League leaders SE Dons claimed a three big points against second placed AFC Greenwich Borough in their Southern Counties East Football League First Division encounter.

Having equalised just before half time, the Dons went down to ten men just shy of the hour mark and defended well while hoping to catch the visitors on the counter attack and they reaped the reward when scoring in the last minute of regulation time.

Although ten minutes of stoppage time were added, the young Borough team were unable to create a further opportunity but will consider themselves hard done by to go home with nothing to show for their endeavours.

Things could hardly have started any better for them. Abel Vendrells-Parcerisa struck a clean shot from the right that somehow evaded goalkeeper George Hill and found its way into the corner of the net.

Captain Ryan Palmer curled a Dons free kick well over before Palace Francis had a shot beaten out by Greenwich goalkeeper, Javarn Pitterson. Oghosa Williams then had a shot saved unconvincingly by Hill before the league’s leading scorer got in front of his marker and Hill made an excellent save to block his shot round the post.

Pitterson had an escape when he got caught when trying to dribble it out but managed to force Aaron Watson away and a defender got across to stop him from firing into the empty net. Watson then headed over at the near post before Olu Obilana hit a shot that was well held by Hill.

As the game moved into first half stoppage time, the hosts levelled. Eric De Melo’s diagonal pass put Jordan Green in down the left side of the penalty area and he slotted it inside the far post.

After the restart, Greenwich were more purposeful and both Obilana and substitute Elliott Carey had shots saved by Hill. Bradley Ryan then gave Williams another opportunity and his effort was blocked by the legs of Hill.

Vendrells-Parcerisa cut in from the right and tried to go round Hill, but the Dons keeper got down well and smothered it. Totally out of character for the match, Francis then made a wild challenge and referee Matthew Hollington had little option other than to send him off.

Hill again came to the hosts’ rescue with a brilliant double save when Williams got clean through. Then at the other end, Palmer was again well off target with a free kick in a rare Dons foray. 

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Stefan Payne headed over from a Ryan corner before Antonio Gonnella’s team applied the sucker punch. Pitterson did not learn from his escape earlier and got caught when trying to dribble across his penalty area. Zak Ansah made the tackle and it rebounded towards goal and he followed it up and took his time before rolling it over the goal-line.

Ansah came close to adding a third in time added on when he fired towards the far corner only for Pitterson to turn it around the post, brilliantly.

Victory for the hosts extended their lead over Greenwich to nine points, however, the team in second place have played four games fewer so the title race is still wide open.

SE Dons: Hill, Palmer, Kamara, Rose, McKay; Reber, De Melo (Tajik 87); Morgan-Griffiths (Blackwood 81), Francis; Green (Ansah 72), Watson (Thomas 65).

Sub not used: Teniola.

Goalscorers: Green (45+1), Ansah (90)

Yellow card: Hill (90+1 delay of restart), Palmer (90+6 delay of restart)

Red card: Francis (59 serious foul play)

AFC Greenwich Borough: Pitterson; Panyi (Sartori 81), Evans, Sesay, Nokoe (Carey 46); Obilana (Miles 72); Vendrells-Parcerisa (Godziemski 82), Ryan, Mead; Payne, Williams.

Subs not used: Carey, Elliott.

Goalscorer:  Vendrells-Parcerisa (5)

Yellow card: Payne (90+4 ungentlemanly conduct)

Referee: Matthew Hollington

Assistants: Will Watson and Ollie Warburg

Attendance: 622