Hat-trick Harris

Chichester City Devt (0) 5

Herne Bay Ladies (2) 4
Lauren Harris 5, 19, 84
Kate Foster 48

SECWFL (Premier Division)
at Sidlesham FC, Chichester
Sunday 13th May 2018

by Peter Guise

photo: Lauren Harris's header at the near post gives Bay a two goal lead.

Needing to win both remaining games to stand an outside chance of staving off relegation, Bay seemed to have welded the trap door latch shut when Lauren Harris scored her second goal of the game after just 19 minutes. It gave Bay a lead that they thoroughly deserved and which they preserved until half-time. It was always going to be an uphill struggle but this squad is nothing but resilient. So much so that even when Chichester got one back straight from the restart, Kate Foster restored the 2 goal cushion almost immediately.

Herne Bay Ladies were hampered by a vacant bench and under a blazing Sussex sun, legs tired and Chichester came back into the game, getting a second, then equalising. Izzy Quinney was forced from the field, succumbing to the temperature with still 25 minutes of the half remaining. Reduced to 10, Bay went behind but battled on, finding a second wind. With 6 minutes remaining Lauren Harris pounced on a defensive error to net her hat-trick goal, level the scores and give Bay hope of the win they sought to prolong their premiership status.

Sadly, it was not to be, the home side grabbed a stoppage time winner and Bay's fate was sealed. It will be Division One football for Herne Bay Ladies next term but there is still one last chance, next Sunday, to bank some premier points when they take on Kent Football United at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury.

Herne Bay Ladies: Sophie Gifford, Monique Beaumont, Kayleigh Mount, Jemma Barton, Maddy Chapman, Katie Reeves, Asmaa Hatim, Isabelle Quinney, Lauren Harris, Kate Foster, Georgina Reid-Ward.