Erith & Belvedere missed the chance to close to within two points of the SCEFL Premier Play Off places as they were held to a goalless draw by Hollands & Blair as Darren Blackburn returned to the home Star Meadow dug-out for the second time. 

Blair started the game in the division’s bottom two after winning just once in six games and whilst this ninety minutes will give some hope to the new Blair boss and the club’s supporters, all will be only too well aware that the side must take their opportunities when they come along if they are to pull away from the wrong end of the table – the case playing against ten men for the final stages of the game yet allowing the visitors a golden chance to take the points. 

The game itself won’t live long in the memory but Blackburn won’t give two hoots about that as this was the start of what he hopes will be the run that pulls Blair to safety. 

Ladic Melconian had the game’s first chance with a low early drive that Blair keeper Dan Ellis got down well to keep out, whilst once the home side got into their stride, the hard-working Tom Walmsley will be disappointed not to have hit the target with a terrific shot on the turn. 

There were loud home cries for a spot kick when Murisiku Batula appeared to be taken out by keeper James Poole – referee Monkman though wasn’t interested, and ironically in the home side’s next attack, Poole got his timing spot on to bravely deny the same player. 

The half’s best chance fell to the Deres on the stroke of half time – Dieko Falade did brilliantly down the right and his whipped in ball towards the near post needed only a proper touch to give the visitors the lead, but somehow Freddie Baker, albeit under pressure, contrived to miss the ball completely and the chance had gone. 

After the break, Poole again seemed to get lucky as he spilled a cross that was aimed for Charlie Weston, but the official was on hand to bail the keeper out saying that the Blair player had committed a foul. 

Erith skipper Ryan Fowler then what proved to be the best chance of the match as his fine low drive after a surging run was brilliantly beaten out by Ellis and following up Melconian’s effort was deflected wide for a corner that came to nothing. 

As the game wore on it became more and more evident that one goal was going to settle the contest with the home side the more threatening.

Walmsley threaded a ball through towards Josh Olatubosun who was crowded out by defenders as he tried to wriggle through. That was followed by a Batula effort that got ten out of ten for the way he made the chance but the considerably less for the effort itself.

The Blair front man did well to rob the defence of the ball in the corner but sadly after advancing into the box, he sliced the shot so badly that the corner flag was in more danger than Poole’s goal. 

Ten minutes from time, it seemed that the Deres had handed Blair the chance for their third League win since opening day – Falade took exception to a challenge on him and after a “conversation” with the match official, the referee whipped out a red card presumably for something the Erith man had said. 

Yet in the remaining ten minutes it was the ten men who had the clearest chance as Freddie Cray thumped a relatively free header from Joe Chalker’s long free kick into Blair’s side netting. 

A point then for Blackburn on his Blair return – whether a point won or two lost, only time will tell… 

HOLLANDS & BLAIR – Ellis, Itauma, Brown, Wells (Allan), Weston, Dasho, West (Ngeba), Boichat, Walmsley, Batula, Bailey (Olatubosun) 

Subs – Brooker, Green 

ERITH & BELVEDERE – Poole, Chalker, McLean, Fowler, Cray, Morrison, Baker, Melconian, Falade, Whitnell, Davis-Whitlock 

Subs – Sanford, Ford, Luchford, Curtis, Anderson 

REFEREE – Mr. Monkman