Dartford (4) 7

Herne Bay (1) 1
Lillian Tucker 35

Kent FA Women’s Cup – Quarter-Final
Sunday 21st November 2021
At Princes Park

Herne Bay were evicted from a second cup competition in as many weeks with a second successive bruising score-line telling the sorry tale. Two seasons ago, these sides had met at the same stage of the Kent FA Women’s Cup with the match being a close affair. This meeting turned out not to be a repeat of that. Premier Division Dartford raced into a three goal lead. It might have been more but for the heroics of Sarah Cooper in the Bay goal who, once again, pulled off a string of top class saves as Bay struggled to get to grips with a fast Dartford front line who sprinted onto a barrage of long balls for them to chase. Lillian Tucker looked to have given Bay hope with a well taken goal in the 35th minute but the cup holders restored their three goal cushion almost immediately.

After the break, Sarah Cooper was again called into action and made a superb penalty save diving to her right and then prevented Dartford from running up a cricket score with more quality saves; tipping several efforts over the cross bar at full stretch. That is not to say that Herne Bay did not have chances of their own with Tucker, Brock and Shepherd all being denied by the home ‘keeper.

“I have to be honest, I was very disappointed”, said manager Howard Pearce, “I know we can play better than this and if we want to play at the same level as them (Dartford) we will have to play to our full potential week in, week out. Yes, we had some good spells, but there was just something missing today”.

Herne Bay: Sarah Cooper, Jasmin West, Katie Cooper, Lauren Williams, Alice Phillips, Kate Foster, Lillian Tucker, Gemma Shepherd, Erin MacLennan, Sophie Gifford (Elena Brock 46), Abbie Potter (Rosie Hague 72).

Player of the Match: Sarah Cooper