Snodland Town’s SCEFL Premier survival hopes received a massive boost on a damp Tuesday evening as a goal in each half gave Luke Jessop’s side three massive points against a Holmesdale side who missed their chance to close on the division’s Play Off places.
Two superbly taken goals – one in each half – from Stanley Oldfield and Charlie Sheringham won the game for the home side three precious points as they climbed out of the relegation places and above Lydd Town and Stansfeld.
Kane Phillip had the game’s first chance cutting inside from the left but was unable to keep his shot down. Sheringham was inches away from converting a ball in from the right as the home side looked to get the early advantage.
Phillip’s pace down the left would continually prove a problem for the visitors defence and from one such raid, Aidan Clark fired over before Holmesdale created their first real chance and what a chance it was!
From a Snodland corner, Lewis Heywood-Oriogun and Mecca Samuels sprinted away and when Samuels was played through his deflected effort was magnificently saved by Josh Fowler. From the resulting corner, Callum Taylor should really have hit the target with a free header.
Chances kept coming at both ends – Sheringham heading over a Clark cross, whilst Sam Bayford’s shot was well held by Fowler at the foot of his right post, before with five minutes left in the half, Snodland got the priceless first goal and what a cracker it was!
Ryan Hayes’ brilliant touch and first time touch down the right was helped on for Oldfield, who sprinted away down the inside right channel before drilling a drive beyond Cameron Hall and into the bottom corner of the net for his fifteenth, and perhaps most important goal of the season.
After the break, Holmesdale searched for a way back into the game without any joy at all as Sonny Jackson and sub Ollie Gray (on in the first half for the injured Tyler Batton) were outstanding at the heart of the home back line.
Hayes almost got one of the strangest goals of the season when Hall misjudged the former Dartford and Chatham man’s corner and could only help it onto the face of the bar, before after a brilliant run and pass out of his own defence by Phillip, Hayes raced clear only to drag his shot wide.
The game then turned completely in the direction of Snodland midway through the second period. From a Holmesdale corner, Samuels finished on the deck, but nothing was given as the home side sprinted clear down the slope. The ball was worked out to Oldfield ball into the box was perfect for Sheringham who supplied the needed touch, and the lead was doubled!
Holmesdale kept pressing and would have got a late reply they probably just about deserved had it not been for a magnificent goal line clearance from Grey who denied Samuels after the Holmesdale man did brilliantly to divert a through ball over Fowler and goalwards.
The win gives Snodland an advantage at least for now in the fight for survival with their home game against Lydd Town on Easter Monday becoming more and more important by the matchday.
For Holmesdale now their season is all but over as they now cannot mathematically reach the Play Offs after losing their last three games…
SNODLAND TOWN – Fowler, Wright, Jackson, Hatton (Grey), Burgess, Parle, Hayes (Cain), Oldfield, Sheringham, Phillip (Thompson)
Subs – Wincott, Green
HOLMESDALE – Hall, Deandre Williams (Yeboah), Lugboso (Murray), Musoke, Taylor, Horlick (Harris), Heywood-Oriogun (Walcott), Bayford, Samuels, Clark, Oghosa Williams (Odedoyin)
REFEREE – Mr. Clark