Herne Bay: Jordan Perrin, Ryan Cooper, Jack Parter, Laurence Harvey, Dan Johnson, Dan Lawrence, JJ Naiwo, Hamilton Antonio, Zak Ansah, Adem Ramadam, Bode Anidugb
Subs Used: Reion McFarlane(Cooper 32') Dean Grant (Ramadan 47') Dan Carrington (Lawrence 57')
Subs Not Used: Callum Adonis-Taylor, Harry Linch, Lucas Hanley (GKP)

Another typical Herne Bay FA Cup performance away from home and another really bad start with a goal given inside the first minute. Up to that point, our passing was good! Bedfont Sports game plan was to defend with 10 players but break away in numbers. They allowed Bay to stroke the ball from defender to defender before dis-possessing Hamilton Antonio, 30 yards out from our goal. A quick through ball to number 9, Jordan Esprit and he made no mistake, slotting it past Jordan Perrin. 43 seconds on the electronic scoreboard!

Like last week, Bay came into the game having the majority of possession, but no real penetration of the well organised, and packed, Bedfont defence.

It took 30 minutes for Bay to make the breakthrough. A poor clearance by the keeper was floated straight back into the danger area. Jack Parter jumped to head the ball and was unceremoniously shoulder barged over by defender Kevin Diomande, but his weak header fell to Adem Ramadam, who struck a superb volley into the top corner.

That was about as good as it got. Within a minute of the restart, Bedfont was back in front. A ball sent through the Bay midfield to Darryl Sanders, 30 yards out. Sanders took one step forward, got the ball under control, before curling his shot around Perrin, inside the far post.
The second half started much the same as the first and within 2 minutes of the restart, it was 3-1. A well-worked goal coming from a quick attack, after a stray Bay pass was intercepted, saw the ball passed out to Sanders on the left flank. His cross into the area was met by Diomande, at the far post, to head home.

Bay huffed and puffed, but never looked like adding to their goal as Bedfont’s well-organised defence easily snuffed out any threat. Bay’s play all day was very, slow, almost lethargic. The build-up play was laborious, with too much passing backwards, allowing the Bedfont too much time to get their players back to mass the defence.

A thoroughly deserved victory for Bedfont Sports ending Bay’s cup run at the first hurdle for this season.