Herne Bay battled for over two thirds of this game a man down following the dismissal of Mark Lovell and can feel aggrieved at not picking up all the points.

“The boys worked really hard for the point and with 10 men I thought we were the better side”, said Herne Bay manager Sam Denly, “we can consider ourselves unlucky not to get the win but with the sending off we have to settle for the point and move on”.

Tooting & Mitcham United were bright and bustly as they had been in the reverse fixture just 10 days ago but, as in that fixture, offered little to trouble Jack Delo in the Bay goal. Indeed, it might have been the home side who took the lead in the first attack of the game but for an unfortunate scuff. The Terrors looked as though they might capitalise on the sending off of Mark Lovell in the 22^nd minute when six minutes later when Jake Baxter’s shot came back off Delo’s right hand post but from then on Herne Bay looked the better side.

Danny Walder sent a cross over on the half hour mark and Dan Parkinson swept it past Ceesay only for the ball to be hooked off the line.

After the break the home side endured periods of pressure but Denly had drilled his side well. They came back at The Terrors and Sam Hasler sent many a good pass into the danger area and was unlucky to see one such effort in stoppage time palmed away to safety by the visiting ‘keeper.

Without exception, Herne Bay’s team to a man dug deep, nullified the absence of Lovell, and at the final whistle can rightly claim a moral, if not an actual, victory. Bay remain fourth in the table.

“We worked hard without the ball and looked dangerous going forward, we were solid at the back, big and strong, we dominated the game and to do that with 10 men against a good side for me is a good performance”, said Denly, “we’re disappointed we’ve not taken all three points, every single player put an absolute shift in today, the performance was there”.

 

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner, Gary Sayer, Dan Johnson, Liam Quin, Connor Sanders, Danny Walder (Danny Williams 86), Dan Parkinson (James Turner 60), Mark Lovell, Elliott Cutts (Joe Nelder 60), Sam Hasler.

Subs not used: Nathan Eastwood, Kane Phillip.

Sent Off: Mark Lovell     Cautioned: Dan Parkinson, Connor Sanders.

 

Tooting & Mitcham United: Shiekh Ceesay, Sol Patterson-Bonner, Tenny Taiwo, Adriano Moraes, Kurtis Pykes, Matt Price (Sergio Makofo 67), Ashley Robinson (Gavin Quintyne 76), Jake Baxter, Chace O’Neill, Macel Barrington.

Subs not used: Leo Lalor-Dell, Owen Roberts, Matt Pierson.

Sent Off: none              Cautioned: Ashley Robinson, Kurtis Pykes.

 

Referee:  David Spain               Assistant Referees: Jamie Humphries & Joe Kasper.

Man of the Match: Michael Turner (Herne Bay)

 

Herne Bay (0) 0

 

Tooting & Mitcham United (0) 0

 

Attendance: 215

 

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)

Saturday 6^th February 2016.

(at The Altira Park Stadium, Winch’s Field)

 

Photo credit: Steve Barton – Parkinson sees his shot cleared off the line.