Bexley Borough derby honours went to Phoenix Sports at the Acclaim Handling Stadium in their Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division match at Erith and Belvedere.

Last season’s two league meetings between the sides produced a total of eleven goals. After a quiet first half, the second period was full of incident and the Sports were reduced to ten men before Khayrie Harris scored a late winner, completing his hat-trick in the process.

It was the hosts who started the better and they had two early shots on target. First Jack Low had an effort saved easily by Damian Niemczycki, then the goalkeeper got down well to turn Ross Obazee’s low shot round the post.

After that, Phoenix had a spell on top. Lyle Della-Verde’s long range shot was saved easily by Owen Bushell then the on-loan goalkeeper made an excellent stop when Isaac Hadlow burst through. Della-Verde delivered a corner that was allowed to bounce before reaching Jake Goodman and he headed wide before the Sports’ dead ball expert whacked a free kick into the defensive wall and then struck the rebound high and wide.

As half time approached, the hosts were the stronger and, after Clarence Tambe had launched a shot into Danson Park, they were unlucky not to break the deadlock. Jack Sammoutis lined up a shot but when it was nicked away from him, it fell for Hudson Scudder whose shot flew back out off the base of the post.

Two goals in the first three minutes of the second period put the visitors firmly into the driving seat. Harris was allowed to cut in from the right and he drove a low shot that flew through a sea of legs and nestled in the bottom corner. Then Jamarie Brissett held it up well before playing it out to Harris and he again cut in before firing high beyond a despairing Bushell.

Della-Verde had a fierce shot tipped over brilliantly by the Deres’ goalkeeper before the complexion of the game changed again. Having been cautioned in just the eighth minute, Sports’ defender Dami Olusesi committed another foul deemed worthy of a yellow card and he was dismissed. Ronnie McClean slung in the resultant free kick and Freddie Fletcher got on the end of it with a brave header home.

Sammoutis fired well over before he levelled with over twenty minutes remaining. He took aim from twenty-five yards and his accurate strike gave Niemczycki no chance as it flew into the top corner.

Once again, Harris cut in and shot, this time firing just too high then McClean blasted well over at the other end.

Six minutes remained when Harris again broke in from the right and this time he shot low with his right foot from a tighter angle and it went just inside the far post.

He came close to scoring again in the final minutes when he cut in from the right once more and his well struck daisy-cutter was saved well by Bushell. 

Defeat left Erith rooted to the bottom of the table while the three points won by the Sports lifted them up to ninth place from sixteenth.

Erith and Belvedere: Bushell; Wright, B. French, Fletcher, McClean (Lewis-Obiang 85); Sammoutis, Cray; Scudder (Herschel 58), Low (Dudley 89), Tambe (Baker 71); Obazee (Bloomfield (77).

Subs not used: None

Goalscorers: Fletcher (55), Sammoutis (68)

Yellow card: Wright (21 foul)

Phoenix Sports: Niemczycki; Thompson, Goodman, Belford, Olusesi; Muckle, Downey (Barnes 71); Hadlow (Townsend 46), Della-Verde (Morrison 60), Harris; Brissett (Hassell 86).

Sub not used: McCourt.

Goalscorers: Harris (46), (48), (84)

Yellow card: Olusesi (8 foul)

Red card: Olusesi (54 second yellow foul)

Referee: Dylan Wood

Assistants: Liam Broom and Rahji Shrinarine

Attendance: 190

Pictures supplied by Steve Blunn.