On Saturday in form Erith Town host big scoring Bearsted in a South East Counties Football League Premier Division fixture.

If the season had started at the beginning of October, the Dockers would be top of the league. They started the month with a five-nil victory over K. Sports then progressed in the London Senior Cup, the Southern Counties East Football League Cup, and the Kent Senior Cup. Two more league wins ensured that they finished the month well, resulting in boss Alan Woodward being awarded manager of the month.

There are some who look upon that prize as a curse but it doesn’t appear to have bothered Erith as they won another league match before beating a strong Welling United team away to progress further in the London Senior Cup.

It must be frustrating for them that they started the season so badly. In recent seasons they have had excellent F.A. Cup and Vase runs but this season they crashed out of both at the first time of asking. In the league they started with three draws, a defeat, a win against Punjab United then three more losses.

Bearsted were also knocked out of the F.A. Cup immediately but enjoyed a thumping eight-nil victory at Crowborough on a Tuesday night during an inconsistent August. September was crazy with a defeat at each end of the month sandwiching a two-all, a four-all and a three-all draw.

October started with two defeats before they progressed in the Kent Senior Trophy. Another defeat followed before they hit eight again, this time against Erith and Belvedere who did manage a consolation goal.

Two veterans represented Erith in their game at Welling United. Former Charlton Athletic and Millwall player Jamie Stuart pulled the strings whilst Michael Power, who has played for a host of clubs in North West Kent and beyond, scored a typical poacher’s goal.

Players to look out for in the Bearsted team include former Dover Athletic, Welling United and Maidstone United centre back, Graeme Andrews, and striker Nodirbek Bobomurodov who scored a hat-trick in the previously mentioned game against the Deres.

Coming into the game there is just one place in the table between the two clubs so both will be looking for a win to push them up the league.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.