In a game of few chances Erith Town and Fisher were forced to settle for a point apiece as neither could find a way through their opponents defence.

However, despite there being no goals, there was a major talking point when referee Ron Albert sent two Erith players to the sin-bin with seven minutes remaining. It was confusing as Josh Jackson appeared to have been shown a yellow card, which would be expected for kicking the ball away, and the gestures made towards Ryan Mahal suggested that he had been dismissed. However, both returned in the final moments of injury time.

Jackson had the first goal attempt of the match but his shot took a deflection and was saved easily by Danny Carpanini. Erith continued to probe and won corner after corner but nobody was able to get on the end of any of them.

Nic Taylor, the Dockers goalkeeper, made a comfortable save from Wale Odedoyin but Erith were soon on the attack again and Julio Da Mata was in the right place at the right time to clear Steadman Callender’s shot off the line before Dylan Pauw’s shot for Fisher from out wide clipped the back of the post. Sam Fairweather-Oates had the last shot of the half but it hit a Fisher defender and flew away to safety.

After the interval Danny Gannon burst down the right wing and with nobody in the middle, he went for an audacious effort that beat Carpanini but crashed back out off the crossbar. Fisher then had a chance of their own when Josh Biddlecombe feasted on a defensive error but fired into the side netting on the wrong side of the post.

Jamie Vila, a danger throughout, created an opportunity for Anthony Folkes but he shot wide then Gannon set up an opening for Erith but Mahmoud Joma side-footed over.

As the game went into the last fifteen minutes Gannon went for a spectacular overhead kick that flew straight at Carpanini. Then Fisher came close when Harry Main saw a fierce shot fly back off the bar after a break from a quick free kick.

Erith were reduced to nine men with the double sin-bin but were able to see out the remaining time with no real alarm.

Erith Town: Taylor, Nash, Jonah, White, Mahal, Fairweather-Oates, Fenton (Power 62), Bedford (Joma 65), Gannon, Callender (Obasa 70), Jackson.

Subs not used: Lovell, King.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Bedford, Fenton, Woodward (manager).

Sin-bin: Jackson (83), Mahal (83)

Fisher: Carpanini, Gibbons, Pauw, Da Mata, Fitzgerald, Adesida, Odedoyin, Folkes, Udo (Biddlecombe 39), Brown (Main 72), Vila.

Subs not used: Payne, Thomas, Williams.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Main, Gibbons.

Referee: Ron Albert

Assistants: Teddy Osborn and Sikiru Idris

Attendance: 102

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.