It could have been considered as a story of two penalties as Erith and Belvedere beat Deal Town in a hard fought Southern Counties East Football league match.

James Hawkins converted for the Deres in the twelfth minute but on the stroke of half time Rilwan Anibaba went the right way to save Macauley Murray’s attempt at the other end.

However, there was far more to this game. Before the start, their was only one point separating fourth placed Deal and Erith in sixth, so not surprisingly it was a competitive tussle. 

The visitors were offered the opportunity to get the ball into the Erith penalty box early on and Murray sent a free kick into the danger area but Alfie Foster was unable to turn it home.

When they had their first meaningful attack, it was the Deres who went ahead. Freddie Cray was found in plenty of room in the penalty area and, as he tried to turn to get a shot away, he was brought down. The ever reliable Hawkins stepped up and sent James Tonkin the wrong way. Danny Lear came close to making it two with but Kane Smith cleared his effort off the line.

Cray’s influence on the game was then ended when a crunching tackle by Foster, for which he was rightly cautioned, left him in a heap and he had to be carried off and replaced by Lucas Atkins.

Erith continued to have the better chances and a Hawkins corner was headed back by Calum McGeehan, Reece Barrett nodded it on, and Lear’s overhead kick came back off the bar.

Lear went close again with a clever flick that went just beyond the far post but the Deres almost got caught out soon afterwards. Anibaba dithered on the ball for a little too long and Connor Coyne tackled him. However it rolled agonisingly wide for the striker much to the goalkeeper’s relief.

As half time approached, Ben Chapman was brought down in the penalty area and a spot kick awarded but Anibaba made an excellent save as it headed towards the bottom corner.

Tonkin produced a fine save early in the second half to thwart Lear after good work by Tyler Anderson-Parr before Anibaba had to be out bravely to save as Tom Chapman burst through. Foster then met a Jack Penny corner with a firm header that clipped the bar on the way over before, at the other end, Stefan Cox saw his low shot from twenty five yards come back out off the post.

Cox drew another save out of Tonkin before Rene Rivear flicked a deflected Max Niblett shot goal-wards when he had more time than he realised. Anibaba made the save comfortably.

Things got worse for Deal on the hour when a reckless, and needless, challenge by Billy Munday cleaned out Greg Benbow and referee Teddy Osborn had little option other than to show the red card.

Drew Allassani had a shot beaten out by Tonkin and Lear also had a shot saved before Atkins met an Anderson-Parr cross with an effort that was deflected wide.

The game became ten aside when Barrett was shown a second yellow card with five regulation minutes remaining but the Deres created another chance when two of their substitutes combined. Richard Jimoh set up James Dyer but, rather than shooting first time, he tried to dummy Tonkin. The Hoops’ goalkeeper was not fooled though and got down to make the save.

Deal had one last attempt in the sixth minute of stoppage time when they launched a ‘Hail Mary’ of a free kick into the area with Tonkin thrown forward but the Deres repelled the threat and the final whistle blew two minutes later.

Victory moved the Deres up into fourth but the visitors have played four games fewer and will attempt to bounce back when they visit league leaders Chatham Town on Tuesday evening.  

Erith and Belvedere: Anibaba, Lewis, Benbow, D. Allassani (Dyer 77), McGeehan, Barrett, Cox, Cray (Atkins 25), Lear, Anderson-Parr, Hawkins (Jimoh 66).

Subs not used: Patterson, Spencer.

Goalscorers: Hawkins pen (12)

Yellow cards: Barrett, Cox, Hawkins.

Red cards: Barrett

Deal Town: Tonkin, Paxman, Penny, Foster, Smith, Munday, T. Chapman, Murray (Niblett 46), Coyne (Cardwell), B. Chapman, Rivear. (Reeves 68).

Subs not used: Hark, Gibson.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Foster, Niblett

Red cards: B. Munday

Referee: Teddy Osborn

Assistants: Esther Perry and Ashley Barnes

Attendance: 102

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.