There were talking points aplenty as VCD Athletic defeated Erith and Belvedere in a festive season Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division match.

Victory for the Vickers kept them at the top of the table however, it was nowhere near to being as straightforward as the four-one scoreline might suggest.

It was the Deres who came out the more lively and they might have scored in the opening exchanges when Tyller Davis-Whitlock delivered a low cross that picked out the late arriving Freddie Baker and he looked odds on to score. However, goalkeeper Andy Walker got across to make an excellent point blank range block.

Although that was an escape for VCD, they didn’t survive Erith’s next raid. Ladic Melconian whipped over a deep free kick that was knocked down by a Vickers’ defender into the path of Tommy Whitnell and the veteran striker showed his predatory instincts when bundling it home.

Ollie Freeman drew a comfortable save out of the Deres’ goalkeeper, Charlie Cottrell, with a low twenty-five yard drive before Ladic Melconian fired over for Erith from the edge of the penalty area.

Connor Dymond sent over a deep free kick that was headed over by VCD captain Ben Fitchett before a Francis Babalola shot fizzed over. Babalola then did well down the right wing before pulling it back to George Whitelock whose clean strike was just too high.

At the other end, Freddie Baker headed down into the path of Dieko Falade who hooked his shot wide of the near post before the Vickers equalised three minutes before the break. A bout of penalty area bagatelle ended with it falling to Ollie Freeman and he bundled it home from close range.

Melconian thought that he had put the Deres back ahead when he lobbed Walker from thirty yards only to be flagged offside. Referee Mitchell Bush spoke with his assistant to check that he had indicated for Melconian and not Falade and once confirmation had been received, he disallowed the goal.

That proved costly for the visitors as VCD went ahead in the third minute of stoppage time when a brilliant strike by Lee Bird flew into the top corner.

Both team’s half-time team talks will have been very different to those that were being prepared leading up to the break and neither side made tactical changes to their line-ups for the start of the second period.

Five minutes after the restart, VCD were awarded a free kick that Sam Smith disputed to such an extent that he was sent into the sin-bin for dissent for ten minutes. Dymond tried to sneak the free kick low around the wall and inside the near post but it rippled the outside netting.

Although Erith survived that, their escape was short lived as the Vickers scored two minutes later. Babalola again created the opportunity when crossing low and Baker, who was covering for Smith, could only slice it into his own net.

Within three minutes of having come on as a substitute. VCD’s Zak Bryon was incorrectly identified as having committed a foul and was cautioned. Curiously, the referee checked with one assistant but not the one that was nearest to the offence. Five minutes later, Bryon did commit a foul that the referee deemed worthy of a second yellow card, and he was dismissed.

AJ Morrison fired well over for the Deres before Freddie Cray met Melconian’s diagonal free kick with an effort that was deflected against the post and out for a corner.

Danny Lear was then thwarted by a brilliant reaction save by Walker then he had another effort that went just past the far post.

Following a melee on the half way line that resulted in a caution for one player from each team, Lear again went close, after a string of Erith corners, when he glanced a Melconian delivery beyond the back upright.

In the sixth minute of stoppage time the Vickers took full advantage of their opponents throwing players forward. Babalola burst down the inside left channel and it looked that he was going to slot it beyond Cottrell and into the net. Instead he squared unselfishly for Nathaniel Olawole to tap into the empty net.

Whilst the final score was very harsh on the visitors, the victorious Vickers demonstrated the resilience that they will require in the second half of the season.

VCD Athletic: Walker, Lawrence, Whitelock (Cousins 78), Dymond, Fitchett, Lisbie (Byron 56), Heatley (Olawole 59), Bird, Freeman (Jimoh 83), Gboda, Babalola. Subs not used: Morris.

Goalscorers: Freeman (42), Bird (45+3), Baker o.g. (52), Olawole (90+6)

Yellow card: Heatley, Byron, Walker, Gboda, Olawole

Red card: Byron

Erith and Belvedere: Cottrell, Smith, Morrison, Fowler (Church 78), Cray, Curtis (Archibald 81), Baker (Aderonmu 69), Melconian, Falade, Whitnell, Davis-Whitlock (Lear 69). Subs not used: Anderson.

Goal scorers: Whitnell (6)

Yellow cards: Davis-Whitlock, Falade, Cray

Ten minute Sin bin: Smith (50)

Referee: Mitchell Bush

Assistant Referees: Amine Khaldi and Daniel Roberts

Attendance: 185