Herne Bay’s chances of a play-off place rest on a perfect end to the season after already crowned Folkestone Invicta breezed this Bank Holiday game and showed no sign of relenting despite having already being crowned champions.
“We weren’t good enough first half, that’s for sure, we got ourselves back into it second half but ultimately not good enough on the day”, said Herne Bay manager Sam Denly, “you can certainly see why they’ve won the league”.
The Champions breezed through the opening 45 minutes deservedly going into the interval with a two goal cushion thanks to Harry Smith’s double.
The first came on 24 when the tall striker hardly had to jump to nod home at the far post from a left wing cross then with six minutes of the half remaining he unleashed a 25 yard ground shot, they used to be called daisy cutters, that flew across Delo diving at full stretch to his left. Bay’s only meaningful effort of the first half; a Dan Johnson drive that Tim Roberts did well to push round his right hand post for a corner.
After the break, the home side did step up a gear and again Roberts was in good touch to get down well to an Elliott Cutts shot after the young striker had cut inside to create the chance.
Herne Bay got their reward for perseverance in the 73rd minute with a slice of luck. Kane Phillip’s air-shot saw the ball bounce off his knee into the path of Connor Sanders who rammed the ball home. Perhaps a glimmer of hope for the Bay as they strove for what would have been a valuable point in their push for a play-off place.
Draycott chipped Delo though moments later to fire a warning from the champions but his effort went over the bar. Two minutes from time Kane Phillip cut in from the right as Bay went in search of that elusive point and fired his effort over Roberts’ crossbar.
Any thought of a late comeback though were snuffed out when Herne Bay failed to defend a stoppage time corner and substitute Ashley Miller restored Invicta’s two goal margin with a shot that first hit Delo’s right hand post, rolled along the goal line and nestled in the far corner off the left hand post.
“There’s still five winnable games, a lot of points to play for still”, said Denly, “that is the key, we know these games were going to be difficult, hopefully we can go on a run and string a few wins together. We’ve lost today, there’s no pressure now, we’ve had a fantastic season.”
“That’s first and foremost, we don’t want to finish it poorly. It’s still mathematically possible (to make the play-offs) we’d have to win four, possibly all five, we’re good enough to do that, we’ve got to go back to basics and calm ourselves down”.
It’s a measure, perhaps, of how far this Herne Bay side, and Denly, have come in the past four years that there will be some who may be a little disgruntled at not making the play-offs.
Meanwhile, Folkestone Invicta marched smartly off in the seaside sunshine toward the Ryman Premier Division as undisputed, and worthy, champions.
Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner, Nathan Eastwood, Dan Johnson, Liam Quin, Connor Sanders, Danny Walder (Sam Hallett 56), Dan Parkinson, Mark Lovell, Elliott Cutts (Kane Phillip 63), Danny Williams (James Turner 80).
Subs not used: Gary Sayer, Joe Nelder
Sent Off: none Cautioned: Nathan Eastwood.
Folkestone Invicta: Tim Roberts, Josh Vincent, Nat Blanks, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Michael Everitt, Phil Starkey (Matt Newman 54), Scott Heard (Ashley Miller 83), Ian Draycott, Harry Smith, Jordan Wright (Ronnie Dolan 78).
Subs not used: Carl Rook (only four subs named).
Sent Off: none Cautioned: none.
Referee: John Pike Assistant Referees: David Ellis & Jamie Wells.
Herne Bay (0) 1
Connor Sanders 73
Folkestone Invicta (2) 3
Harry Smith 24, 39
Ashley Miller 90
Attendance: 327
Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Saturday 28th March 2016
(at The Altira Park Stadium, Winch’s Field)
Photo credit: Steve Barton – Herne Bay give an honour guard to Invicta