Following a morale-boosting win against Ashford United in the FA Cup, Ben Smith’s side looked to get off to a flying start when Kymani Thomas burst down the wing in the fourth minute. Taking aim from a tight angle, he forced the Hornchurch ‘keeper into a smart save.

Wanting to keep the Urchins under their thumb, the Bay continued to press, with Mike West’s swinging corner finding Lexus Beeden in the centre of the box, but the defender could only head wide under pressure.

Last season’s play-off finalists were starting to warm into the game, with Wyan Reid and Higgins both having half chances to open the scoring, neither of which troubled Jordan Perrin in the Herne Bay net.

However, the warning signs were there and in the 16th minute, the visitors took the lead when Bertram-Cooper rose highest to head home from close range.

Things went from bad to worse for the Bay moments later when Hornchurch were able to extend their lead. Having blazed one over moments before, Higgins made no mistake in the 23rd minute when, like Bertram-Cooper, he headed home from a similar distance.

Following his impressive performance on Sunday, Kymani was continuing to threaten down the right-hand side, with the winger working into a good crossing position. However, despite a well-struck delivery, he was left frustrated to see nobody was there to turn the ball home.

Chasing a two-goal deficit, Smith’s side began to apply pressure to the Hornchurch back line, as Kieron Campbell saw a long-range effort curl wide of the top corner just past the half hour mark.

But the best chance of the half, if not the entire game, for the Bay came in the 33rd minute when a brilliant run from West saw him cut the Urchins’ defence in two. With Thomas in a better position, he elected to cut the ball back to him, but a heavy touch let Kymani down, enabling the visitors to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

With half time fast approaching, the Bay were looking to keep the score as it was. They were unable to do so when Nash put Hornchurch three up, finishing smartly when one-on-one, following Higgins’ well-weighted pass.

A fast start to the second half needed to be on the cards for Smith’s side but that never came to fruition. In fact, it was Hornchurch who came out of the blocks faster and in the 50th minute, the put the game beyond any doubt when Nash tucked the ball home.

With little but pride still to play for, the Bay kept plugging away, with KC denied an impressive goal by an excellent reflex save from the Urchins’ shot-stopper in the 55th minute.

But Hornchurch were relentless and on the hour mark, they bagged a fifth. A cross field ball from Nash found its way to Tom Wraight who made no mistake in firing home past Perrin.

It seemed like every time the visitors came forward with the ball, a goal seemed more than likely and but for a little bit of fortune in the 73rd minute, the Bay could have been six down when Nash fired into the wrong side of the side netting from close range.

However, to cap off a disappointing return to the MBS Stadium, the Bay conceded a sixth right at the death when Spence fired in from an angle, with the ref bringing the game to an end moments later.

Full time: Herne Bay 0 Hornchurch 6

Herne Bay Starting XI: Jordan Perrin, Keano Robinson, Jack Parter, Dan Johnson, Lexus Beeden, Kymani Thomas (Mason Saunders-Henry 64’), Hamilton Antonio (Hassan Jalloh 56’), Zak Ansah, Bode Anidugbe (Marcel Barrington 64’), Mike West ©

Unused Subs: Rory Smith, Chris Edwards