Guernsey (3) 4
Rihoy 9, Heaume 30, Allen 38 (p) 69

Herne Bay (0) 2
Hasler 68, Turner J 80

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Saturday 21st December 2013
Attendance: 724

By Peter Guise

Herne Bay’s first ever visit to Guernsey ended with the Channel Island club completing the double over the East Kent side who, prior to kick off, entertained high hopes of a third straight win having scored 6 in their previous outing whilst Guernsey had conceded the same number in theirs. It was not to be. On a grey, windy, rain soaked day Bay seemed to be suffering from turbo prop lag for the first twenty minutes and were constantly overrun by the Green Lions.

Guernsey took the lead as early as the 9th minute when the Bay back four were left flat footed allowing Rihoy the opportunity to slide the ball home with ease. Rihoy might have had a second 10 minutes later but for the agility of Jack Delo in the Bay goal before Sam Hasler, Bay’s brightest hope in this game, threatened to restore parity with a shot that former Pompey ‘keeper, Chris Tardif could only parry. But Guernsey pressed again and were duly rewarded with a second goal on the half hour mark courtesy of a delicate chip from the right hand edge of the box by Heaume. With Bay looking to see out the half in the teeth of a gale they were to concede again from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break. Ben Brown was adjudged, harshly, to have brought Martin down in the area and Green Lion goal machine, Ross Allen, made no mistake with his spot kick.

Within a minute of the restart Bay were reduced to ten men with Ben Brown receiving a straight red card for what was adjudged to be a reckless and dangerous tackle on the half way line. As is so often the case this seemed to galvanise the remaining ten who looked the more likely for the remainder of the game despite the mountain like task in front of them. Indeed, Tardif had to be at his very best on 52 to tip over Jamie O’Connell’s goal bound header and again, 4 minutes later, when he forced Hasler’s shot over the bar for a corner. On the hour mark Bay thought they had a cast iron way back into the game. Sam Hasler weaved his way through the Guernsey defence only to be upended by the centre half’s trailing leg. Surely a penalty! No was the response from Mr Webb who flourished a yellow card in Hasler’s direction for simulation. Hasler was not to be denied in the 75th though when he intercepted a poor pass on the edge of the area and tucked the ball past Tardif. Almost before celebrations could be completed, within 60 seconds, Guernsey had restored their three goal margin with Ross Allen grabbing his second of the game. Some measure of respectability was to be granted the Bay though. Ten minutes from time substitute James Turner latched on to Hasler’s cross from the right and slotted the ball home from 6 yards.

Bay remain 9th in the league table following this defeat being left with thoughts of what might have been had playing conditions been better and some decisions gone their way.

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner (Joe Nelder 58), Gary Sayer, Danny Walder, Connor Sanders, George Benner, Sam Hasler, Ben Brown, Jamie O’Connell (James Turner 65), Jordan Casey, Danny Lawrence.

Subs not used: Joe Kennett, Steven Lloyd, Nathan Eastwood.