Tonight’s game saw a return, to watch one of my favourite leagues, the Southern Counties East Football League (Premier Division).

Bearsted FC play at Otham Sports club, on the fringes of Maidstone. The ground has a grandstand, clubhouse with refreshment and toilet facilities and floodlighting. The pitch is grass and looked to be in good condition. There was a warm welcome in the clubhouse with friendly staff and great food at good prices.

Coming into the fixture both teams had made a positive start to their league season. Bearsted, managed by Kevin Stevens, sit in 5th place with eleven points from seven games. Hollands & Blair, managed by Scott Porter, are a little way behind them, in twelfth place, with eight points from seven matches.

Ben Brown is top scorer for Hollands & Blair, so far this season, with three goals. Bearsted have a number of players, who have all scored just one goal this season.

The game started with the away side attacking from the off. In the 16th minute, top scorer, Ben Brown, stabbed the ball home to put Hollands & Blair 0-1 ahead.

In the 29th minute, the home side, having responded positively to going 0-1 down, deservedly drew level, when a foul in the penalty area drew a spot kick. Phil Headley converted for Bearsted FC, to tie the scores at 1-1.

Shortly after this the 94 supporters, were cast into darkness, when a power cut took out the lights. The game was held up for 5 minutes, but on the restart in the 29th minute, another foul saw Hollands & Blair’s Ben Brown dismissed and a second penalty award, which Headley again converted, to put Bearsted 2-1 ahead. The scores stayed with the home side ahead, at the half time break.

The second half saw both sides evenly matched, however in the 88th minute, Hollands & Blair’s Ethan Stewart threw himself at a loose ball, to head home an equaliser, at 2-2.

Bearsted threw everything into trying to secure their victory, however at full time the two teams left having to share a point.