Nightmare at The Lane

Faversham Town (4) 6
Sam Bewick 8, 37
Luke Harvey 12
Matt Bourne 39
Dean Grant 60,77

Herne Bay (2) 3
Adam Woolcott 15
Sam Hasler 19
Stuart Zanone 65

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Monday 29th August 2016
at Salters Lane

Att: 184

(photo credit: Peter Guise - Stuart Zanone lashes home Bay's third goal)

Let's hope that's the nightmare game for the season out of the way. "Yes, you could say that", agreed Herne Bay manager Sam Denly, "It was very frustrating today, I'm not going to lie, I think the referee has had an horrendous game and I feel sorry for the supporters. It was a good game, end to end, both teams having a go, two all, then it's 4-2. There would have been a few surprised people if I'd dropped Toby, he was outstanding on Saturday, it was a very, very harsh red card, I stand by my selection, it's a squad thing this season and if players play well they keep their shirt".

Peter Guise writes: That harsh decision Sam Denly refers to was the sending off of Bay 'keeper Toby Wood in stoppage time at the end of the first half when he clattered into Dean Grant outside the Bay penalty area with Grant going nowhere and the box patrolled by Bay defenders. It turned an up to then keen contest on its head with Denly then having to sacrifice striker Mark Lovell in order to bring on substitute 'keeper Jack Delo. Worse was to follow five minutes after the break when Kenny Sanders picked up a second yellow card that reduced Bay to nine - game over as a contest.

It had all started so brightly at the customary furious derby game pace and Town raced in to a two goal lead inside 12 minutes, first through Sam Bewick who drilled the ball inches inside Wood's right hand post then former Winch's Field favourite Luke Harvey smashed a second. But Bay came back. On the quarter hour mark, Adam Woolcott half volleyed what might yet be goal of the season and Sam Hasler restored parity in the 19th minute with a trade mark free kick that Godman in the home goal simply didn't see. A breathtaking opening but it wasn't over yet. Two goals in two minutes from defending that Bay will want to forget saw Faversham restore a two goal advantage in the 37th and 39th from first Bewick then Bourne. Then the game changer just on half-time, Dean Grant chased a ball out on the right, Toby Wood came out to challenge and the rest is documented above.

Worse was to come after the turnaround with Kenny Sanders receiving his marching orders for a second yellow despite his protestations of having got the ball first and Bay played the final 40 minutes with just nine on the park. On the hour mark Tenyue wriggled and raced his way down the left, crossed, and Dean Grant swept home at the near post. Stuart Zanone pounced in the Town area to lash home and give Bay some hope but that was extinguished when Grant scored his second, and Faversham's sixth, 13 minutes from time.

Perhaps it is best to consign this defeat, Bay's first of the season, to the history books, least said, soonest mended and all that!

"We got ourselves back into the game and then to concede two sloppy goals from defensive mistakes that we work on to prevent in training so it was disappointing for me", said Denly, "but I think there were a few other factors that contributed to today's result. It's a very long season, games come thick and fast, you can't dwell on defeats, we're going to lose games this season, simple as that, we have to dust ourselves down and get on with it".

Herne Bay: Toby Wood, Michael Turner, Kenny Sanders, Joe Kennett (Danny Walder 45), Liam Quinn, Connor Sanders, Adam Woolcott, Danny Williams, Mark Lovell (Jack Delo 45), Stuart Zanone, Sam Hasler (James Turner 79)

Subs not used: Georgio Russo, Sam Hallett.