Match Report

Tuesday 28th November 2017
Bostik League Division One South
Herne Bay 1 – 1 Horsham
Att: 186
(Goals: Schafer)

Herne Bay: Ben Hunter, Josh Wisson, Mohamed Kamara, Bradley Schafer, Jono Richardson, Danny Leonard, Raphe Brown, Tom Carlton, Jake Embery, Junior Aikhionbare, Nassim Dukali
Subs Used: Ryan Catmull (Aikhionbare 58) Danny Rumbol (Brown 65)
Subs not used: Connor Wilkins, Jack Steventon
Man of the Match: Bradley Schafer

In a very competitive mid week fixture with both teams trying to play good attacking football Bay came back from a goal down to get their third consecutive home draw.
Bay started the more livelier side with quick attacking moves down both flanks. In the opening couple of minutes Danny Leonard shot was deflected for a corner from which Josh Wisson over the bar. The visitors were also causing threats from their own attacking play but the their efforts never threatened Ben Hunter. Jake Embery had a great chance to opened the scoring when a fabulous through ball from Tom Carlton put him clear on goal but before he had time to shoot, a brilliant tackle from Steve Metcalf sent the ball away for a corner. The Hornets hit back with captain Scott Kirkwood firing a long range shot straight at Hunter. At the other end Bay thought they had scored when an Embery shot hit keeper Brandon Daly came off his legs with the ball heading for the goal but was cleared off the line. Back came Horsham and from a free kick the ball smashed into the wall with the rebound falling to Kirkwood who powered in a thunderous shot from outside the area onto the crossbar and fortunately away for a corner. As the half came to a close Bradley Bay threatened; Nassim Dukali had a shot saved after being put through by Leonard. Horsham also had chances but in the end the half finished goal-less.
The 2nd half continued in the same vein as the first with end to end attacking play. The visitors started to dominate play, forcing Bay to defend in numbers. Goal attempts from Dean Bown and Kirkwood were well saved by Hunter. With the pressure mounting Horsham thought they had scored as Josh Shelley raced in to power a header past Hunter. Unfortunately for the visitors the referee adjudged him to have climbed on Jono Richardson's back and disallowed the goal. Spurred on by this the Hornets increased the pressure and this was rewarded when substitute Tony Nwachukwu held the ball up well before laying off to Metcalf fire his shot from a tight angle to beat Hunter low down.
It was now Bay's turn to dominate the play as they searched out the equalizing goal and it duly came when Schafer latched onto a poor clearance from Daly, drove into the box and hit his shot wide of the keeper into the far corner to the delight of the supporters behind the goal. Both sides kept up the attacking play but Bay certainly looked the more likely to score but some resolute defending kept the scores level up to the final whistle.
At the end of the day both sides deserved a point from a very entertaining game of football on a very cold November evening.