In a keenly contested game, Danny Lear’s quality in front of goal proved the difference when Erith and Belvedere hosted Phoenix Sports.

It took him just under nine minutes to open the scoring. Bradley Ryan spread the play out to Nathan Palmer, and he whipped in a cross that Lear met with a glancing header inside the far post.

Tunde Aderonmu and Tyrell Richardson-Brown were both off target for the hosts before the Sports had their first real chance when Luke Leppard’s flick volley from Kenzie Parkinson’s cross flashed wide.

Richardson-Brown headed a deep free kick back across goal, but Aderonmu couldn’t finish then the Deres’ striker shot directly at Phoenix goalkeeper Andy Walker.

Ryan gave Walker a tougher test with a free kick, but he made an outstanding save before the hosts went two up. Jerome Wade found Dear, but although it seemed that he had been pushed too wide, he turned it home with an outstanding finish.

Phoenix manager Steve O’Boyle clearly had some strong words to say at half time as his team came out all guns blazing after the break. They won three corners in quick succession, and from the third, delivered by Ryan Hayes, Marcus Elliott headed them back into the game.

Lear came close to completing his hat-trick when sent clear by Ryan, but his shot flashed just wide of the far post before the former Welling United midfielder created another opportunity, but Walker saved substitute Nathaniel Pinney’s header.

As the game became more stretched both teams had chances. The angle was just too tight for Lewis Clark to finish for Phoenix from Dave Martin’s cross before Erith’s Rory Ward headed over from Palmer’s cross.

Palmer had a shot beaten out by Walker before Erith were reduced to ten men. Ryan Huckle appeared to have been fouled but nothing was given, and as he regained his balance, he tripped his man to stop him getting away and was shown a second yellow card and dismissed.

O’Boyle’s team threw caution to the wind looking for an equaliser but almost got caught out deep into injury time when Walker made an outstanding save from Richardson-Brown.

Both teams showed enough to suggest that there could be a competitive Southern Counties East Football League season ahead, with the Deres being the early pacesetters.

Erith and Belvedere: Molloy, Palmer, Barrett, Wade, Huckle, Johnson, Richardson-Brown, Monger (Ward 57), Aderonmu (Pinney 53), Dear (Miles 86), Ryan (Hudson 74).

Unused subs: Constable.

Goalscorers: Dear (9), (36)

Yellow cards: Huckle, Hudson

Red Cards: Huckle

Phoenix Sports: Walker, Parkinson (Goumou 58), Cousins, Bird, (Oshinowo 67) Denny, Clark, Hayes, Leppard, Elliott, Martin (O’Connor 86), Evans.

Subs not used: Aikon, King.

Goal scorers: Elliott (51)

Yellow cards: Denny

Referee: Kieran Cox

Assistants: Jason Elliott and David Lambert

Attendance : 191

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.