A stunning 89th minute strike from Bromley’s Nick Kelliher recused Ken Brookes’ Kent under 18s from defeat against the Amateur Football Alliance (AFA) .
It also left Kent handily placed to challenge for this season’s Under 18 South East Counties Youth Championship.
The game that was switched between Corinthian’s two main pitches was a frustrating game for the Kent management team as they fell behind just before half time after dominating for long spells in the first half, it was the AFA who snatched the lead just before the break when Oliver Fortune took advantage of a couple of very poor defensive decisions to score from a corner.
After the break Charlie Portway hit a post for the AFA just as the visitors looked to establish themselves against a Kent side that sadly lost their way badly for 20 minutes.
Yet, just as it looked as if AFA were going to run away with the game, Kent had just that little bit of luck that got them back into the game as two substitutes combined to level the scores.
Dartford’s Eli Graham did well down the left and his ball into the middle fell to Dover Athletic’s Alfie Paxman.
Paxman will be the first to admit that his contact wasn’t the best he’s ever hit, yet in this instance the lack of pace on the shot deceived AFA keeper Ellis Holiday and nestled in the corner of the net.
Paxman then went close again before with ten minutes left AFA were back in front again when Napier Brown’s free kick was completely misjudged by the Kent defence and flew into the net, and the Kent side were back to square one again.
Then enter “stage left” an unlikely goal scorer, as Kelliher levelled spectacularly in the 88th minute.
Graham battled well down the left and again found Paxman. This time the Dover man held the ball up brilliantly and laid the ball back for Kelliher and the marauding full back let fly from 30 yards into the roof of the AFA net to level things up again.
Indeed, in the end Kent were denied the three points when deep into stoppage time Hythe’s Simba Nyaruwa, who was a revelation when he came on down the right, was denied by a truly magnificent save by Holiday full length away to his left.
So a point gained or two lost? Hard to tell at this time, but there’s always the argument that points on the board are better than games in hand – this point gives the under 18s four points from their opening two games with matches with Middlesex and London still to come.
KENT – Tyler McCarthy (sub Louis Lawler 46), Jack Paxman, Nick Kelliher, Dan Thompson, Aaron James (Connor Dobson), Joshua Dalsan (Simba Nyaruwa), Ross Phillips, Justin Nwogu (sub Alfie Paxman), Rene Armstrong, Umoh Ufot (Eli Graham)
AFA – Ellis Hoilday, Charlie Stafford-Millbank, Gabby Adelawo (Derek Castello), Sean Derrick, John Cush, John Burgess, Napier Brown (Antonio Fusco), Ewan Rockell, Kenan Gokcimen (Tom Chalk), Oliver Fortune, Charlie Portway
Referee – Nick Dunn
Assistants – Joe Dann-Pye & Jamie Eacott
Pictures supplied by www.pspimages.co.uk