Bay Maintain Promotion Push

Herne Bay Ladies (3) 3
Holness 12.15
Chapman 39

Crockenhill (2) 2
Feagan 25
Main 27

at Winch’s Field

SECWFL Premier Division
Sunday 12th March 2015.

Attendance: 42

by Peter Guise

(photo credit: Peter Guise – Vicky Holness peels away after scoring her second goal.)

A dour siesta soaked second half, but Herne Bay Ladies maintained their push for a third successive promotion with this narrow victory over a much improved Crockenhill. The victory moved them up to second spot on the SECWFL Premier Division but they are likely to have to win their final match of the season in two weeks time to cement their runners up position.

“With one eye on next weeks cup final, we just needed to ensure we got through the game without any more serious injuries, but secure three points”, said Herne Bay Ladies manager Anthony Deer.

With key players missing through injuries sustained in last weeks feisty encounter with Dartford Royals and through illness, Bay struggled to maintain their rhythm after the break but had been sufficiently on song in the opening 45 minutes to keep their league season alive.

Harriett Chapman was pulled down outside the area in the 12th minute and Vicky Holness struck a well placed free kick up and over the wall that dipped under the crossbar with Debbie Tasker stretching but failing to reach it. Just 3 minutes later Bay added a second, Holness again, this time jinking through the visitors’ defence to slot home her 17th league goal of the season. But any thoughts Bay might have had of running riot were quickly dispelled as first Harriett Chapman’s 20th minute strike was ruled out for offside and then Crockenhill fought back. Courtney Feagan reduced the arrears in the 25th and then, with no more than two further minutes having elapsed, Millie Main struck the sweetest of drives from distance that rocketed past Cooper in the home goal.

Herne Bay were not to be denied though and with the minutes counting down to the interval, Harriett Chapman, running into space created by Holness cleverly distracting defenders with her run peeling off to the left, tucked her shot home from the edge of the area.
The second half was not to be a repeat of the first although Crockenhill displayed some delicate passing football that on another day might have reaped better reward. Herne Bay were reduced at times to a long ball game that yielded very little and, indeed, were indebted to Sarah Cooper midway through the second period for protecting their slender lead when she pulled off a typical top draw save.

“Injuries and unavailability made today harder than it should have been but the players that made it did what they needed to do”, said Deer, “hopefully after a week’s rest we can be somewhere near full strength and prepare ourselves for another difficult game”.

Herne Bay Match Squad: Sarah Cooper, Bella Smith, Alex Roy, Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Kate Foster, Emily Brown, Harriett Chapman, Isabella Tulett, Vicky Holness, Rachel Tracy, Carly Farrow.

Herne Bay Player of the Match: Alex Roy.