A week before the season starts in earnest and manager Ben Smith will have some selection headaches ahead of the trip to Whyteleafe as all 17 players who had minutes on the pitch put in a great shift and others were unavailable. The winning margin could have been greater had it not been for the woodwork and the heroics of the young Felixstowe keeper Charlie McCarthy.

Into the squad had come ex-Chelsea youth player Tushaun Tyreece-Walters and returning was Liam Quinn, resplendent in his Petr Cech-like headgear following his nasty head injury last season when playing for Canterbury City.

Herne Bay were quickly out of the blocks and it took just six minutes for the first goal to come, Kyron Lightfoot striking home from outside of the area. On 24 it became two when a low finish from Zak Ansah gave the prolific striker his eight goal of pre-season. Bay continued to press forward with the offence looking dangerous and four minutes before the break McCarthy turned a Lightfoot thunderbolt over the bar. The drama in the half was not over as Armani Schaar pulled one back for the visitors.

Five minutes after the break McCarthy again denied Lightfoot with an unbelievable save, diving to his left. With the clock ticking down and Bay looking comfortable and ready to lift the shield, Jordan Matthews levelled for the Seasiders in the 83rd minute. The home side strove forward and with the last kick of the match Luke Griffiths fired through a packed area and the trophy deservedly belonged to Bay.