Hot shot May guns the Crows down.
When the league leaders hit town and the league's top gun-slinger is within their ranks, then you know you are going to be in for a busy afternoon and after 90 minutes our defenders had suffered the fate that all bar one had suffered so far.
However, our players had prepared for such an afternoon and perhaps the 3-0 scoreline flattered the visitors a bit but no one could deny they deserved the victory in the end, even though at least one, may be two, decisions went their way rather than ours.
The visitors, relegated from the Ryman Isthmian League, North Division, last season, having gained promotion the year before, are a very good side, you don't win 8 out of 9 league games unless you are, but they did not have everything their own way throughout the match.
Our players should feel proud of the effort they put in, especially Hampson, Tear, Trotter and Boddy, who had to perform some heroic defending at times, whilst Barton, Waterman, Ridley and Treleaven did their best to create some pressure going forward.
The Deres play is definitely high tempo, high energy and they are strong in all areas of the pitch. They dominated possession for the first 25 minutes of the match, the Crows finding it hard to get the ball from them and have any possession of their own, but the chances the visitors did create were mainly from distance.
The best chance of the early skirmishes fell to the Crows, Ridley was put through on goal but his lob, unusually for him, was rather tame and was easily saved by Kumarasi in the Deres goal, who was apparently, making his debut.
Once the game settled down, around the 30 minute mark, the Crows, in fact, made Kumarasi work harder than Hampson had been by the Deres, as Barton was just denied a free header by a last minute deflection and a Treleaven cross was only just gathered in time by the away 'keeper.
Ridley then had a free kick from 20 yards well saved by the 'keeper, as well as another free kick from roughly the same distance, this time all the goalkeeper could do was to push the ball past the upright for a corner.
Treleaven also fired in a cross which just eluded the on rushing Funnell with the Deres stopper stranded and the match became a bit of a midfield battle as half time approached.
However, just before the break, top scorer May had his first real effort of the game when his 25 yard free kick flew inches wide of Hampson's left hand upright with him left flat footed on his line.
Therefore, the break was reached with neither team having found the back of the net and the Crows would have been the happier of the two sides but Alfie May had given notice that although our defence had kept him quiet for the first half, there was another half to go.
The talk amongst the Crowd was that if the Crows could keep them at bay for the first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half then we may get something from the game as they may become frustrated and desperate as they search for the lead.
Unfortunately for the Crows, referee Greenfield decides to take centre stage after 48 minutes and awards the Deres what appears a soft penalty as Barton is adjudged to have fouled a player when making a challenge in the area.
Most home fans think he won the ball first but perhaps if you don't make the challenge in the first place you don't give the referee a chance to get involved in having to make a decision as exactly the same thing happened for the first goal for Sevenoaks Town when we played them away recently.
The one thing you don't want to happen when you have the top scorer in town is to give him a gift and to wake him up, unfortunately, the penalty did just that and for the rest of the game he was full of action, running and a thorn in the Crows wings.
To the Crows credit they got themselves going again and Funnell had a great chance to make it 1-1 however, he leaned back as he struck the ball and it flew high over Kumarasi's crossbar.
Now the assistant referee, McKay, decided to get more involved in the match and he advised that in his opinion, Waterman had pushed the Deres player in the back and therefore, referee Greenfield awarded his second penalty of the day which was duly converted by May, for his and the Deres second goal.
It really became an uphill task for the Crows now and the potents for the rest of the game weren't that good as May struck Hampson's right hand post with a thunderous shot from distance.
The Deres were well on top now and with their confidence already sky high they went looking for a third goal and it duly arrived 8 minutes later as a cross from the left was tucked in by the ever alert May for his hat trick and something like his 21st goal from 13 games.
Crows now 3-0 down make their first substitution after 69 minutes, Hinkson replacing Butler, soon followed by a Ridley booking on 74 minutes. Then 1 minute later Cameron replaces Tear who was now suffering due to his on going ankle problem.
Not longer after this substitution, our last replacement went on, Charlton replacing Waterman who had put a tremendous amount of effort in to the match from the off.
The Crows probably deserved to get a goal on the day and in the last minute Ridley fires in another shot that Kumarasi has to push around the post for the corner but the game finishes with the Deres winning 3-0, May scoring a hat trick, two from the penalty spot and the home players walking off to applause from the Crow's faithful for the effort they had put in.
Erith & Belvedere haven't yet played anyone of the top sides and where they finish will depend on how long they can keep hold of Alfie May and how they get on against those top sides when they do play them.
From all the sides I've seen this season, I did not see the Lingfield, Rochester United and Croydon games, they are the best footballing side I've seen and would not bet against them going straight back up.