Two teams at the wrong end of the early Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table met when Stansfeld entertained Kennington and it was the hosts who claimed the honours with a come from behind victory.

Rajan Sahni had the first goal attempt for Kennington but there was not enough curl on it to take it inside the post before Dario Sesay-De Luca hit a free kick from wide that came back out off the far post. Although Stef Kempton followed up, his first time effort flew wide.

Sesay-De Luca was then brought down by Max Sutton with Stansfeld demanding a penalty but the referee decided it was just outside the penalty area and awarded a free kick and yellow card for the visitors’ left back. Sesay-De Luca again tried his luck with the dead ball opportunity but fired into the side netting.

Sam Wright had a shot deflected over for Kennington before they also had a strong shout for a spot kick denied when Brad Walledge went down in the penalty area.

Chris Alhassan went on a strong run for the hosts but fired over before Adam Phillips’ header was saved brilliantly by Stansfeld goalkeeper Tom Crump. Another strong Alhassan run gave him a shooting staff and Joe Mant in goal for the Ton did well to block with his feet.

Four minutes before half time, Kennington went ahead. Sahni crossed to the far post, Walledge nodded back across goal and Wright nodded powerfully home. 

After the interval Harvey Mead burst down the left and hit a shot across the face of goal that came back out off the base of the upright. A few minutes later, he had a similar chance when Kempton sent him away and this time he made no mistake with a clean finish.

Just after the hour marker, Sutton again brought Sesay-De Luca down leaving the referee with little option other than to show him a second yellow and a red card.

Again Sesay-De Luca was in the thick of the action when he had a shot saved well by Mant after Mead and Frank McCormack had combined down the left. Then Tom Scorer came on as a substitute and met Sahni’s corner with a header that Crump saved easily.

Sahni teed up Alfie Giles whose shot hit the bar on the way over before Ibrahim Barrie had a good chance for Stansfeld with a glancing header that went wide.

Six minutes were left on the clock when the hosts scored a goal worthy of winning any game. Rob Hughes showed great technique in striking a volley from the edge of the penalty area that dipped over Mant and into the net.

Scorer came close again when his header was tipped over acrobatically by Crump but after seven and a half minutes of additional time were negotiated, it was Stansfeld who celebrated.

Stansfeld: Crump, Panji (Barrie 70), McCormack, English, Buhari, Kempton, Sesay-De Luca (Watson 90+2), Hughes (Williams 90+4), Mead, Alhassan (Mendez 65), Mahon (Boyce 71).

Subs not used: None.

Goal scorers: Mead (55), Hughes (84)

Yellow cards: Panji, Kempton

Kennington: Mant, Owen, Sutton, Phillips, Whiting, Giles (Hemmings 85), Linch, Godden (Scorer 72), Wright, Walledge, Sahni.

Subs not used: Mvongo, Grant, Gatakata. 

Goalscorers: Wright (41)

Yellow cards: Sutton, Whiting

Red card: Sutton

Referee: Byron Beard

Assistant Referees: Daniel Wyatt and Christopher Bowdery

Attendance: 94