Goals in first and last few minutes give Bay the points

Herne Bay FC Ladies (1) 2
Jemma Barton 5
Kate Foster 87

Tonbridge Angels (1) 1

SECWFL Div 1 (East)
Sunday 2nd September 2018
at Winch's Field

(photo: Jemma Barton celebrates her opening goal of the game)

It was a hard fought victory but a victory in the opening league game of the new campaign, nonetheless, writes Peter Guise.

Jemma Barton opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute from Abigail Duff's corner on the right. Bay pressed trying to force the floodgates open but newly promoted Tonbridge Angels stood firm countering on the half hour mark and equalising, ramming home a ball that had rebounded off of Sarah Cooper's crossbar. Still Bay might have gone in at the break ahead but for the excellent Samantha Wright between the visitor's posts. First she saved splendidly from Lauren William's chip, tipping the ball over the bar, with the referee awarding a goal kick. Then she narrowed the angle on the advancing Isabelle Quinney whose toe poke came back of the 'keepers' right hand upright.

After the interval, Angels pressed higher and for long periods Bay were limited to only the occassional foray into the vistors' half. Having weathered those attempts, Bay came forward searching for the winner which they duly got three minutes from time. A corner on the left was taken short to Abigail Duff who rifled in a cross that Kate Foster stooped to head in at the near post.

An opening day win and sometimes a side just needs to win ugly as the phrase goes. "We made it hard for ourselves by not playing our usual free flowing game", said manager Peter Whittaker, "but it's three points and we'll take that. We know we have to be more cohesive and we'll address that, we've got a few players to come back as well so it's positive".

Herne Bay FC Ladies: Sarah Cooper, Lucy Page, Kayleigh Mount, Jemma Barton, Kerry Grant, Kate Foster, Megan Pearce, Lauren Williams, Saraya Phillips, Chloe Wolaway, Abigail Duff.

Substitutes (roll on / roll off): Asmaa Hatim, Isabelle Quinney, Alice Phillips, Rachel Tracy.

Player of the Match: Chloe Woolaway