NewsPremier Division

BH Monday 31 August

 

PREMIER DIVISION

Bearsted 1-2 Hollands & Blair

Beckenham Town 2-0 Chislehurst Glebe

Erith & Belvedere 1-7 SE Dons

Kennington 1-2 Faversham Strike Force

Larkfield & New Hythe 0-3 Snodland Town

Petts Wood & Holmesdale 3-4 AFC Greenwich Borough

Phoenix Sports 1-4 Sutton Athletic

Tunbridge Wells P-P Rusthall

 

Greenwich Borough Go Top After Dramatic Bank Holiday Monday

AFC Greenwich Borough ended a dramatic Bank Holiday Monday on top of the SCEFL Premier Division, while Snodland Town joined them on ten points, SE Dons hit seven and the previously unbeaten Bearsted and Kennington both suffered their first defeats.

There were 28 goals across seven games as a packed weekend of Premier Division football came to a spectacular conclusion.

Petts Wood & Holmesdale 3-4 AFC Greenwich Borough

The game of the day came at the New Inn Stadium, where AFC Greenwich Borough held off a remarkable late Petts Wood & Holmesdale fightback to win 4-3 and move to the top of the table.

Malik Sesay gave Borough a 14th-minute lead before Abel Vendrells doubled the advantage on 37 minutes. A Ryan Mahal own goal in first-half stoppage time left Greenwich three ahead at the break.

Charlie Clover pulled one back for PWH after 57 minutes, but Harry Revill restored Borough’s three-goal cushion nine minutes from time.

The drama wasn’t over. Lewis Heywood-Oriogun made it 4-2 in the 89th minute before Clover converted a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time.

Greenwich held on, though, ending PWH’s perfect start and moving onto 10 points from four games.

Larkfield & New Hythe 0-3 Snodland Town

Snodland Town kept pace at the summit with an excellent 3-0 victory at Larkfield & New Hythe.

Two goals in six first-half minutes put Town in control, Kian Scott opening the scoring after 33 minutes before Nathaniel Olawole added the second on 39.

Chris Alhassan completed the victory in the 77th minute as Snodland moved onto ten points from five games, sitting second behind Greenwich Borough on goal difference.

For Larkfield, their early-season fortunes have turned dramatically. Two opening victories have now been followed by four successive defeats.

Bearsted 1-2 Hollands & Blair

Early leaders Bearsted suffered their first defeat of the season as Hollands & Blair produced a second-half turnaround at Otham.

Jack Palmby struck in first-half stoppage time to give the Bears the lead and put them on course for a fourth consecutive league victory.

But Blair changed the game with two goals in quick succession. Reece Gillies converted a 73rd-minute penalty before Drew Briffitt struck just two minutes later to put the visitors ahead.

Blair held on for an impressive 2-1 victory, leaving Bearsted third on nine points.

Kennington 1-2 Faversham Strike Force

There was also a first league defeat for Kennington, with Faversham Strike Force taking all three points from Homelands.

Ali Wren put Strike Force ahead after 12 minutes before Tom Scorer’s 36th-minute penalty brought unbeaten Kennington level.

Mefose Esumobi proved to be the match-winner, restoring Faversham’s lead on the hour and helping his side move onto seven points.

Kennington remain fourth with eight points after their first five matches.

Erith & Belvedere 1-7 SE Dons

The biggest victory of the afternoon belonged to an increasingly impressive SE Dons, who hit seven at Erith & Belvedere.

Andre Coker needed only four minutes to open the scoring before Aaron Watson’s 29th-minute penalty doubled the advantage. Palace Francis made it three before half-time.

Joshua Bohui converted a penalty on the hour and struck again six minutes later to make it five.

Liam Nelson-Martin added number six after 78 minutes before Francis grabbed his second of the afternoon five minutes from time.

Ellis Procter converted a 74th-minute penalty for the Deres, but it was a difficult afternoon for the hosts.

For the Dons, the numbers make impressive reading. After Saturday’s 3-0 win at Larkfield, they have scored ten goals in two Bank Holiday weekend matches. They remain unbeaten with seven points from three games and sit fifth with a division-best +9 goal difference.

Beckenham Town 2-0 Chislehurst Glebe

Beckenham Town produced the response they wanted after Friday night’s heavy defeat at Phoenix Sports.

Adekunle Ajagbe was the difference, putting Becks ahead in the 42nd minute before scoring his second midway through the second half.

The 2-0 victory takes Beckenham onto seven points from four matches and up to sixth in the early standings.

Phoenix Sports 1-4 Sutton Athletic

After Phoenix Sports collected their first points on Friday, Sutton Athletic followed suit on Monday – and did it in style.

Ashdon Day gave Sutton the perfect start after only five minutes, although Harry Barnes replied for Phoenix in the 18th minute from the penalty spot.

A controversial decision to award own goal, five minutes into the second half changed the balance of the game. The Phoenix keeper Ryan McCourt thought he had stopped the ball from crossing the line, but the officials thought otherwise, and for his protestations McCourt was sin-binned. Ashdon Day took advantage of an outfield player in goal and added his second and Sutton’s third in the 54th minute.

Muriano Banjoko completed the 4-1 victory deep into stoppage time as Sutton climbed off the bottom with their first three points of the campaign.

It completed a remarkable weekend for Phoenix, who followed Friday’s 5-0 victory over Beckenham Town with a 4-1 home defeat just three days later.

Borough Lead After a Dramatic Weekend

The scheduled meeting between Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall was postponed, but elsewhere Bank Holiday Monday produced plenty of change at the top.

AFC Greenwich Borough lead on ten points from four games, ahead of Snodland Town on goal difference. Bearsted are third with nine and Kennington fourth with eight.

SE Dons are up to fifth with seven points from only three games, while Beckenham Town and Faversham Strike Force also have seven.

After three days of Bank Holiday action, the Premier Division has a new leader – and with just three points separating the top seven, the early-season battle is already taking shape.