Erith Town 3 Hollands & Blair 0

Match 80/17/1530 - Wednesday, 10th January 2018 - SCEFL Challenge Cup R3

Erith Town (2) 3 Hooper 33 Warden 41,69
Hollands & Blair (0) 0
Attendance: 54

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: Free Teamsheet
Mileage: 70/5,291

I first spotted Sid Warden in the best game I watched last season, an epic FA Youth Cup tie between Tonbridge Angels and Maidstone United that went all the way to penalties after a pulsating 5-5 draw.

With my affiliations, I didn’t want to admire a player in a Maidstone shirt, but Sidney, in an albeit slightly cocky manner, was eye-catching. Here we have a slightly built lad that looks as if the next puff of wind could blow him over, but with a balance that skips the challenges and an eye for goal.

Warden followed the Tonbridge exodus to Margate as his Dad did likewise and now, with dual registration and his Dad on the staff at Erith Town, he might still be in need of a couple of meat puddings, but none of the ability that made him shine in youth football has been lost in the men’s game.

Being the proxy guest of the Erith Vice-President, I watched the game from what felt like the crow’s nest, high behind the goal at VCD’s Oakwood, at which Erith Town will share for the rest of the season.

Erith’s visitors were Hollands & Blair, whose season can only be described as a bit of a nightmare. But, in fairness to Blair, the result does not reflect their contribution to the game.

The hosts started strongly and following a cross from the left only the much-travelled Stuart Zanone will know how he hooked the ball over from close range.

Hollands though got themselves into the game and Erith goalkeeper, Adam Molloy, was called into action twice in a couple of minutes to deny Dave Raggett.

Hollands, in fact, were the better side until they went behind after 33 minutes when they failed to deal with a cross from the right that was headed into the path of Jack Hooper, who hooked it home.

A cross from the Erith right found an unmarked Warden at the far post to double the home side’s lead four minutes before the break. Blair were denied a goal that their early exploits had deserved when Travis Jackson struck the left hand post.

Once again, at the start of the second period, it was the visitors that carved out and wasted the chances. Molloy made good saves to deny Louis Valencia and Jackson and another, low to his left, to thwart Harvey Killick, one of Warden’s team mates down at Margate.

Erith sealed their place in the quarter-final draw after 69 minutes when a cross from Ben Fitchett (another Margate dual registration) was headed against the bar by Zanone only for the rebound to fall to Walden to steer home.

When Walden was brought down for a penalty the consensus was let him take it for his hat-trick. But Zanone pulled rank only to see his spot kick well saved by Ronan Forde with the rebound being messed up as two Erith players managed to hinder each other’s attempt to score.