In a competitive Presence & Co. Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup third round tie, Forest Hill Park progressed at the expense of hosts Erith and Belvedere.

Both clubs have bigger fish to fry than the Challenge Cup. The Deres have a huge F.A. Vase game at White Ensign on Saturday while Forest Hill are in pole position for the Division One championship. However, the two teams didn’t hold back in their meeting at the Acclaim Handling Community Stadium.

Early on, a long clearance over the top sent Erith’s Danny Lear away and he squared to Tunde Aderonmu who was unable to find the target. Ernie Cheeseman then found himself in two minds in whether to pass or shoot and ended up lobbing it harmlessly into the safe arms of George Kamurasi.

At the other end the hosts’ goalkeeper, Charlie Cottrell, was tested twice in quick succession by deep diagonal crosses and was grateful to his defence when failing to hold onto them.

Sam Smith came close to putting the Deres’ ahead when a corner fell to him but his near post shot was cleared off the line by Malachi Morris. Then Forest Hill had another chance when Tobi Coker laid it off to Ryan Palmer but he was unable to get a clean connection and it dribbled wide.

Kamurasi made a stunning save from Tommy Whitnell’s low close range shot before the visitors thought that they had scored when Ulrich Fischer stabbed home at the end of a long Coker run only to see the flag up for offside.

Eight minutes before the break, the Forest went ahead. Palmer launched a deep free kick, the Deres didn’t deal with it, and it fell to Georgi Steeds who made no mistake from fifteen yards.

As half time approached, Kamurasi was again called into action when Palmer inadvertently sent Lear clear. The former Deres goalkeeper blocked his attempted slot home then recovered brilliantly to save Aderonmu’s follow up.

After the break, the former Deres goalkeeper continued where he left off when making a great save from Donnell Anderson before Cottrell got in on the act when keeping out Morris at the near post following good work by Pat McKay.

Cottrell then made a great save from Ainsley Everett before completing an easier one from Steeds. Palmer created more problems with a near post free kick that was poked wide by William Bell as the visitors started to turn the screw.

Substitute Ed Mbango had an effort beaten out by Cottrell and fortune was on the goalkeeper’s side as nobody followed up. Steeds was then thwarted by the increasingly busy Erith goalkeeper before he was beaten again with just over fifteen minutes remaining. McKay’s cross picked out Mbango and he made no mistake.

Freddie Baker did well to set up Aderonmu for one last chance, but he was unable to get the power required to worry Kamurasi.

Neither side created any further opportunities before the final whistle sparked celebrations between the Forest Hill Park players and supporters. 

Erith and Belvedere: Cottrell, Smith, Chalker (Morrison 82), Cheeseman, Curtis, Anderson, Davis-Whitlock (Sanford 71), Whitnell (Pinto 54), Aderonmu, Lear (Baker 65), Archibald (Ford 71).

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow card: Anderson (30 foul)

Forest Hill Park: Kamurasi, Saunders, McKay, Everett (Barrance 82), Barrett, Bell, R. Palmer, Steeds (Ansah 84), Fischer, Coker (Banjoko 70), Morris (Mbango 65).

Sub not used: Anderson.

Goalscorers: Steeds (37), Mbango (74)

Yellow card: Banjoko (82 delay of restart)

Referee: Jordan Whitworth

Assistants: Thomas Marshall and Aaron Saunders

Attendance: 221