It wasn’t the best of matches. It wasn’t the worst of matches. The first half had little to commend it with both sides struggling to find any real rhythm.

Winch’s Field remains a happy hunting ground for the Bay though who, on current form at least, would have been expected to win this East Kent derby but it took a wonder free kick strike from Dan Parkinson to settle the tie.

Herne Bay lost prolific striker Stuart King to injury just before the break and at that point, with the match shaping up as it was, must have feared for goal scoring opportunities, although recent signing Danny Williams is fast becoming an alternative threat.

Both teams looked comfortable, box to box, but neither could find that killer pass or incisive movement in the final third.

Neither goalkeeper had been tested to any great degree until Dan Parkinson stepped up to rifle home a 30 yard free kick in the 77^th minute. The defensive wall lined up on the edge of the visitor’s penalty area with Bay’s Steven Ita standing alongside it on the outside. He peeled off encouraging the wall to veer his way and Parkinson sent his kick to the other side of the wall. Rams’ custodian, Nick Shaw, was left groping at thin air as the ball sped past him.

From that point on, Ramsgate upped their tempo and but for a point blank block on the 18 yard line by Bay defender Gary Sayer, they might have claimed a share of the points.

“We dug deep again tonight and got the reward”, said Bay manager Sam Denly, “That was some strike from Dan Parkinson. It deserved to win the game for us.”

Herne Bay moved up to sixth in Ryman One South with this victory with the top of the table, leaders Burgess Hill apart, now looking very tight. Ramsgate, meanwhile, slipped to just two points above the bottom three.

 

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner, Gary Sayer, Dan Johnson, Connor Partridge, Connor Sanders, Dan Parkinson , James Brown (Steven Ita 63), Danny Williams (Kane Butler 83), Stuart King (Jordan Casey 42), Joe Nelder.

Subs Not Used: Harry Brown, Ben Kitcherside.

Cautions: Jordan Casey             Sent Off: None

Ramsgate: Nick Shaw, Charlie Walsh (Ira Jackson 82), Josh Woolley Macauley Murray 82), Curtis Robinson, Tom Ripley, Connor Heffernan, Tom Chapman, Warren Schulz, James Sherman, Scott Punton, Dean Hill.

Subs Not Used: Chris Elliot, Kane Harrington, Jamie Kelly.

Cautions: Curtis Robinson, Scott Punton, Dean Hill         Sent Off: None

Man of the Match: Gary Sayer (Herne Bay)

Referee: Thonas Ramsey           Assistants: David Tregaskes & Eugene Robinson

 

Herne Bay (0) 1

Parkinson 77

Ramsgate (0) 0

at Winch’s Field

 

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)

Tuesday 30^th September 2014.

Attendance: 171