Blair won the bragging rights in this Medway derby when the scored the winner four minutes from time & also completed the double after winning four nil at Rochester.

The game as a spectacle was marred by the windy conditions but credit to both sides they tried their best toplay football.

The game was only 58 seconds old when Blair took the lead when they took a quick throw into the area & the Rochester keeper Michael Elder reacted slowly enabling Gary Lockyer to get to the ball first & stab in from 6 yards.

It nearly became two in the 6^th minute when Louis Valencia went down the left wing & his low cross to the near post saw goal machine James McDonald nip in between two defenders but his touch put the ball just past the post.

Two minutes later & with their first attack Rochester equalised when Daniel Nash saw his free kick from 18 yards & a foot go past the wall & into the top left hand corner before Ronan Forde could react.

In the 13^th minute Valencia running forward 30 yards from goal beating two defenders on the way saw his shot from the edge of the area go just past the post.

Two minutes later & Blair nearly went back in front when a free kick into the area was punched clear by Elder but only to George Hadley whose overhead kick from 18 yards was headed of the line by Andrew Pierce.

In the 18^th minute Nash had another free kick but this time it was save by Forde, a minute later McDonald passed into the path of Brad Webb in the area & his dinked shot over Elder was headed off the line by Steven Rothery.

In the 39^th minute a corner for Rochester saw Chris McDermott head just over the bar & in the 42^nd minute a free kick by Blair was allowed to bounce & Webb latched on to it & his shot was parried away by Elder.

The second half took a while to get going & then in the 58^th minute Vince Collis split the Blair defence for Alex Kendall to run on to & from 15 yards his shot was saved by Forde & in the next minute a Blair corner into the middle was headed down by Ben Brown to McDonald who retrieved it & passed into the path of Lockyer but from 10 yards he shot wide.

In the 61^st minute Nash had another free kick attempt but this time it went over the bar. Another chance came Blair’s way in the 65^th minute when a free kick into the area caused a bit of confusion & McDonald again retrieved it & his cross found Sam Adgie but his header came back of the bar & Brown shot wide from 10 yards.

Another chance went a begging in the 70^th minute when Jack A’Court’s free kick to the back post saw Lockyer’s header come back of the post.

In the 86^th minute Blair got their second & what would become the winner when first substitute Bradley Pierce ran down the left wing to the by-line & his pass to Valencia who from 10 yards saw his shot parried away by Elder but the other substitute George Blake reacted the quicker & stabbed the ball home from 6 yards & in the 90^th minute they nearly made it three when McDonald on the right ran forward & laid the ball into the path of Valencia but he shot over the bar.

The final whistle went & Blair with this win moved up to 6^th in the table.

 

HOLLANDS & BLAIR:

1. FORDE    2. J.SIMON    3. J.A’COURT   4. T.MICHELSON    5. B.BROWN   6. S.ADGIE (90+1)   7. G.HADLEY 8. L.VALENCIA 9. J.McDONALD   10. G.LOCKYER (82)   11. B.WEBB (65)

SUBS USED:  15. G.BLAKE (65)  12. B.PRICE  14. T.MONTGOMERY (90+1)

SUBS NOT USED: 16. G.KEEN  17. D.HODGE

BOOKINGS: 4. T.MICHELSON (38) 10. G.LOCKYER (41)  11. B.WEBB (62)  7. G.HADLEY (84)

 

ROCHESTER UNITED:

1. ELDER 2. D.NASH   3. S.ROTHERY   4.  T.WHITAKER 5. A.PIERCE  6. C.McDERMOTT 7. A.KENDALL 8. H.HUME (45) 9. D.GONZALEZ-BELLO   10. R.McFARLANE   11. V.COLLIS (80)

SUBS USED:  15. S.PARRISH (45)  14. M.HURCOMB (80)

SUBS NOT USED: 12. J.ALDERMAN  16. E.IZOLKUN

BOOKINGS: NONE

 

REFEREE: Mr O.FYFE

ASSISTANTS: Mr J.ANNANDALE & Mr S.BROWN

ATTENDANCE: 57