Stoppage Time Heartache

Herne Bay Ladies (1) 1
Kate Foster 40

AFC Wimbledon (1) 2
Kelly-Jade Whelan 5
Alysha Clements 90

London & South East Regional Women’s Football League
Sunday 17th April 2016

at The Altira Park Stadium, Winch’s Field

Attendance: 42

by Peter Guise.

(photo credit Julie Hoare – Kate Foster celebrates her first half equaliser).

This was probably Herne Bay Ladies best all round performance of the season and they were denied a point against the champions elect by a heart breaking stoppage time winner.

Having formed a guard of honour to welcome the Dons onto the pitch Herne Bay proceeded to gift the opening goal of the game to the visitors with just five minutes on the clock. A corner from the right was misjudged and AFC’s prolific striker, Kelly-Jade Whelan, had the simplest of tasks to net. It seemed to take an age for Bay to settle from the shock but settle they did. With five minutes to go before the interval they were awarded a controversial corner and from it Kate Foster stole in at the near post to put Bay level.

After the turnaround Bay had to rely mostly on breakaways, two of which they might have scored from with better finishing, and the skills of Sarah Cooper who pulled off two top draw saves, one a finger-tip save at full stretch onto the bar and the other at point blank range after the defence had been breached.

Cruel it was then, with stout defending having withstood the Wimbledon onslaught, that stoppage time should yield a winner for the visitors, a near post effort from Alysha Clements to deny Bay a deserved draw.

After the game, AFC Wimbledon were presented with the League Champions Trophy and there can be no denying the Dons were the best team in the league and deserved winners of it. If, however, Herne Bay can reproduce the form shown in this match more often than not next season, they too will be a force to be reckoned with.

Herne Bay Ladies: Sarah Cooper, Kate Foster, Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Rebecca Longley, Amber Guyatt, Carly Farrow, Harriett Chapman, Gemma Sullivan, Hannah Gardner, Rachel Tracy.

Subs (roll on / roll off): Harriett Woolston, Kimberley Austin, Nicola Morris, Mollie Proctor.

Cautioned: none. Sent Off: none

Referee: Gavin Hoare

Herne Bay Ladies Player of the Match: Harriett Chapman