Two teams needing to bounce back from heavy defeats met when Erith and Belvedere hosted Littlehampton Town and it was the hosts that claimed the three big points.

Matt Longhurst’s Deres could not have got off to a worse start when having failed to defend a corner, it hit an arm and a penalty was awarded. Jordan Layton stepped up and sent Jordan Perrin the wrong way to put Littlehampton ahead.

Cameron Andrews looked for a quick response with a shot from twenty yards that the visitors’ goalkeeper, Lewis Boughton, did well to turn around the post before the hosts levelled in the eighth minute. Andrews worked his way along the bye-line before picking out Mack Reilly for a tap-in.

George Gaskin hit a shot that took a big deflection and could have gone anywhere, but looped wide, before Nodirbik Bobomurodov fizzed a shot beyond the far post from twenty five yards. 

Simon Gyimaha missed a great chance to put the hosts ahead when nodding over from close range from Andrews’ clever dinked cross then, at the other end, Perrin beat out a powerful drive by Ollie Starkey.

Josh Ajayi had a big shout for a penalty when his cross appeared to hit a defender’s arm but the referee was unimpressed and the Deres’ had to settle for a corner that came to nothing.

Ayaji then whipped in a low diagonal and Boughton got down well to push round the post. Erith then came close again in injury time. Gyimaha took a clever quick free kick that found Andrews on the edge of the area and his first time shot was kicked off the line by Dion Jarvis.

Jarvis was in action at the other end early in the second half when testing Perrin with a near post shot that the Deres’ goalkeeper beat out before Dave Herbert hit a long range shot over.

Lively Andrews went on a long run but fired high over before the Deres went ahead just after the hour mark. Reilly tricked his way into the penalty area and was brought down giving the referee an easy decision to make. Although Boughton went the right way, Ajayi’s spot kick was accurate and powerful enough to beat him.

Billy French headed down for Ajayi but he fired well over but they did not threaten again as the ensured that the Marigolds were kept at bay. Gaskin hooked over at the far post when off balance before he had a shot beaten out by Perrin.

Deep into injury time, Jarvis fired beyond the angle of bar and post and Littlehampton’s last hope was gone.

The result not only took the Deres out of the relegation zone, it also gave them something to build on ahead of the second half of the season.

Erith and Belvedere: Perrin, Vowles, Craig, Palmby, French, Strachan, Gyimaha, Andrews (Cheeseman 81), Reilly (Elliott 81), Lewis, Ajayi (Brown 90+1).

Subs not used: Donaldson, Joyce.

Goalscorers: Reilly (8), Ajayi pen (61)

Yellow card: Craig

Littlehampton Town: Boughton, Packer (El Hage 66), Jarvis, Herbert, Bale, Astle, Short (Middleton-Tozer 81), Layton, Gaskin, Bobomurodov, Starkey (Dolaghan 58).

Subs not used:, Chester, Yoro-Thomas.

Goalscorers: Layton pen (2)

Yellow card: Packer, Layton

Referee: Craig Charles

Assistants: Callum Dorling and Titus Tresidder

Attendance: 120