Adrian Swan

VCD Athletic Youth 3 v 1 Cray Valley (PM) Youth

1-0 Rhodes (39), 1-1 Adeyoola (39) (og), 2-1 Vincent-Edwards (48),

3-1 (og) (51).

VCD maintained their recent good league form with this victory against visitors Cray Valley.

This was VCD’s third league win on the bounce and moves them up to third in the table.

After an even start to the game it was Cray Valley who had the first chance on 5 minutes when Ethan Okechukwu’s crossfield pass from the right found the run into the left side of the box by Samuel Blunden but stretching he sliced his shot wide of the target.

Minutes later VCD’s impressive wing back Dominic Vincent-Edwards made the first of many good forward runs down the right to the edge of the box before hitting a swerving shot that Cray Valley keeper Tommy Kemp held moving to his left.

Cray Valley then nearly took a fortunate lead on 11 minutes when Blunden’s cross to the near post was hacked clear by Liam Spellward but the ball hit Luca Phillip-Safari and rebounded back goalwards forcing home keeper Harrison Carnell-Davis into a smart save high to his left.

On 17 minutes VCD’s set piece specialist Spellward hit a dipping long range free kick that saw Tommy Kemp make a fingertip save high above his head to turn the ball over for a corner.

The visitors then had a good spell of pressure in which they had three decent chances to go ahead.

On 25 minutes Harry Kemp made a good run down the right before sending over a low cross to the near post where George Palmer’s shot on the turn flew over from close range.

Palmer then turned provider when his neat right wing cross found Blunden racing in on the left side of the area but his first time volley flew just over.

Palmer then made another good forward run into the box down the right but then chose to shoot from an acute angle rather that cross and fired over.

After this it was the home side who had the majority of the play for the rest of the half.

Just after the half hour mark Spellward’s raking crossfield pass found the run down the left of Alfie Rhodes who raced into the box before hitting a fierce shot that flew narrowly over.

VCD’s Thomas Cecil then hit a fizzing shot just wide before Cecil’s through ball found the run into the box of Vincent-Edwards whose low shot flew just wide across the face of goal.

However the deadlock was broken on 39 minutes when Spellward’s pass found Rhodes racing down the left and he then slotted home low to the left of Tommy Kemp.

However the lead was not to last long as two minutes later the visitors drew level when Jack Green whipped in a low right wing cross that Carnell-Davis diving to his right could not cut off, the ball then hit Umar Adeyoola and rebounded into the net.

The last action of the first half saw Spellward hit a 25 yard free kick that flew straight at Tommy Kemp. The hosts regained the lead early in the second half through a superb solo goal from Vincent-Edwards who made a surging run down the right to the edge of the box before rifling home high to the right of Tommy Kemp.

Shortly afterwards it was three as Vincent-Edwards again raced away down the right to the bye line where he sent over a low cross that was inadvertently turned home at the near post off a defender.

A neat passing move from VCD on the hour mark almost saw them increase their lead when a Vincent-Edwards through ball found Cecil who in turn played in Stacey Petrou whose low shot was well saved by Tommy Kemp to his left. On 65 minutes Cray Valley’s Harry Kemp made space well before hitting a rasping 25 yard shot that Carnell-Davis saved diving high to his right for a corner.

It was nearly four on 72 minutes when Vincent- Edwards hit a long range free kick from the half way line to the far post where an unmarked Petrou cushioned his header back across goal for Cecil whose shot beat Tommy Kemp to his left but was cleared off the line to safety by Cole Glazebrook.

Cecil then hit a long range effort narrowly over before the last chance of the game fell to VCD when the tireless Vincent-Edwards sent over a deep right wing cross that nearly caught out Tommy Kemp but back pedalling he just managed to get a hand to the ball and direct onto the bar and out to safety.