Saturday 20th April 2024.
Isthmian League Division One South East
Cray Valley PM 4 Herne Bay 2
Attendance. 314
Herne Bay: Harry Brooks, Finlay Whitton, Frankie Smith, Harrison Pont, Liam Friend, Scott Heard, Gil Carvalho (Sam Wright 66), Bola Dawodu (Archie Burnett 80), Michael Salako, Kane Rowland, Theo Osinfolarin (Kayan Hassan 66).
Scorers: Salako (41), Friend (86).
Yellow card: Pont.

Herne Bay had not beaten Cray Valley since 04/01/2020 and since then had lost three times, plus the intervention of Covid and Bay’s brief flirtation with the Isthmian Premier. The result of today’s game was more important to the home side in their endeavours to overtake Ramsgate at the top.

Steve Lovell: “It’s a big game on Saturday. It’s important we prepare ourselves properly. They’re a very good side and they still have a very good chance of winning the title. So, we need to make sure we approach it in the right way and try to get a result.”

Bay knew that they would be put under pressure by Cray Valley and as early as the fourth minute Matthew Vigor headed wide when unmarked in the box from a Barney Williams centre. Within 60 seconds Herne Bay created a chance of their own when Max Ovenden saved well from Gil Carvalho. Then the opening goal came, in the 11th minute, as a through ball from Adam Coombs was collected by Kyrell Lisbie who slotted it wide of Harry Brooks.

Vigor then twisted and turned in the box to create space but his shot was over. Frankie Smith, on the left, put the ball into area and a Kane Rowland header went just past the post. Vigor was getting chances aplenty and when he received the ball from Danny Waldren he again shot over. On 25 Lisbie went through, Brooks missed his tackle, the ball was unselfishly passed to Sonny Black who smashed into an empty net. The hosts were two ahead.

On the half hour Vigor was tackled in the area, the loose ball was picked up by Coombes. His shot appeared to have been saved by Brooks but the linesman flagged that the ball had crossed the line. Bay then exerted some pressure; Scott heard struck high and wide before a Smith corner was headed home at the near post by Michael Salako for his 25th of the season. Bay went into the break 3-1 down.

Within five minutes of the re-start Cray had increased their lead, when Vigor struck from 22 yards. With the news that Ramsgate were leading Chichester City 3-1 at the break, the home side increased the pressure. Brooks saved a header from Mohammed Idris Oshilaya when he met a corner, Lisbie’s cross from the by-line was headed over by Coombes and from a Williams’ free-kick a Waldren flicked header was cleared by the defence.

Bay skipper Liam Friend, had been denied several times during the season from corners and he eventually got the goal that he deserved, heading in at the far post from a Smith flag kick. With the clock ticking down Lisbie looked certain to score but Brooks blocked excellently.

Ramsgate, with Three Bridges still to play, went back on top of the table, level on points with Cray Valley PM, and with one goal better goal difference. Cray had a game in hand and still had to play Hythe Town and Horndean. Bay dropped a place to eighth on goal difference from Sheppey United.

Next Saturday fifth place Chichester City visit Winch’s Field needing a victory and hoping that Ramsgate beat Three Bridges in their final game to avoid meeting the runners-up in the play-off semi-finals.