Defences dominated as the FA Cup extra-preliminary round tie between Erith Town and Sporting Bengal United ended in stalemate.

Neither side was able to find a way past the opposing back fours and both goalkeepers had fairly comfortable afternoons.

After a delay to the kick off due to a Sporting Bengal player struggling to remove a stud from a piercing, Erith’s Sairel Amali hit a shot towards the far post that Laurence Whymark had to get down to save. At the other end, Andre Embalo couldn’t get a shot away, however, it fell into the path of Brandy Makuendi who screwed his effort well wide.

Mecca Maxime-Samuels was brought down by Charlie Lemba on the edge of the penalty area and Erith questioned whether it was a denial of a goalscoring opportunity but referee Joshua Evans deemed otherwise and brandished a yellow card. Jacob Connor’s free kick cleared the defensive wall and also the crossbar.

Busy Amali pulled a shot wide, then he struck a free kick into the defensive wall before he combined with AJ Dythe to set up Aaron Jeffery who side-footed his shot past the post.

Yousuf Hoque blasted a free kick out of the ground for the visitors before the Dockers missed another chance when Jeffery skied an attempt over the bar from a Harry Taylor knock-down.

Amali at one end, and Embalo at the other, both registered shots on target that were saved easily by the respective goalkeepers before Connor prodded wide after a good run and pass by Dythe had created the opening just before half time.

Taylor couldn’t keep a header down early in second period before Mecca Maxime-Samuels blasted over after good work by Connor. Substitute Manny Oluwasemo then burst through for the hosts and pulled it back to Turner in space on the edge of the penalty area but he skewed his shot well wide.

Jeffrey then hooked well over after a long Tom Ash throw was flicked on before there was a massive scramble in the Erith penalty area after Harrison Firth had been unable to hold on to a deep free kick. Defenders threw their bodies in the way to block shots before they were able to get it away.

Another Taylor effort was deflected over before substitute Ollie Milton went narrowly wide from twenty yards. Whymark was then caught out of his goal and Taylor tried his luck from forty yards out but his effort sailed over.

In the closing stages, the Dockers came agonisingly close to winning it when Taylor found Milton who composed himself before his effort came back out off the inside of the post. Taylor recycled it and laid it off to Turner who again shot high.

As early round FA Cup ties still go to replays, the two teams will meet again at the Mile End Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Erith Town: Firth; Ash, Jayaguru, Peter, Dythe; Turner, Jeffrey, Amali (Oluwasemo 46); Connor (Valler 65); Taylor, Maxime-Samuels (Milton 65). Unused sub: Duncan, Manwaring, McGeehan.

Goal scorers: None
Yellow cards: Dythe (35 foul), Taylor (64 dissent), Ash (64 foul), Jayarugu (68 foul)

Sporting Bengal United: Whymark, Ahmed, Sarr, Lemba, Joseph; Oluesi; Sarr, Hoque (Ameen 78), Makuendi (Pauline 60), Lopes, Adejokun (Barnwell 49); Embalo. Unused sub: Thompson-James, Murray-Bruce, Tandon, Osborn.

Goal scorer: None
Yellow card: Lemba (15 foul)

Referee: Joshua Evans
Assistants: Lewis Moore and Alex King

Attendance: 92

Images courtesy of Sophie Sullivan