The upsets continued in the DFDS Kent Senior Trophy as SCEFL Division One side Croydon secured the first Semi Final place in this season’s competition by beating previous winners Hollands and Blair at a bitterly cold Star Meadow.
After another Division One side – Larkfield and New Hythe – dumped title chasing Corinthian out in midweek to claim the last Quarter Final place, Croydon travelled to Gillingham looking to continue the upsets against the 2012 winners and returned home in the last four on the back of a 2-0 victory.
After an even first period, the visitors took the lead ten minutes after the breakthrough Uli Fischer and then capitalised on some dreadful defending from the home side as Arthan Smith-Joseph converted from the spot with ten minutes left.
It really was an afternoon to forget for Scott Porters side which began with Harvey Welford ruled out through illness and then got worse when influential skipper Louis Valencia pulled out of the pre-match warm-up after being named in the starting eleven.
Blair had the best early chance when Richard Atkins flashed a header wide from Finn Whitton’s ball in from the right whilst Evans Lamboh fired over at the other end when well placed.
Whitton came to his sides rescue with a great far post block after Ryan Palmers cross from the right before the young Blair defender was inches away from turning provider at the other end with a brilliant ball in that was inches away from both Atkins (arriving at the front post) and Tom Walmsley (arriving at the far).
Aaron Reber forced the first save of the afternoon when Blair keeper Dan Ellis blocked his shot and from a Palmer corner Freddie Merrett bulleted a header wide of Ellis’ left post.
The visitors were quickest out of the blocks after the break and were in front on 54 minutes when Fischer cut inside brilliantly and beat Ellis with a low drive into the bottom corner.
The home side now had to chase the game and the introduction of Jack Simon seemed to give them the lift they needed, and it was from a super ball in from Simon that Atkins shot wide much to his own frustration and disappointment. The same thing happened moments later – another great teasing ball from Simon was met by Simon and this time his shot was inches too high.
It really was not Atkins’ afternoon as after spending most of it battling with Croydon defender Jordan Anderson who must easily be the tallest player in SCEFL, the Blair number ten powered another header wide from a Simon free kick.
The home side were dominant but ultimately paid the price for some ridiculous play at the back when Ellis brought down a Croydon man who had nipped in to rob a really poor defensive pass, and Smith-Joseph drilled home the spot kick in off the right post.
The home sides afternoon was then summed up in the last five minutes when Atkins was denied by a block from keeper George Kamurasi, and as the ball fell to Joe Jarvis, his bobbled effort was scrambled off the line and the rebound looped straight into the grateful keepers’ arms.
Croydon then progress into the last four and weather permitting will discover their fellow semi-finalists next weekend when the other three-Quarter Final ties are played.
HOLLANDS & BLAIR – Ellis, Whitton, Nurden, Gilman, Purfette, Etherington (Chiari), Stace, Horley (Simon), Atkins, Walmsley, O’Donnell (Jarvis)
Sub – Peter-Brown
CROYDON – Kamurasi, Morgan, Wilson (Brown), Wilson, Anderson, Merrett, Palmer, Smith-Joseph, Lamboh (Morton), Reber (Owen). Fischer, Bogle
Subs – Rufus, Mondako-Ramazani