Velvick Double Fires Bridges to Victory Over Deal Town

Three Bridges extended their unbeaten start to the 2025/26 season to eight matches with a well-earned 3–1 win at home to Deal Town on Saturday, keeping up the pressure at the top of the Isthmian South East League.

Manager Jamie Crellin named an unchanged XI from the midweek cup win over Little Common, and the consistency paid off as Bridges capitalised on key moments in an otherwise competitive contest.

The hosts started cautiously but took the lead in the 13th minute. Hayden Neathey spotted the run of Hayden Velvick and picked him out with a pinpoint pass. Velvick’s initial shot was parried onto the post, but he reacted quickest to bury the rebound.

Twelve minutes later, Bridges doubled their advantage. A clever free-kick routine saw Reece Hallard fire from 25 yards; Deal Town’s keeper could only parry it into danger, and Velvick again showed his predatory instincts to tuck away the rebound for his second of the match.

Velvick came agonisingly close to a first-half hat-trick in the 41st minute, lifting a golden chance over the bar from close range. That miss proved costly just before the break, when a defensive lapse allowed Deal Town’s Jacob Strouts to pull one back with a tidy finish after Bridges failed to clear a routine cross. The hosts went into half-time with a 2–1 lead.

Deal Town came out strong after the break and dominated the opening stages of the second half. Strouts, now pushed up into a striker’s role, forced Sam Roberts into an excellent save on 54 minutes with a powerful effort.

But Bridges weathered the pressure and found a third goal in the 73rd minute. A defensive error from Alfie Foster handed Charlie Bennett a clear run at goal, and the striker produced a superb curling finish into the far corner — “à la Thierry Henry,” as he later described it.

Bridges managed the remainder of the match well to secure all three points and stay second in the table with 22 points from nine matches — just one behind leaders AFC Croydon, who have played a game more.

Two more quick league games follow: Jersey Bulls visit Jubilee Field on Tuesday night before a trip to Herne Bay on Saturday.

			Home				Away				Total
			P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
	1	AFC Croydon Athletic	4	2	1	1	6	5	1	0	10	7	2	1	17	8	+9	23
	2	Three Bridges	5	5	0	0	4	2	1	1	9	7	1	1	30	11	+19	22
	3	Faversham Town	4	3	1	0	5	3	2	0	9	6	3	0	21	7	+14	21
	4	AFC Whyteleafe	6	5	0	1	4	1	1	2	10	6	1	3	24	12	+12	19
	5	Herne Bay	6	4	0	2	5	2	1	2	11	6	1	4	21	19	+2	19
	6	Sittingbourne	5	3	2	0	4	1	2	1	9	4	4	1	16	11	+5	16
	7	Margate	5	3	1	1	6	1	3	2	11	4	4	3	19	17	+2	16
	8	Eastbourne Town	5	3	1	1	6	2	0	4	11	5	1	5	16	22	-6	16
	9	Crowborough Athletic	4	3	0	1	5	2	0	3	9	5	0	4	17	16	+1	15
	10	Merstham	5	1	3	1	5	2	1	2	10	3	4	3	17	15	+2	13
	11	Sevenoaks Town	6	3	0	3	5	1	1	3	11	4	1	6	18	23	-5	13
	12	Sheppey United	6	4	0	2	4	0	1	3	10	4	1	5	15	25	-10	13
	13	Deal Town	4	2	0	2	5	2	0	3	9	4	0	5	19	22	-3	12
	14	Hassocks	6	2	2	2	3	1	0	2	9	3	2	4	14	16	-2	11
	15	Jersey Bulls	2	0	2	0	5	2	2	1	7	2	4	1	13	9	+4	10
	16	VCD Athletic	3	1	2	0	6	1	2	3	9	2	4	3	13	17	-4	10
	17	Broadbridge Heath	4	2	1	1	4	0	1	3	8	2	2	4	12	13	-1	8
	18	Hastings United	4	1	1	2	5	1	1	3	9	2	2	5	10	13	-3	8
	19	Ashford United	6	2	2	2	2	0	0	2	8	2	2	4	14	18	-4	8
	20	Erith Town	5	0	2	3	6	1	2	3	11	1	4	6	11	18	-7	7
	21	Beckenham Town	4	1	2	1	5	0	1	4	9	1	3	5	14	20	-6	6
	22	East Grinstead Town	5	0	0	5	4	1	0	3	9	1	0	8	7	26	-19	3