When Erith Town hosted Cray Valley PM in April, the visitors won an entertaining game at VCD Athletic’s Oakwood ground.

This season, the Dockers have returned home to the Erith Sports Stadium and are keen to improve on their league position of the last two seasons. However, the Millers have other ideas and are looking at a high league finish.

They were both in F.A. Cup action over the weekend, Erith drawing in Loxwood and Cray defeating Ashford Town (Middx) but the game on Wednesday night was back to trying to win Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division points.

After a delayed start Cray Valley were quickly on the attack and from a Jake Rose free kick Ashley Sains headed powerfully but off target.

Louis Valencia shot wide for Erith from twenty-five yards before the visitors went ahead. Frances Babalola wriggled his way into the penalty area but the danger appeared to be over when a block came out. However, Erith failed to clear and it came out to Denzel Gayle who side-footed home from twenty yards.

There was a lucky escape for Cray soon after when a clear hand-ball by Josh James in the penalty area was not spotted by the referee and Cray cleared.

Steadman Callender broke for Erith but Andy Walker was out quickly and Callender was unable to lob over him but under the bar.

Anthony Edgar sent a free kick well over after Jack Hooper flattened Ryan Flack then Flack found Kevin Lisbie who spun but shot high over the bar.

However, Lisbie showed his class soon after when latching onto a long ball and slotting home clinically. Erith might have had a claim for offside but their protests fell on deaf ears.

Hooper went for a spectacular flying effort from a half cleared corner but it was well off target. Then Ralique Lawrence tried his luck from a long way out but Walker was able to make a comfortable save.

More Babalola trickery caused havoc and his first effort was blocked. It came back to him and his cross hit a surprised Lisbie which allowed Adam Molloy time to smother the loose ball.

Rose had the last shot of the first half but Molloy made an easy save.

Dan Palfrey replaced Hooper at the break but Cray Valley were quickest out of the blocks and Babalola shot just wide at the end of a good team move.

Ralique Lawrence did well to work himself into a good position but he ruined it with a wild shot as Erith tried to get back into the game.

As hard as Erith tried it was Cray Valley who scored again, and it was a real cracker as Edgar fired home from twenty-five yards.

Aaron Jeffrey fired well over with an acrobatic effort for Erith before being withdrawn in favour of Adrian Stone. The substitute’s first taste of the action was firing a free kick into the defensive wall.

On seventy-seven minutes, Erith pulled a goal back when a deep corner was headed back across goal by Jason Goodchild for Jack Duffy to finish.

Visibly lifted, Erith went on the search for a second and won a corner. Dan Nash delivered and Kushall Campbell-Palmer headed just wide with Walker beaten.

On the counter-attack Cray Valley broke quickly and Flack found Babalola who set up Nathan Palmer whose shot was saved by Molloy.

Walker made the final save, and the best save of the match, when diving full length to keep out Simon Glover’s drive.

 

 

Erith Town: Molloy, Nash, Fairweather-Oates, Duffy, Glover, Hooper (Palfrey 46), Valencia, Goodchild, Callender (Campbell-Palmer 57), Lawrence, Jeffrey (Stone 72).

Subs not used: Nelson, Caetano.

 

Cray Valley PM: Walker, White, Osborne, James, Sains, Rose, Babalola, Edgar (Palmer 75), Gayle, Lisbie, Flack.

Sub not used: Oke, Deen, Irving-Young, Kemp.

 

Erith Town:

Goalscorers: Duffy (77)

Yellow cards: Hooper, Goodchild

Red cards: None

 

Cray Valley PM:

Goalscorers: Gayle (8), Lisbie (37), Edgar (62)

Yellow cards: Palmer

Red cards: None

 

Referee: T. Enstone

Assistants: K. Stoneham and D. Hooker

 

Attendance: 70

 

Man of the Match: Frances Babalola