This Southern Counties East Football League, Premier Division, match was played on a dry Autumn evening, under the lights, at Oakley Road in Bromley.

The home team, Holmesdale FC, had made a decent start to the season, securing 19 points from their opening 13 games, to secure a top eight position, in what is a very competitive league this year. Welling Town have seen a run of narrow defeats drop them to a place above the relegation zone, albeit with a game or two in hand and a better goal difference than their rivals.

Welling Town recently changed their manager, with Darren Manning joining from Hullbridge Sports in Essex, only ten days earlier.

Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground is approached from a narrow bumpy and dark lane. There is a clubhouse with bar and refreshments and changing facilities. There is also a covered and seated grandstand.

Owen Punselie has top scored for Holmesdale, so far this season, with six goals in ten league games. Ryan Golding is Welling’s top scorer with four goals in six league matches.

Holmesdale started with confidence and it was no real surprise when, with just eleven minutes on the clock, the ball broke free for Nathan Palmer, to score the opener for Holmesdale.

Five minutes later Welling Town’s Robinson had a chance cleared off the line by Holmesdale’s defence, when it looked as if he had levelled the game.

The remainder of the half was a mixture of heavy tackling and Holmesdale pressure. Welling created some chances but also rode their luck to stay in the game, with a 1-0 half time score line.

Within two minutes of the restart Holmesdale went 2-0 up after a fine finished header by Owen Punselie.

Again within minutes (50th minute) Holmesdale stretched the lead to 3-0 with another headed finish, this time from William Polius.

There was just time for Kamieko Pope-Campbell to score Holmesdale’s fourth, making the final score 4-0, in the 90th minute, in front of the crowd of 73.

Holmesdale FC have hit a rich vein of form, with this win lifting them to seventh in the table. Welling Town need to find a way to work under their new manager, that will lead to improved results, as they sit just above the relegation zone on goal difference.