Manston 1 – 5 Herne Bay Vets Res.
C Gilpin (2)
M Radulovic (2)
S Smith

Today saw the return leg of the season’s opening fixture against Manston that we drew 1-1 at home. This time, by contrast, we came away with all the points to maintain pressure at the top of the league.

Richie Parker, Covid-free in a pre-match check but later to test positive, started in goal, behind a hirsute back four of Foad, Cramphorn and Bowman, standing in for Kev Edwards who was nursing a hamstring injury, and Craig Sharp.

The three in the middle of the park were Tom Powell, captain Simon Smith and Leigh Gilpin, returning after missing the last game, and up top we saw Richie Fell and Craig Gilpin flanking Stu Munday, playing a false nine.

The surface at Manston isn’t the worst surface in the league, but it is nonetheless deceptively bobbly and was clearly hampering the way in which Bay tend to play. They were perhaps too quick to look long on occasion and the attacking intent of the full-backs was not as obvious as it has been at recent home games. To some extent this is to be expected but the players were nevertheless encouraged to play their usual game by manager Mark Kidd and Steve Woollcott, a hugely welcome addition to the match day touch line management team.

Despite the early frustration from the sidelines, the players had the ball in the back on the net on 10 mins. Craig Gilpin was chopped agriculturally from behind some 30 metres from goal slightly to our right-hand side. Up stepped Russell Cramphorn, a classy, purring, ball-playing centre back who saw and picked out Smudge unmarked at the back post and elegantly chipped in an inviting ball to the edge of the six-yard box which Smudge gratefully nodded home back past the keeper.

Most of the first half was typified by build up followed by frustration as bobbles caused attacks to break down. Richard Fell so often in the right positions and creating openings with his clever movement was undone when he attempted to play quick through-balls on the unpredictable surface.

The game changed when Lee Foad had to withdraw with the kind of groin injury “he’s not had since he was a teenager”. Make of that what you will but my mind went straight to Foady entertaining an overly ambitious number of groupies in a late 80s East Kent music festival. On came Miki who was all energy and full of running as he drove the team forward. On 43 mins, Paul Tomkies nodded the ball to his left at the edge of the area to find Miki who muscled his way past his defender and slotted home with his left foot into the far corner.

Two nil at half-time felt like a comfortable lead, particularly since the back line were coping comfortably with the Manston threat.

Armed with the half-time feedback from Mark and Steve, Bay started the second half quickly and strongly, having the ball in the back of the net just five minutes after the restart. A flowing move from right to left saw Craig Sharp feed Richie Fell who played in Craig Gilpin to sweep home from close range.

A hamstring injury to Stu Munday deprived the team of his services which had included stints at centre back, centre mid and centre forward. Tom Powell slotted alongside Russ at centre back as the game resumed.

Bay then threw Manston a lifeline after a little too much ball playing by the aforementioned ball playing centre back allowed Lee Mack to nip in, steal the ball and play in Matt Huckstep who powered forward down the right and slotted the ball past Richie Parker.

This meant the next goal took on greater significance and possibly in response Simon Smith decided to ‘get a little closer’ to his opponents, put in two big but fair challenges, and tempers flared. Miki objected to an offside call which resulted in much finger pointing and antagonism aimed towards him. With emotions still running high, Miki rifled home to reimpose a three goal margin and celebrated his goal in the opposition half with all the enthusiasm of someone with a point to prove.

The result was put beyond doubt 10 mins from time with a Craig Gilpin header, his 10th goal of the season and one that took him back to the top of the scoring charts, charts still roundly derided by Richard Fell who lost some of his impressive goal haul when Lynten collapsed, sending him to 3rd top scorer in the league (still impressive for someone who played half the season at right back).

Overall, this was a comfortable win made more challenging by a different kind of grass pitch to the ploughed Dover field of two weeks ago. This one, drained of water, became bobbly and unpredictable. Nonetheless, the win was all the more creditable for it.

It leaves the team two points behind the leaders who know any slip up means Bay’s home game against them will be the league decider.

Man of the match was Simon Smith with another towering performance at the heart of the team.

R Parker

C Sharp L Foad R Cramphorn B Bowman

T Powell S Smith L Gilpin

R Fell S Munday C Gilpin

Starting from the bench: M Radulovic, P Tomkies, M Kidd
Result: Manston 1 -5 Herne Bay Vets Res.
Man-of-the-match: Player's vote: S Smith
Man-of-the-match: Opposition vote: -
Referee: M Harrop [95]

Next games;
26 March – no game
2 April - Thanet Cup game [vs Minster]