Bay Keep Lights Lit For Top Ten Finish

Walton Casuals (0) 0

Herne Bay (1) 2
Stuart King 14
Mark Lovell 83

at The Waterside

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Tuesday 21st January 2015

Attendance: 44

by Peter Guise

(library photo – MoM: Nathan Eastwood)

“We were positive, first to the ball, I’m delighted”, said Herne Bay manager Sam Denly.

Herne Bay secured their second successive win, scored two goals for the second successive game and recorded back to back clean sheets in this tussle with relegation threatened Walton Casuals.

The original game had been abandoned with minutes remaining after the Waterside floodlights went out on Bay’s 2-1 leading scoreline. There was no repeat of that and the visitors went one better by not conceding on this rearranged visit to the shores of the Thames.

Steven Ita found space with regularity out on the left wing and was in the action from the start, being caught offside in the 2nd minute by Casuals high defensive line and then having a 25 yard shot saved by Wellham soon after. Walton Casuals were forced to make a substitution with only 10 minutes on the clock when recent signing Malik Ouani was clattered in a late challenge from the energetic Harry Brown. The latter received a caution for that challenge.

But Herne Bay’s pressure forced the breakthrough just before the quarter hour mark. A Danny Walder free kick from wide right just inside the home half fizzed into the area and Stuart King’s goalbound shot was helped in by Ebrima Adams.

The Stags back four continued to deploy the high line to good effect as King, Williams and Ita continuously fell foul of the assistant referee’s raised flag. In no small measure it accounted for the lack of a further goal for the visitors before the interval.

After the break, Herne Bay resumed their pounding of the home area. 2 minutes in and Danny Williams powerful run down the right forced a stretching Wellham to pluck the ball from the air. Soon after, the hard working Joe Nelder laid the ball off to Ita inside the penalty area and his shot seemingly destined for just inside the angle of bar and left hand post was clawed away to safety by the ‘keeper. Mark Lovell replaced Steven Ita with 18 minutes to go and immediately linked up well with Stuart King. With 7 minutes remaining, Lovell opened his Herne Bay account when he fired home from 6 yards from Walder’s free kick.

Moments remained, with some visiting supporters nervously anticipating another floodlight failure, when Harry Brown picked up a second yellow card and immediately turned his back and headed for the dressing rooms as the inevitable red card was flourished. But Bay held on and climbed to 8th in the table with this victory, travelling away from Winch’s Field seems no longer to hold any fears for Sam Denly’s charges.

“We were up for it tonight, real effort and kept another clean sheet” said skipper Liam Quinn, “happy days!”

Herne Bay: Jack Delo , Michael Turner, Gary Sayer, Danny Walder, Liam Quinn, Harry Brown, Nathan Eastwood, Joe Nelder (Sam Hasler 67), Danny Williams, Stuart King (Jordan Casey 85), Steven Ita (Mark Lovell 72).

Subs Not Used: Daniel Johnson, James Turner.

Cautions: Joe Nelder, Harry Brown Sent Off: Harry Brown

Man of the Match: Nathan Eastwood

Referee: Alex Fisher Assistants: Sukhvir Gill & Daniel Simpson.