Faversham Town maintained their push for promotion with their ninth game without defeat with a hard earned victory against their Sussex opponents.

The game started with Faversham on the attack & in the 4^th minute Josh Stanford put Jamie Maxted in on goal but he could not make his mind up whether to chip & shoot & in the end neither was done & Kieron Thopp saved easily, in the very next minute the ball was pinging around the Bridges area & fell at Jack Harris’s feet but his shot from 20 yards went wide.

In the 12^th minute Bridges had their first meaningful attack when Hakeem Adelakun 20 yards out saw his effort go past the post.

In the 17^th minute Faversham had another chance when Matt Bourne passed to Harris who controlled it before laying the ball into the path of Sam Bewick & his shot from 18 yards was saved by Thopp, the best chance of the half came in the 22^nd minute when Wayne Wilson’s free kick to the far post found Dean Grant but his header unopposed went wide.

Eleven minutes later Stanford had a glorious chance to score when 20 yards out saw his shot with the outside of his boot go just past the post.

In the 36^th minute Bridges had a scare when a corner into the area half cleared to Bewick whose shot from 8 yards was blocked but came out to Stanford & his shot went to Grant who from 6 yards shot past the post.

The last chance of the half came in the 44^th minute when Sam MacVicar muscled his way into the area & his shot on goal was deflected for a corner. The half time whistle went & Ray Turner probably had some harsh words to say as Faversham seemed very lacklustre even though they had created some chances but needed to up the ante.

The second half was only two minutes old when William Peauroux saw his volleyed shot go just past the post. This seemed to wake Faversham up  & in the 52^nd minute Stanford in the area saw his cross shot fumbled by Thopp & then cleared away by Martin Dynan.

Two minutes later a Wilson free kick from 21 yards out forced Thopp to push the ball around the post for a corner.  In the 60^th minute & completely against the run of play Ben Godfrey saw his shot from 25 yards out beat Robert French but not the crossbar as it hit it & went over for a goal kick.

In the 65^th minute Faversham finally got their goal when a long ball down the channel saw Harris get to it & then once in the area beat one defender before shooting home from 12 yards.  Faversham were now in total control & three minutes later Harris on the right retrieved the ball & his cross to the back post found Maxted but his goal bound header was saved by Thopp, a minute later they were two up when Bewick passed forward for Grant who ran into the area & seemed to be fouled but the ball came out to Bewick who shot home from 10 yards.

In the 70^th minute straight from kick off Adelakun saw his 25 yards effort pushed around the post by French. In the 83^rd minute it should have been three when Stanford passed to Harris in the area & he passed to Wilson 12 yards out but he miskicked it & it came out to Renford Tenyue but his shot was cleared of the line. Six minutes later & it was three when Tenyue running from halfway had two options for a pass but against everyone in the crowd laid the ball into the path of Kieron Oliver who went into the area & shot home from 12 yards.

In the second minute of added on time Oliver received the ball from Harris 15 yards but his shot went wide. The final whistle went & these three points put them level with Burgess Hill Town.

 

FAVERSHAM TOWN:

1. FRENCH 2. A.SHERLOCK  3. J.MAXTED  4. W.WILSON   5. M.BOURNE  6. A.BROWN  7. S.BEWICK (81) 8. G.MONGER 9. J.HARRIS   10.  D.GRANT (70)  11. J.STANFORD

SUBS USED:   16. K.OLIVER (70)  14. R.TENYUE (81)

SUBS NOT USED:  12. J.SCARBOROUGH  15. D.KING

 

THREE BRIDGES:

1. THOPP 2. J.LANSDALE (70)  3. N.BRAKE  4. M.WHITEHEAD  5. MARTIN DYNAN  6. H.ADELAKUN  7. A.TOUREY 8. B.GODFREY 9. S.MacVICAR   10. T.GARROD   11. W. PEAUYROUX

SUBS USED:  12. C.LEACH (70)

SUBS NOT USED:   14. T.GANNON   16. H.COX  16. T.BINGHAM

BOOKINGS:   5. M.DYNAN (53)   4. M.WHITEHEAD (56)  8. B.GODFREY (67)

 

REFEREE:  Mr D.SMART

ASSISTANTS:  Mr C.BURTON &  Miss L.SAUNDERS

ATTENDANCE: 202