Stoppage time goals deny Bay a point.

Herne Bay (0) 1
Ita 88

Faversham Town (1) 3
Maxted 15
Sherlockl 90
Bewick 90

at Winch’s Field

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Thursday 1st January 2015.

Attendance: 275

by Steve Barton

(photo credit: Canterbury Times – Steven Ita celebrates Bay’s equaliser.)

Coming off the back of a five match winless streak, including four straight defeats, poor performances and with seven squad members unavailable it was with some trepidation that Herne Bay welcomed top-of-the-table Faversham Town to Winch’s Field for the first match of the New Year. Dan Parkinson and Danny Williams were suspended, Stuart King and Jordan Casey both had viruses and Sam Hasler joined long-term injured James Turner and Connor Sanders on the treatment table. Even more worrying was the fact that 32 of Herne Bay’s 41 league goals had come from those not able to be selected.

But as so often happens in these circumstances Bay produced one of their best performances of the season. Liam Quinn returned to the back four and gave a Man of the Match performance, Harry Brown came in for Dan Johnson at left-back and teamed up well with brother Ben along the flank.

The first scoring opportunity went Faversham’s way on 9 minutes when ex-Bay defender Jamie Maxted’s powerful shot was parried by Jack Delo and the loose ball was quickly cleared before another who had plied his trade at Winch’s Field, Dean Grant, could pounce. The opener came in the 15th minute when set-piece specialist Wayne Wilson drifted his free-kick to the far post for Maxted to head home. 7 minutes later David Botterill could only guide the ball to Delo from another dead ball. Joe Nelder and Ben Brown were marauding through the middle and down the flanks and it was Brown who had Bay’s first attempt on goal with a wild strike that went for a throw in. Herne Bay thought they had levelled on 38 minutes when a Danny Walder free-kick from the half-way line was played towards goal by a Faversham defender, headed past keeper Rob French (another of the ex-Bay contingent) by Nelder who then tapped into the empty net. Wally James, the assistant referee raised his flag, and after consultation with the man in the middle, Chris Myatt, the goal was ruled out through offside, although later video evidence proved otherwise. As the half drew to a close both sides had chances but the stoppers were to deny Nelder for Bay and Charley Robertson for the Lilywhites.

Herne Bay applied pressure in the second period but were unable to breakdown the well-organised Town defence. Steven Ita latched onto a long ball and fired narrowly wide whilst Gary Sayer’s superb cross was out of everybody’s reach. Sayer was on hand at the other end of the pitch clearing the ball when substitute Renford Tenyue charged down an attempted clearance from Delo. With Kane Butler replacing Nathan Eastwood in the 77th minute Bay continued to stride forward and it was Butler who provided the cross for Ita to strike home with two minute left on the clock. This time it was, Ricky Adams, the other assistant referee’s turn to raise his flag considering Mark Lovell to be in an offside position, but Mr. Myatt deemed he was not interfering with play and the goal stood.

With six minutes added on Herne Bay were looking the most likely to add to the scoresheet but football can be a cruel game and Aidan Sherlock scrambled in a Wilson corner and substitute and former blue Sam Bewick picked up a poor clearance 30 yards out and lobbed the off-his-line Delo.

A much improved effort and the 1-3 scoreline was an unfair reflection on the display put on by Herne Bay.

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Harry Brown, Gary Sayer, Danny Walder, Liam Quinn, Michael Turner, Joe Nelder, Ben Brown, Nathan Eastwood (Kane Butler 77), Mark Lovell, Steven Ita.

Subs Not Used: James Brown, Dan Johnson, Connor Partridge, Jordan Casey.

Cautions: none. Sent Off: none