First Division Midweek – 18th / 19th August
TUESDAY 18th AUGUST
Banstead Athletic 0-1 Tooting Bec
Rochester United 1-0 Greenways
Staplehurst Monarchs 3-1 Lordswood
Welling Town 0-5 SC Thamesmead
WEDNESDAY 19th AUGUST
Croydon 1-1 Lewisham Borough
Halls 1-1 FC Elmstead
Lydd Town 1-1 Minster
Rochester United are the new leaders of the SCEFL First Division after maintaining their perfect start to the season on Tuesday night, while Staplehurst Monarchs climbed to third and SC Thamesmead hit five at Foxbury.
The big game of the evening came at Rede Court Road, where Rochester United edged groundsharers Greenways 1-0.
It was a third successive league victory for Rochester and sends them to the top of the table with a maximum nine points. Greenways suffer their first defeat of the campaign after taking four points from their opening two matches.
Staplehurst Monarchs are also making an impressive start and moved up to third place following a 3-1 home victory over Lordswood. The Monarchs now have two wins from their opening two league games and are yet to drop a point.
The biggest victory of the night belonged to SC Thamesmead, who bounced back emphatically from Saturday’s heavy defeat against Croydon.
Their rearranged fixture against Welling Town was switched to Glebe’s Foxbury ground due to pitch problems at Erith Stadium, and Thamesmead took full advantage with a thumping 5-0 victory.
It leaves Welling still searching for their first point of the campaign and bottom of the First Division table, while Thamesmead responded in the best possible fashion to climb the standings.
There was also a first victory of the season for Tooting Bec, who returned from Banstead Athletic with a 1-0 win. Banstead remain without a point after their opening two games.
It was a night of draws in the SCEFL First Division on Wednesday, with all three fixtures finishing 1-1.
The result of most interest at the top of the table came at Croydon, where Lewisham Borough became the first side to take points from the Trams this season.
After a goalless first half, Tod Bamber put Croydon ahead in the 52nd minute and they looked on course to join Rochester United on nine points. Lewisham had other ideas though, with Montel Williams grabbing an 86th-minute equaliser to earn Borough a point.
That result means Rochester United remain two points clear at the top of the First Division, with Croydon second on seven points. Lewisham remain unbeaten and move onto four points from their opening two games.
There was late drama at Princes Park as Halls AFC rescued a 1-1 draw against FC Elmstead.
Elmstead made the perfect start when Frankie Driscoll scored after just five minutes and that lead remained intact deep into stoppage time. Despite being reduced to ten men following an 84th-minute red card for Ryan Croucher, the visitors were within seconds of collecting all three points.
However, Abdulahmed Oladimeji struck in the 96th minute to dramatically earn Halls their first point of the season. The result also gets FC Elmstead off the mark after defeats in their opening two games.
Lydd Town maintained their unbeaten start with a 1-1 draw against SCEFL newcomers Minster at the Lindsey Field.
Minster took the lead through Zack Jobe after 24 minutes, putting them in sight of their first SCEFL victory. Cody Stanton equalised for Lydd in the 43rd minute, though, and neither side could find a winner after the break.
It does mean a landmark first SCEFL point for Minster, while Lydd move onto five points from three games and sit fourth in the early table.
After two busy nights of First Division football, Rochester United lead the way with nine points, Croydon sit second on seven and Staplehurst Monarchs are third with six – having played just twice.
At the other end, Minster and Halls are now off the mark, while Welling Town remain the only First Division side yet to pick up a point.