Belmont Boxing Day Battering for Bay

Whitstable Town (2) 4
Heard 15, 51
Loynes 18
Rowland 76

Herne Bay (1) 1
Hasler 2

at The Belmont

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Friday 26th December 2014.

Attendance: 458

by Peter Guise

(photo credit: Peter Guise – Hasler opens the scoring.)

Hopes had been high for the Bay going into this fixture and when Sam Hasler’s 2nd minute free kick squirmed in off both posts, bells were jingling but, alas, it went downhill from there as the bells changed to one of alarm.

The Oystermen countered with their own brand of attacking with pace although the ball may have in the air for longer than the purists might like and had this match been played in Lincolnshire it would have returned to earth with snow on it. Herne Bay clearly missed the suspended Liam Quinn in the back line and Ian Pulman was his usual live wire self up front for Town, often too much of a handful for the visitor’s back four.

The hard working Scott Heard equalised on the quarter hour mark and then 3 minutes later Bay were behind when Delo came for a long punt upfield that Tom Loynes, released by Bay as a junior, pinched from him just outside the area and tucked away with ease.

After the break matters only got worse for Bay. Scott Heard added his second of the game 6 minutes into the second period with a fierce right wing cross that eluded all to nestle in the far corner. There seemed no way back for Herne Bay, a suspicion confirmed when a goal was ruled out for a foul on the Whitstable ‘keeper. Kane Rowland made the points safe for the Oysterman with 14 minutes to go and to complete a not very merry Christmas for the small Bay contingent in this bumper Boxing Day Belmont crowd, Danny Walder received his marching orders at the end for a second bookable offence.

It was not the ideal celebration for Joe Nelder’s 100th Ryman appearance in a Herne Bay shirt that include 81 starts and 19 on the bench.

This was Herne Bay’s fourth defeat on the trot and, more worryingly, 15 goals have been conceded in those four matches.

Herne Bay: Jack Delo , Joe Nelder, Gary Sayer, Danny Walder, Dan Johnson, Connor Partridge (Steven Ita 56), Sam Hasler, Ben Brown (Jordan Casey 80), Mark Lovell, Stuart King, Dan Parkinson (Michael Turner 71).

Subs Not Used: Harry Brown, Nathan Eastwood.

Cautions: Gary Sayer, Danny Walder, Sam Hasler Sent Off: Danny Walder

Herne Bay Man of the Match: Mark Lovell

Referee: Nick Dunn Assistants: Jason Down & Joe Kasper.