Match Report

Saturday 14th October 2017
Bostik League Division One South
Herne Bay 1 - 0 Walton Casuals
Att: 232
(Goal : Jake Embery)

Being reduced to playing with ten men after only 21 minutes seemed to galvanise Bay’s players to defend resolutely and attack with pace and power, almost as if they were determined to show that without their captain and centre half; sent off to the softest dismissal and penalty you will probably see this season, they could see out the game without being beaten, but they did much better than that!

The first half finished all square with the stags probably having more of the game due to the one man superiority but despite this they never really troubled keeper Ben Hunter.

The second half was a different story as Bay grew and grew with confidence, bolstered by a beaut of a goal, scored by Jake Embery.
17 year old Connor Cox, making his first team debut, replacing Jerrad Trespaderne at the start of the
second half, used his lightning pace to unsettle Casuals defence. It was from one of these runs that the goal was created; being dispossessed of the ball on the edge of the box , Cox, laying on the ground, somehow managed to hook a pass into the right side of the 18 yard area finding Embery free who took one touch before smashing a right foot volley across keeper, Gerrar into the far side top corner of the net.
As the game continued Casuals pressed and pressed but again Hunter was well protected by his back four, in which Bradley Schafer and Josh Wisson excelled. Schafer in particular showed tremendous reserves of energy as whenever Bay counter attacked he always seemed to be in the heart of it.

Towards the end of the game it could be seen that the visitors were visibly tiring whilst the 10 men Bay grew in stature and they looked the more likely side to score with Gerrar being called to make good saves from Nassim Dukali , Cox and Tom Carlton.

A decent crowd of 232 were very vocal throughout the game but even they were silenced when it was announced there would be 5 minutes of added time. Where the referee got that from nobody knows. However, no damage done as Bay hung on to that precious one goal lead for a morale boosting victory.

Jake received the supporters man of the match award but to be fair it could have gone to any one of those ten players who all gave their all for the team and their captain watching from the sidelines.