After a very long day at work, I decided a mild Autumnal evening watching Southern Counties East Football League football was just the tonic! There’s something magical about midweek evening football, under floodlights and each game takes me back to my first evening fixture back as an eight year old at St Andrew’s Stadium watching Birmingham City in the mid 1970s.

Tonight’s serving of magic saw one of my favourite local sides, Snodland Town, match up against the SCEFL Premier Division’s bottom side, Kennington FC.

Snodland Town came up from SCEFL Division 1 last season and sit in mid table security, whilst manager Luke Wallond will have been looking for them to claim three points tonight and to push towards the promotion spots. Kennington FC’s manager Dan Scorer would have been hoping his side could secure a first league win of the season, whilst they still had the luxury of games in hand over their relegation place rivals.

Ed Mbango (5 goals) has top scored for the home side, although his ex Tooting Bec partner and new signing, Nathaniel Olawole, was on the bench looking for his first goals for his new team. Kennington’s goals have chiefly come this season, via the boot of Ryan Philpott (4 goals).

Snodland Town opened the game strongly, going ahead after just five minutes with a headed goal by Jeff Duah-Kessie, from a corner to make it 1-0.

After 28 minutes the score was 2-0, when a Snodland Town cross from Henry Muggeridge was turned into the Kennington FC net by Jeff Duah-Kessie, for his second goal.

At the half time break, despite a late rally from the visitors, the sides went in with Snodland Town leading Kennington FC 2-0.

After some pressure from Kennington FC it was the home team who scored first in the second half. Substitute Nathaniel Olawole broke on the left before setting up another substitute Ryan Atkinson, who twisted and turned before scoring, with a well taken finish, on 74 minutes, to make it 3-0.

With 4 minutes to play Nathaniel Olawole broke free and slotted home Snodland Town’s fourth goal before launching one of the more unique celebrations of the night!

On 90 minutes the away side pulled a goal back when Ryan Philpott followed up, to slot the ball home for a consolation goal. I unfortunately only caught the moments after the goal, so apologies to Kennington FC!

With that the referee blew up for full time with Snodland Town’s players knowing they had secured the points to lift them comfortably into the top half of the table. Kennington FC fought hard throughout the match but need to urgently start earning points, in order to rise to safety in the table.