Battling Trams are beaten in the Kent Senior Trophy final
CROYDON’S hopes of winning a third County’s Cup ended with a 3-2 defeat Erith Town in the Kent Senior Trophy final at Maidstone United’s Gallagher Stadium.
The Trams could have no real complaints as the Dockers shaded the proceedings but they know that they had been given a decent run for their money.
Ryan Palmer put the cat amongst the pigeons inside sixty seconds when he let fly from twenty- five yards and left the Erith keeper flailing.
However, the advantage only lasted until the ninth minute following a centre that was headed onto the bar and was turned in from close range.
Erith had a fatuous claim turned down for a penalty six minutes later - but then so did Trams after the break.
The Dockers were edging it with neither side wanting to concede but there were times when Trams loose passing didn’t help, causing a number of problems.
Erith’s keeper denied Croydon just before the interval when Palmer’s free-kick from the right was turned across goal by Jordan Anderson to Ryan Hall but was saved.
Four minutes after the restart, Trams nosed back in front. A freekick on the right found was headed back into Uli Fischer and the ball was squeezed in.
But Erith didn’t want to be denied and went for it with a death or glory attitude. A rare error by Aaron Bogle on 59 minutes let them in and a thundering drive was tipped over by
George Kamurasi and then they headed just wide.
The key moment came in the 66th minute when a flowing move put Fischer clear but he tried to get the perfect position instead of speculating and his eventual comparatively docile effort was saved.
Unlike a number of times this season, Kamurasi was in imperious form with numerous reaction saves and late low tip-aways to keep out daisy cutters.
A well worked move down our right flank on 76 minutes led to the equaliser to give Erith the belief that it could yet be their day.
It was now all hands to the pump as Trams battled to regain the lead but in the 90th minute, the hammer blow befell them.
Stretched at the back, Erith gleefully grabbed the lead with a well taken goal and from that point – eight minutes or more time added on – all they had to do was defend deep and let us go at them which they did.
On Saturday, the Trams host Bridon Ropes and next Wednesday they play their rescheduled game with Larkfield & New Hythe.