Sunday, December 30, 2007 14:45
The year ended with plenty of goals in a full Premier Division programme.
VCD extended their lead at the top to four points thanks to a 4-2 win against Herne Bay. Aaron Firth put Bay one up with a 41st minute penalty before Kevin Spriggs equalised on the hour. Steve Brown restored the visitors lead within two minutes but Leroy Huggins put the sides level with a quarter of an hour remaining. Spriggs then struck for his second of the game to put VCD in front, and a last minute goal from Murchill sealed the points.
Thamesmead secured their first win in five games with a 1-0 win at home to Beckenham, and in so doing leap-frogged over them into second. Pedro Knight was the 'Mead goal hero in the 85th minute in front of a crowd of just 56.
Top scorers of the day were Hythe and Greenwich who both hit five, past Sporting Bengal and Tunbridge Wells respectively.
Jason Brazier, Buster Smissen (2) Dave Cook and Simon Rainbow were the Hythe scorers in a 5-0 win. Barry Gardner had given Wells a seventh minute lead which they took into half time. Peter Smith scored four for Greenwich, including three in six minutes, and Ambrose added the fifth to round off a 5-1 win.
Ross Cable, who has recently joined his brother Rikki at Erith Town, opened the scoring against Deal in the 20th minute. Mo Cho added the second ten minutes after the restart to complete a 2-0 victory.
The day's other Premier Divsion game finished all square at North Dane Way as Lordswood and Slade Green drew 1-1. Under 18 player Lewis Farrell put the Lords in front on 37 minutes but Raphael Akala equalised with just over 10 minutes left to snatch a point.
The only game in Division 2 ended in a 1-0 victory for Herne Bay at home to Hythe. In the Premier Divsion we remain in 16th place on 6 points from 15 games, ahead of Sporting Bengal on goal difference. However we have not lost ground on the teams immediately above us as Holmesdale, who visit us on 19th January, did not play and Tunbridge Wells suffered that heavy defeat at the hands of Greenwich. Both those teams are on 11 points while Slade Green are on 12 and Lordswood on 14.
Although it won't be easy two or three wins will soon see us moving up the table. The First Team take a break from League football next Saturday as we entertain high-flying Beckenham in the quarter final of the Kent Senior Trophy, while the Reserves travel to Dover looking to be the first team to take a point off of them this season.