Hollands & Blair got their League season off with a hard earned victory over their South London rivals Erith & Belvedere when they scored in the 81^st minute to keep their unbeaten start to the season.

The game started with both sides trying to play football & the first chance of the game came in the 6^th minute when Louis Valencia’s free kick to the far post found Lee Armstrong & his header hit the cross bar & out for a goal kick. In the 15^th minute Belvedere had their first chance when Ike Anderson Feshi latched onto a long ball out of defence from Sherif Babatunde & his low cross from the by-line found Aiden Pursglove but his shot from 10 yards was saved by Tom Benham, a minute later a cross to the back post saw Jack A’Court headed back towards goal & it hit the post & went out for a corner.

For the next 15 minutes the game went quiet but in the 31^st minute Belvedere took the lead when a free kick from Ashley Robinson 45 yards out went low into the area & Feshi 6 yards stabbed it in. Four minutes later it could have been two when Al-Hasan Oshilaja passed out wide to Pursglove & his from an acute angle went over the bar. Blair equalised in the very next minute when a long ball out of defence was allowed to bounce enabling the prolific James McDonald to pounce on this & lob the keeper Lee Kidman from 25 yards. The rest of the half was a lot of huffing & puffing & eventually the half time whistle went.

The second half started with Blair on the attack as in the 47^th minute Valencia got to the by-line & his cross shot evaded everyone & went out for a throw in & in the very next minute George Hadley put McDonald through & he ran into the area before shooting but Kidman parried it way.  As in the first half Belvedere finally got into the action & in the 55^th minute Robinson got to the by-line & his cross into the area was half cleared to Alex Anderson but his 1^st time shot went over the bar.

In the 58^th minute it was Blair’s turn & a Benham free kick just inside their half was flicked on to Valencia in the area but his shot was blocked & eventually cleared. Another chance came in the 73^rd minute when Michael Fahm interchanged passes with Ennis Fyfe & then saw his shot blocked for a corner, in the very next minute Robinson crossed into the area & it was half cleared to Feshi who from 10 yards saw his shot deflect over the bar.

In the 81^st minute Blair took the lead when Valencia on the left crossed to the near post where Sam Prescott rose & headed in from 8 yards, 3 minutes later it was nearly three when Josh Wright received the ball on the right ran forward & his shot from 18 yards was pushed around the post by Kidman.

Two minutes later another glorious chance for Blair to extend their lead when A’Court on the left wing crossed to the near post where Armstrong was & his header from 15 yards was pushed around the post by Kidman. The last chance of the game came in the 88^th minute when White got to the by-line & his low cross was diverted goal wards by Andrew Frey forcing Kidman to make a great reaction save.

The final whistle went & the points went to Blair but his was a game where either side could have won & this was a good advert for Southern Counties East football.

Hollands and Blair:

Benham, Adgie (Taylor, 66), A’Court, Staff, Brown, Hadley, Armstrong, Blake (Prescott, 69), McDonald, Valencia, Simon (White, 77)

Subs not used: Greenfield, Lillis

Booked: Blake (30)

Erith & Belvedere:

Kidman, Allen, Babatunde, Feshi, Frey, Leacock, Fyfe (Springett, 84), Oshilaja, Pursglove (Fahm, 55), Robinson, Anderson

Subs not used: Fernandes, Salami, Lawson

Booked: None

Referee: P Zachwieja

Assistants: M Charles & J Eacott

Attendance: 57