Match Report

Monday 27th August 2018
Bostik League Division One South East
Hythe Town 2(1) - (0)2 Herne Bay
Att: 303
Goals: Carlton Cornwell

Team: Jordan Beeney, Simon Kabamba, Raphe Brown, Ben Gorham, Danny Rumbol, Danny Leonard, Bradley Schafer, Tom Carlton, Jake Embery, Miles Cornwell, Connor Wilkins.
Subs Used: Darnell Weise (Wilkins 87)
Subs not used: Sami Meziane, Connor Cox, Louie Catherall, James White

What a fantastic game of football; end to end throughout the 90 minutes.
Bay started very positively and took the game to Hythe but with their first real attack Zac Ansah flicked the ball into the goal after Jordan Beeney failed to hold a shot from Ryan Palmer at the near post. Spurred on by this early goal Hythe dominated the play for the next 20 minutes but Bay did have their chances; Tom Carlton linking up with Jake Embery but George Kamurasi blocked the shot at the far post. One minute later Danny Leonard raced through, passed back to Connor Wilkins who shot wide of the target.

Hythe responded strongly but Beeney produced a number of good saves to prevent the Cannons from increasing the lead. Bay had another chance after Raphe Brown had surged through the Hythe defence, passed to Embery who set Wilkins up but his shot went safely into the keepers arms. Bay pressed hard for the equalizer before the interval but Hythe’s defence held firm blocking the shots put in by Conwell and Carlton.

Bay started the second half in confident mood. Leonard shooting just wide of target after only two minutes of the restart. Ansah was always the threat and he nearly doubled the lead but the ball went wide of the upright. Bay hit back with Brown side footing his effort straight at the keeper. Then in a fantastic three minute spell Bay were in front. First Carlton finished off a good move involving Brown and Embery; his shot was on target but fortunately took a deflection which wrong footed Kamurasi.
Hythe hit back immediately and only a wonderful diving one-handed save from Beeney saved the day. Straight from Beeney’s clearance Cornwell raced in and coolly drove the ball in at the near post.
Kamurasi was forced into producing a fantastic save of his own after Danny Rumbol sent a ball over the defensive line which Cornwell met with a goal bound header, but the big keeper got down so well to turn the ball around the upright.

Former Bay player Junior Aikionbare was brought on for the last 20 minutes and he immediately had a chance but his shot went straight into Beeney’s arms. Then Ansah, who had dropped back into the midfield to get away from the close marking of Simon Kabamba, produced a shot which was going wide of the target until it hit Wilkins foot and deflected into the bottom corner. Bay did not give up and from a Carlton free kick Bradley Schafer headed over.

At the end of the day both teams probably felt they deserved to win but a draw was a fair reflection of the play with both teams putting on a display that any neutral fan would have been pleased to have witnessed.