Tuesday 26th March 2024.
Isthmian League Division One South East
Hythe Town 1 Herne Bay 3
Attendance. 175
Herne Bay: Harry Brooks, Finlay Whitton, Frankie Smith, Harrison Pont, Liam Friend, Dan Carrington, Gil Carvalho, Scott Heard, Michael Salako, Vance Bola (Theo Osinfolarin 72), Tom Hanfrey. Subs not used: Sam Wright, Danny Walder, Bola Dawodu, Carter Wilson.
Scorers: Heard (34), Carvalho (79), Hanfrey (89)
Yellow cards: Whitton, Friend

This tie had already been postponed three times before, twice due to a waterlogged pitch and once because of Hythe’s cup commitments. It was Hythe’s fifth match in eleven days.

Steve Lovell: “Having all those games is going to be hard for them. But they’re young players, very fit, and - while they might be tired – I’m sure that they will give it a go. All we can do is give them a tough game and try to take something against them.”

Finlay Whitton, Dan Carrington and Tom Hanfrey all started. Danny Walder and Theo Osinfolarin dropped to the bench and Kane Rowland was out having his nose injury fixed. Bola Dawodu was also a substitute returning from his dual registration with Lordswood.

Herne Bay avenged their controversial defeat against Hythe Town from 24 days ago with a performance that showed grit and determination and kept up their chances of making the play-offs.

The most miraculous thing about the win was that the match actually went ahead. It had rained for the majority of the day which resulted in a pitch that was reminiscent of the 1970 FA Cup Final at Wembley, with the only difference being that the Horse of the Year show had not been on the surface at Reachfields the week before. The three other matches scheduled for the evening had all fallen to waterlogging but this game proceeded with large puddles all over the pitch. Now, I am not blaming Hythe for the state of the pitch as I wonder what Winch’s Field would have been like this season if the club had not laid the money-sapping 3G surface, but how the referee Mr. Spain passed the pitch as fit to play only he would know.

The pitch would only suit the style of play of one of the teams, and it was not the visitors. Sam Flisher messed up and the ball fell to Michael Salako, who sent in a shot which was deflected away by Lewis Briggs, on loan from SCEFL Premier Faversham Town. On 15 a long throw from Jack Steventon to the near post was headed across goal and Harry Brooks needed to be at his best to prevent Bay from conceding. Five minutes later Herne Bay came close to creating the opener. A great run down the right by Vance Bola and a pass to Frankie Smith that was crossed was headed narrowly wide by Mike Salako. Just past the half hour and the deadlock was broken. Salako won a header in midfield that fell to Smith who moved the ball out to Bola. Scott Heard was set free to fire home. And that was first half over with the exception of a corner that fell to Jake Embury who missed from close range.

Hythe came out for the second period looking determined to level the scores. Frannie Collin noticed Brooks off his line but he hit the post. Former Bay attacker Kane Phillip had come off the bench. In 111 appearances for Bay, over three spells, Phillip had managed just two goals, although admittedly for the majority of those matches he had been a substitute. In the 51st minute the ball found him at a tight angle on the right and he smashed it into the far corner, although it may have been more of an attempted cross.

Other than this Herne Bay’s defence were holding their own against the pressure from the hosts. In the 79th Salako raced onto a loose ball and crossed to Gil Carvalho to sweep home; Bay were in the ascendancy. Lex Allan produced a reflex save from Brooks from a Collins free-kick. With a minute of normal time left on the clock Bay settled it. A quick break from Theo Osinfolarin down the right was crossed, Hythe failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Tom Hanfrey and it was game over.

Bay had now gone eight away games without defeat (five wins and three draws), a record only bettered by Sam Denly’s team in 2015. Kitman Aaron Smith and his washing machines would now be working overtime to get the kit laundered in time for the Easter Saturday visit of East Grinstead Town.