Saturday 10th October
First Division Preview: Five Games as FA Vase Takes Centre Stage
Banstead Athletic 0-1 Sheppey Sports
Croydon 6-0 Lydd Town
FC Elmstead 3-3 Bridon Ropes
Lordswood 6-1 Halls
Minster 1-1 Lewisham Borough
Lordswood returned to the top of the SCEFL First Division in emphatic fashion on Saturday, while Croydon matched their six-goal haul with an equally impressive victory over Lydd Town. Elsewhere, Sheppey Sports secured an important away win, Bridon Ropes fought back to earn a point at FC Elmstead and Minster shared the spoils with Lewisham Borough.
Lordswood took full advantage of Rochester United’s absence from league action to reclaim first place with a convincing 6-1 victory over Halls AFC at the K G Property Stadium.
Harvey Welford gave the hosts an early lead in the ninth minute, although Halls responded with an equaliser in the 28th. Lordswood regained control just before the interval when Charlie Plummer struck in the 45th minute, and the second half belonged to the home side.
Nathaniel Murray made it 3-1 five minutes after the restart before Luke Kimberley added a fourth in the 54th minute. Murray grabbed his second just four minutes later, and Zack Manning completed the scoring three minutes into stoppage time.
The result takes Lordswood onto 22 points from ten games, level with Rochester United but ahead on goal difference. Their attacking record is particularly impressive, with 31 goals scored and just eight conceded, giving them a goal difference of +23.
Croydon were just as ruthless, producing a superb attacking display to defeat Lydd Town 6-0 and move up to fourth in the standings.
Red Jenkins opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Kieran Rufus doubled the advantage in the 28th. Ali Fofahan added a third in first-half stoppage time to give Croydon a commanding lead at the break.
There was no let-up after the interval. Fofahan completed his double in the 62nd minute, Edward Dwyer made it five four minutes later and Joseph Freeman rounded off the scoring in the 74th minute.
The victory was an impressive response to Croydon’s recent defeats against Hythe Town and Stansfeld, taking them to 18 points from ten games, just four behind the leaders. Lydd, meanwhile, remain on seven points and have now conceded 28 goals in their opening ten league fixtures.
At Longmead Stadium, FC Elmstead and Bridon Ropes shared six goals in an entertaining 3-3 draw, with the visitors recovering from a two-goal deficit to claim a valuable point.
Jamie Fearn gave Elmstead the lead in the 23rd minute before Jonathon Boateng levelled for Bridon on the stroke of half-time. Fearn struck again in first-half stoppage time to restore the home side’s advantage, and Luke Alliband extended the lead to 3-1 in the 51st minute.
Bridon looked to be heading for another defeat, but Abdulai Turay reduced the arrears in the 75th minute before Yedidja Kossi struck in the 83rd to complete the comeback.
The point takes Elmstead to 12 for the season, while Bridon move onto five and climb off the bottom of the table on goal difference.
Sheppey Sports recorded a valuable 1-0 victory away to Banstead Athletic, with a late goal settling a tight contest.
With the game still goalless heading into the closing stages, Sheppey found the breakthrough in the 84th minute to secure all three points.
It was their second league victory of the campaign and moves them up to 13th place with nine points from seven matches. Banstead remain bottom on four points after suffering an eighth defeat in ten league games.
The day’s remaining fixture saw Minster and Lewisham Borough draw 1-1 at Hartsdown Park, with a late own goal earning the hosts a share of the points.
Montel Williams gave Lewisham the lead from the penalty spot in the 20th minute, and the visitors held that advantage for much of the afternoon.
However, Minster found an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time when an own goal brought them level, denying Lewisham what would have been an important away victory.
Both sides move onto 17 points, with Lewisham seventh and Minster eighth on goal difference. Minster have now taken four points from their last two home matches against sides challenging towards the top of the division.
Saturday’s results leave Lordswood back at the summit, level on 22 points with Rochester United but with a significantly superior goal difference and a game in hand.
Hythe Town remain third on 19 points, having played just seven league games, while Croydon’s convincing win takes them into fourth on 18. SC Thamesmead and Stansfeld follow on 17 points, alongside Lewisham Borough and Minster.
At the other end, Banstead Athletic slip to the foot of the table, with Bridon Ropes moving above them following their comeback at Elmstead. Halls AFC and Welling Town also remain on five points as the battle to move away from the bottom places continues.
With the FA Vase accounting for much of the weekend’s football, the reduced First Division programme still produced 22 goals across five matches, two six-goal victories and plenty of movement in the standings.