GoCardless Kent Senior Trophy honours went to Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division Erith and Belvedere who beat Division one visitors Minster at the Acclaim Handling Community Stadium.

Early on, both teams were guilty of over-hitting passes forward with the few half chances that were made falling to the hosts. Tom Borders mustered no power in a shot that was saved easily by Magnus Lewis, then the Minster goalkeeper held a Billy French drive that was struck straight at him.

Borders then put Kayode Adeboyejo in behind down the left and his shot was saved well down to Lewis’ left.

In the twenty-sixth minute, the deadlock was broken when a clearance fell to the Deres’ playmaker, Jack Sammoutis and he looked up before rolling it inside the post from twenty yards.

Borders found Freddie Baker and his shot was deflected over by John Argyrides. Sammoutis then passed the corner to Alfie Morgan arriving late and his poked effort was kept out by an instinctive one handed save by Lewis.

Ollie Harris had a half chance for the team from Thanet when chasing a loose ball but Erith goalkeeper Danny Alexander was stronger in the tackle and won it before clearing then, at the other end, Borders dispossessed Lewis and played it to Adeboyejo. He slanted it back into the six yard box and Borders netted but he was deemed to have strayed offside.

Josh Neaves fired beyond the far post for the visitors before Erith doubled their lead. Morgan knocked it out to Baker and his sumptuous cross was headed home at the far post by Adeboyejo.

One last chance fell to Minster just before half time when a sloppy ball out of defence was picked up by Todd Jordan, but with just Alexander to beat, he struck it straight at the goalkeeper who had come out quickly to narrow the angle.

Seven minutes after the break, the visitors pulled one back when Emmanuel Dasho diverted it towards his own goal and referee, Ishmail Isak, adjudged it to have crossed the line before Alexander clawed it out and smothered it as Harris could to get to it.

Fin Waddell hit an overhead effort very high as they looked for a leveller before the Deres came close when Adeboyejo crossed and Borders’ header came out off the underside of the crossbar.

Just under fifteen minutes remained when Erith scored their crucial third. Baker crossed deep and found substitute Marvin Herschel at the far post to finish joyfully.

Breaking from an Erith corner the visitors fashioned an opportunity for Harris who fired over from outside the penalty area before the Deres added a fourth. Teenagers Morgan and Michael Ihiedi combined on the bye-line before pulling it back to sixteen year old Charlie Favata and when he slotted it home it was under two minutes of him having come on for his senior debut.

Lewis Ray drew an easy save out of Alexander, having been set up by Joshua Belsey, before the referee brought the game to a close meaning that Erith and Belvedere progress to the second round.

Erith and Belvedere: Alexander; Baker, Dasho (Favata 89), Fletcher, B. French; Morgan; Lewis-Obiang (Ihiedi 60); Sammoutis, Dudley; Adeboyejo (Herschel 60), Borders (Wilson 89). Sub not used: Hocking.

Goalscorers: Sammoutis (26), Adeboyejo (40), Herschel (76), Favata (90+1)
Yellow cards: None

Minster: Lewis; Neaves, Coltham-Lai, Coyne, Argyrides (Belsey 68); Adams (Hulme 73); T. Jordan (Sharp 68), McArthur (Munday 80), Barras (Ray 80), Waddell; Harris. Subs not used: None.

Goalscorer: Dasho own goal (52)
Yellow cards: None

Referee: Ishmail Isak
Assistants: Scott Haywood and Kasper Crittenden-Wedge

Attendance: 72

Images courtesy of Steve Blunn