturday) and Tom Davey were unavailable for selection.

In front of a meagre attendance, probably amounted to no more than 50, the Tunbridge Wells faithful that made up half of that number were not particularly entertained in a first half that saw them enter the break two goals down, having brought just one meaningful save out of E&B’s goalkeeper, Sam I’Anson, Crandley firing a free kick from the edge of the box which the keeper parried to safety, low to his left.

It was a very slow opening period with the home side not creating much of note either, although they were the more direct of the sides. They moved the ball around reasonably well, which was something, on the night, the Wells failed to do.

It took until the 35 minute for E&B to find a way through. The Tunbridge Wells defence stood off Al-Hassan Oshilaja, who fired in a shot that went past a static Czanner and into the centre of the goal.

Just two minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage. Anthony Adesite’s shot from the right took a wicked deflection and although Czanner got down at the post, the ball squirmed from his grasp and into the net.

Tunbridge Wells were offered lifeline after five minutes of the second half when they were awarded a penalty for holding. Crandley stepped up and fired the spot kick low to the goalkeeper’s left to reduce the deficit.

After 55 minutes, the ineffective Josh Biddlecombe, in fairness starved of service, was replaced by Dale Ashman.

Czanner showed there is still life in those old bones when he managed to palm to safety a cross that was dropping underneath his crossbar.

After 70 minutes, Crandley overstretched on the right touchline and had to be replaced with a suspected hamstring strain.

Four minutes later the Wells were once again two behind. A through pass split the defence leaving Josh Froggatt a run on goal to slide the ball past Czanner with a composed finish.

Five minutes from time, Bradley Large hooked the ball in from close range to set up the possibility of a big finish but, apart from an Ollie Bankole effort into the side netting, the home side held out comfortably.

Erith & Belvedere 0 Phoenix Sports 1

Match 86/14/1195 - Wednesday 15th April 2015 - Southern Counties East

Erith & Belvedere (0) 0
Phoenix Sports (1) 1 Jeffery 18
Att. 178
Played at Park View Road, Welling

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 76/6,214

Match Report

Phoenix Sports have duly won the Southern Counties East League and earned their promotion to the Ryman League. They have based their success on a strong defensive unit that has conceded just 17 goals all season and despite going to down 10 men when their goalscorer Aaron Jeffery was sent off for raising his hands towards Lewis Clark with 20 minutes remaining their resilience was there for all to see.

When I saw Phoenix earlier in the season in their single goal home win over Tunbridge Wells their defensive attributes were not severely tested and, if anything, I left their Barnehurst base not really realising how good they were. So, from this point of view, I was glad to have been at Park View Road to watch them see off their final challengers in Erith and Belvedere.

As an attacking force, Harrison Carnegie always catches the eye with his pace and quick feet and Jeffery was a threat even if his dismissal was pretty stupid.

As I have previously posted, I have no idea how a club that was playing in the Kent Invicta League two seasons ago and have an average home attendance of 98 (with a low of just 43 and 14 of their attendances have been lower than their average over 18 games), have financed their success.

Perhaps it has nothing to do with finance at all because it is clearly evident that Steve O’Boyle has a team with a fantastic team spirit to go with their resilience and ability. Their celebrations at the end of the game with their supporters that made up a fair proportion of the 178 attendance also portrayed that this is a club united on and off the pitch.

After a bright start from the visitors it was E&B that very nearly took the lead after 25 minutes when Ben Wilson headed against the crossbar. Five minutes later and the champions-elect were in front. Carnegie was sent clear down the right wing and his cross found Jeffery who drove a fine shot into the bottom corner from inside the box. The goal prompted a conga from the Phoenix fans gathered behind the goal, the party had started!

In the second half, E&B’s giant goalkeeper, George Kamurasi, began to take centre stage. After 68 minutes, he made a very good stop to thwart Chris Hill and as time was ebbing away he came up for a couple of corners to add his sizeable presence.

He was also caught off his line as Scott Whibley, an uncompromising central defender, tried his luck to do a Charlie Adam from 65 yards. As the goalkeeper scurried backwards he was relieved to see the ball drift a yard or so wide.

With a couple of minutes remaining the referee brought parity to the team numbers with the second daft sending-off of the evening. Wilson, taking exception to Yacine Gnahore standing in front of him for a throw-in, decided to throw the ball at him and a red card was the result of his action.

Phoenix saw out the remaining time and the final whistle brought great celebration with the League officials showing some clever forethought by having the trophy on-site to present to the champions whilst manager O’Boyle perhaps also saw the writing on the wall as he had booked the night off from his job at Smithfield Market, enabling him to celebrate alongside his players.