Tonight saw me finally revisit one of the last grounds I had visited before the world was turned upside down by COVID-19 – The Ladywell Arena, just around the corner from Catford station. After watching Forest Green Sunday, it was off to watch another Forest and Forest Hill Park take on Kent Football United in the Southern Counties East Football League Division 1.

Joined for the game by Gills fans and groundhoppers Jim Case and Nigel, we witnessed Forest Hill have the first shot in anger when in the sixth minute the ball fell at the feet of Leon Thomas at the edge of the box and his effort took a deflection before narrowly going past the left-hand post and away for a corner.

If this was a warning sign for Kent Football then they did not learn from it because they conceded the opening goal of the game in the 18th minute when a delicious through ball saw Jesse Sentamu through one on one with Kent Football goalkeeper Nathan Boamah and the forward kept his cool to dink the ball over the onrushing Kent Football custodian and into the back of the net in an exquisite finish.

Unperturbed by this set back Kent Football kept going and could have got an equaliser earlier than they did when in the 24th minute a free kick from the left was headed back across the face of goal by Jordan Anderson and saw Jerome Walker with a free header six yards out but his effort was smothered on the goal line by Forest Hill goalkeeper Dillon Green who just about kept the ball from crossing the line.

Kent Football however did get their equaliser in the 32nd minute when a free kick from the left was met by the head of Jordan Anderson and his powerful header flew into the back of the net to give Dillon Green no chance.

With seven minutes to go in the first half Forest Hill could have re-taken the lead when Temi Alaka was played in and proceeded to round Nathan Boamah before laying the ball back and the ball eventually fell to Leon Thomas to have an effort towards goal from inside the box with his effort towards the top left corner well saved over the bar.

HT: 1-1.

In an uneventful second half which gave us groundhoppers the chance to discuss a whole manner of topics such as liver sausage sandwiches, FA Cup groundhopping, Shakhter Soligorsk and programme collecting amongst many other things, Kent Football had arguably the best two chances in it through Javen Palmer when firstly a cross from the left by team mate Danny Patterson saw him have an effort from close range hit the bar, with another effort a minute later well saved over the top by Dillon Green.

Following Forest Hill’s Jason John having an effort straight at Nathan Boamah from just inside the box, Kent Football thought that they had a penalty late in the game when a cross appeared to strike the hand of a Forest Hill player in the penalty area. With the referee initially pointing to the spot, after consultation with his assistant, the referee changed his mind and instead awarded a drop ball to Forest Hill Park which rather annoyed Kent Football’s Javen Palmer who got himself sin binned for dissent in the aftermath.

With 12 minutes of second half stoppage time played both teams had a good chance when Jason John scooped a shot from the edge of the box for Forest Hill which just cleared the crossbar, with Kent Football also going close when a cross from the right was met with good contact six yards out with the ball clipping the top of the bar.

FT: 1-1 and probably a fair result.

MOTM: No real stand outs but I thought Leon Thomas of Forest Hill looked tidy in midfield.

Club