Foster Hat-trick Fires Bay to Third

Carshalton Athletic (0) 1
Laura Curtis 81

Herne Bay Ladies (1) 4
Kate Foster 22, 57, 70
Carly Farrow 48

London & South East Regional Women's Football League
Sunday 10th January 2016
at Colston Avenue

by Peter Guise

(photo credit: Peter Guise: Kate Foster prepares to pounce)

Herne Bay Ladies emerged from their festive football hibernation looking every bit like a squad that has not kicked a ball in anger for six weeks but still had enough about them to cane Carshalton and provide a tonic for manager Anthony Deer absent recuperating from invasive surgery. Barry Tracy and Danny Surbey took on the dugout duties whilst skipper Rachel Tracy presided over the practical side of the game. All will have been pleased with the result that sees Bay leap frog Athletic into 3rd place in the L&SERWFL.

Kate Foster got the scoring underway 22 minutes into the game when she sent a looping chip beyond the home 'keeper following good interchange play between Debbie Blackmore and Gemma Sullivan. Carly Farrow drilled a second 3 minutes after the interval then Foster claimed her second of the match in bizarre fashion in the 57th. Foster struck across goal from the left hand side of the area into the far corner of the net but the ball crept through a hole in the netting with the referee initially giving a goal kick only to overturn his decision to goal following protests from the Bay players and a hasty conversation with the home club assistant referee. Foster claimed her hat-trick with 20 minutes to go and the game was effectively over although The Robbins were determined to pick up some scraps from the table and duly got their reward 9 minutes from time when the hard working Laura Curtis turned Longley on the edge of the box and fired past Cooper in the visitors' goal.

A consolation perhaps but a timely reminder that the peddle should not be eased up even when leading by a substantial margin after a six week lay off. From afar, manager Anthony Deer kept in touch with proceedings and said, "After a lengthy lay-off today was always going to be about the result".

Herne Bay: Sarah Cooper, Emma Brown, Rachel Tracy, Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Rebecca Longley, Nicola Morris, Amber Guyatt, Carly Farrow, Kate Foster, Gemma Sullivan.

Player of the Match: Kate Foster