Saturday September 19
FIRST DIVISION RESULTS
Bridon Ropes 1-2 Lewisham Borough
Croydon 2-3 Hythe Town
Greenways 2-2 SC Thamesmead
Lordswood 7-1 Welling Town
Minster 2-1 Banstead Athletic
Stansfeld 0-3 FC Elmstead
Tooting Bec 4-0 Halls
First Division Review: Lordswood Hit Seven as Hythe Stay Perfect
Lordswood strengthened their position at the top of the SCEFL First Division with a thumping 7-1 victory over Welling Town, while Hythe Town maintained their perfect league record with an impressive win at previously unbeaten Croydon.
The leaders produced the biggest victory of the afternoon at the K G Property Stadium, putting seven past Welling to move onto 19 points and open up a three-point advantage over Rochester United.
Harvey Welford started the scoring after 18 minutes before Fred Aikon levelled for Welling four minutes later. From there, however, Lordswood took complete control. Tyler Sterling restored the lead in the 38th minute and Rameses Meseorisa made it 3-1 before the break.
Sterling struck again on 56 minutes, Callum Peck added two more in the 62nd and 75th minutes and Josh Carter completed the 7-1 victory five minutes from time. Lordswood have now won six of their opening eight league games, scoring 23 goals and conceding just four.
Perhaps the most significant result of the afternoon, though, came at the Arena, where Hythe Town won 3-2 at Croydon in a meeting between the Division’s last two unbeaten sides.
Josh Byford gave Hythe the perfect start after just three minutes before Croydon’s Tom Barton levelled in the tenth. Jake Embery restored Hythe’s advantage after 22 minutes, but Croydon fought back again through Kieran Rufus in the 67th.
With the game heading towards a draw, Teddy Nelson struck in the 88th minute to give Hythe all three points and end Croydon’s unbeaten start. The Cannons have now won five league games from five, moving up to third with 15 points despite having played three games fewer than leaders Lordswood.
SC Thamesmead slipped to fourth after having to produce a late fightback to earn a 2-2 draw at Greenways. The hosts appeared to be heading for victory after first-half goals from Harry Baptiste and Simon Walton, but Alfie Curnow dramatically changed the game with a goal in the 85th and Andrea Carrera’s 87th minute leveller rescued a point for Thamesmead.
Lewisham Borough continued their strong start with a 2-1 victory at bottom side Bridon Ropes. Cairo Duhaney-Burton put Borough ahead after 26 minutes before David Pombo Makisi levelled on the stroke of half-time. The decisive goal arrived eight minutes from time through Harry Bunclark, lifting Lewisham onto 13 points.
There was another home victory for Minster, who beat Banstead Athletic 2-1 at Hartsdown Park. Jake Munday opened the scoring immediately after the restart, with Banstead responding four minutes later through Sam Haughey. Todd Jordan’s 61st-minute goal proved to be the winner as Minster moved onto ten points.
FC Elmstead followed up Wednesday night’s narrow defeat against Staplehurst with an excellent 2-0 victory away to Stansfeld. Kanan Fitton broke the deadlock in the 41st minute before Sam Harris wrapped up the points six minutes into stoppage time. It was Elmstead’s second league victory of the season and moved them level on eight points with Stansfeld.
There was also an emphatic victory for Tooting Bec, who beat Halls AFC 4-0. Nile Waite opened the scoring after 36 minutes and Sirak Negassi doubled the advantage three minutes later. Dariush Heravi added a third shortly after the interval before Ben Cannell completed the scoring in the 69th minute.
The afternoon leaves Lordswood three points clear at the summit on 19 points, with Rochester United second on 16. Hythe’s perfect start has carried them into third on 15 points from only five matches, while SC Thamesmead sit fourth on 14 and Lewisham Borough have climbed to fifth on 13.
But it is Hythe’s record that increasingly catches the eye. Five league games, five victories – and Saturday’s late winner at previously unbeaten Croydon provided their biggest statement yet.