Herne Bay 3 (4) – 3 (2) Kingstonian

A hat-trick hero and penalty shootout heroics see Herne Bay advance in the FA Trophy.

On a rain-filled Saturday afternoon, Herne Bay faced Kingstonian in the FA Trophy first qualifying round.

The Bay conceded in the sixth minute following a Kingstonian freekick was headed in.

But the team didn’t back down. They found a way to dig deep and they won a corner which was delivered into the box and Joe Taylor got his head on it to equalise in the 26th minute.

Ten minutes later, a great opportunity to take the lead when Antonio Morgan, Herne Bay’s no. seven, whipped a cross in but Taylor headed it wide of goal. But not even two minutes later, Sonny Black played the ball into Emmanuel Robe in the box where the ball came away from it but into the path of Joe Taylor who hit it into the net to take the lead.

Just before the break, Herne Bay goalkeeper was called into action when he made a superb save to stop a Kingstonian effort from nestling into the top right corner after they hit an effort from outside the box.

At halftime, The Bay led 2-1.

However, the lead was short-lived as Kingstonian scored in the 53rd minute to equalise after a close-range shot.

But the team didn’t give up and, after Morgan made some great moves in the box, he was tripped by the keeper and won a penalty in the 60th minute.

So up stepped Joe Taylor, to potentially get the lead back and get a hattrick.

He sent the keeper diving the wrong way and cooly slotted the penalty into the left of the goal, earning his hattrick and putting The Bay in front.

Herne Bay held their led for 25 more minutes, surviving pressure from Kingstonian with an incredible clearance on the goal line being made in the 74th minute.

Kingstonian eventually scored in the 85th minute, scoring a header following a corner.

They also scored in added time but it was ruled offside, with Herne Bay even having a chance right at the end of added time.
The players then readied themselves for the penalty shootout.

Herne Bay’s Lewis Gard, steps up and scores the first goal of the shootout. Kingstonian’s Stan Flaherty saw his penalty saved brilliantly by Herne Bay’s goalkeeper, Tom Wray. Herne Bay had the advantage after the first set of penalties.

Both Herne Bay and Kingstonian scored their next penalties, with Cody Cosgrove scoring for Herne Bay. The next two were also scored by both teams, with Alexander Kokoshi scoring The Bay’s penalty.

Herne Bay’s Scott Heard then scored his penalty, with Kingstonian’s effort being saved by Wray.

The final whistle blew, and relief was felt throughout the ground, as Herne Bay’s win over Kingstonian and their advancement in the FA Trophy was confirmed.

The full-time score was 3-3, with Herne Bay winning 4-2 on penalties.