Bay Sting Wasps

Herne Bay (2) 4
Ita 6
Parkinson 20, 61
Williams 75

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Tuesday 16th September 2014
At Winch's Field

Att: 125

By Ray Kelly

Herne Bay’s rich vein of League form continued with a 4-0 home victory against East Grinstead Town. The Bay were the dominant side throughout the match. Herne Bay welcomed back Danny Williams to the fold and he added punch to the forward line and linked up well with Stuart King and Steven Ita, the three of them gave East Grinstead a torrid time.

From the kick off Bay surged forward and on 2 minutes King ran the wasps defence ragged before crossing to Ita whose shot was smothered by Mark Fox in the Visitors goal. Four minutes later Herne Bay took the lead when Dan Johnson sped down the left wing, cut in and crossed to Ita who rammed the ball in past Fox. Johnson, Ita and King continued to give the Wasps defence problems and East Grinstead were left to rely on the occasional counter attack. Williams was unlucky when he tried to chip Fox when through, the keeper just managed to hang on to the ball.

The Wasps first real chance fell to Matt Geard but his free kick was cleared off the line by Nathan Eastwood. In the 16th minute King went close with a shot that grazed the post. Soon after Herne Bay were awarded a corner and Parkinson sent over a ball that deceived everyone including Fox as the ball nestled in the net.

Further chances fell to King, Ita and Williams as Bay camped in the East Grinstead half. On 30 minutes Herne Bay almost went three up when Ita’s cross was met by King but his effort was well saved by Fox. Towards the end of the half Jack Delo had to be on his toes, saving well from Sam Schaaf and just before the break Drew Cooney burst through the Bay defence but blasted high and wide from 10 yards.

The second half started with East Grinstead attacking more frequently with Sam and Layton Schaaf probing the Bay defence but on 50 minutes the Wasps were forced to make a change when Tom Graves went off injured and was replaced by Michael Belli. On the hour mark, Bay went 3-0 up when the referee awarded a free kick for a back pass 10 yards out. King’s kick rebounded off the wall into the path of Parkinson who blasted past Fox.

With a quarter of an hour to go Herne Bay went 4-0 up when a cross cum shot from Danny Williams nestled in the back of the net. That was his last kick in the game as he was withdrawn a minute later and Kane Butler came on. Williams deserved the applause he received as he left the pitch. With only minutes left on the clock Butler was unlucky to see his strike from 35 yards hit the bar and then had a goal bound effort rebound off of the keeper’s legs. At the final whistle Herne Bay have taken 10 out of the last 12 points on offer and now sit 7th in the league.

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner, Dan Johnson, Natham Eastwood, Liam Quinn, Connor Sanders (Ollie Lee 88), Dan Pakinson, Joe Nelder, Danny Williams (Kane Butler 78), Stuart King (Jordan Casey 73), Steven Ita.

Subs not used: Harry Brown, Sam Staunton

Man of the Match: Dan Parkinson.