In common with many teams across the nation, Herne Bay and Three Bridges had a joint photograph taken with the match officials ahead of their fixture as part of the Football Association initiative ‘Football Remembers’.
It was to commemorate the Christmas 1914 truce during which soldiers from opposing trenches played the now famous football match.
There was no sign of that truce spirit once today’s match got underway though with Herne Bay’s home record of strength scattered about the Winch’s Field pitch as lowly Three Bridges capitalised on an abject home performance that belied both sides league positions.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Matt Whitehead’s shot was turned round the post for a corner by Jack Delo and from that corner Ben Godfrey produced a text book header to bury the ball past the Bay ‘keeper.
Just 9 minutes later and another fast foray forward by Allan Tait resulted in a penalty when he was brought down in the 18 yard box by Liam Quinn. Godfrey despatched the spot kick with ease for his, and Three Bridges, second of the game.
The home side might have pulled one back just before the break but Dan Parkinson sliced wide with the goal at his mercy. That would have been the proverbial ‘good time to score’ and given Bay some momentum going into the second 45, a passage of play that was the stuff of nightmares for the home faithful.
Lee Carney piled on the agony just 3 minutes after the break with Bridges’ third then two goals in 3 minutes from substitute Sam MacVicar sealed Bay’s fate. The first of those 2 minutes after the hour mark, his shot lashed home after a strong run through the middle and next a lob over Jack Delo after the hapless home side had lost the ball in midfield, not for the first time.
Worse was to come for the home side when Williams Peauroux let fly from the edge of the box in the 73rd to send a screamer soaring into the net to make it six.
To cap it all, both teams were reduced to 10 men 10 minutes from time with Bay’s Gary Sayer and Bridges’ Hakeem Adelakun dismissed after a squaring up although Sayer’s red card could well be rescinded as a case of mistaken identity. The real culprit in a blue shirt was later identified as Danny Williams.
Understandably, Herne Bay’s manager Sam Denly was a man of minimal words post match. “We were a shower”, he said, “and you can say that in the report.”
Surprisingly, Herne Bay remain 6th in the league despite this desperate defeat thanks to other results being favourable to their position.
Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner (Steven Ita 51), Gary Sayer, Dan Johnson, Liam Quinn, Dan Parkinson, Danny Walder, Joe Nelder (Ben Brown 55), Danny Williams, Stuart King, Sam Hasler (Jordan Casey 66).
Subs Not Used: Harry Brown, James Brown.
Cautions: none. Sent Off: Gary Sayer (in error – mistaken identity)
Three Bridges: Kieron Thorp, Williams Peauroux, Martin Dynan (Mark Pulling 58), Jamie Crellin, Callum Donaghey (Hakeem Adelakun 68), Ben Godfrey, Abu Touray, Lee Carney, Allan Tait, Tony Garrod, Matt Whitehead (Sam MacVicar 52).
Subs Not Used: none (only 3 named).
Cautions: none. Sent Off: Hakeem Adelakun
Man of the Match: Ben Godfrey (Three Bridges)
Referee: Scott Jackson Assistants: Kane Dempster & Lou Saunders.
Herne Bay (0) 0
Three Bridges (2) 6
Godfrey 11, 20 (pen)
Carney 48
MacVicar 62, 65
Peauroux 73
at Winch’s Field
Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Saturday 6th December 2014.
Attendance: 161
(photo credit: Peter Guise – The Teams Remember for Football Remembers Week.)