Alright! A classic this wasn’t. The heavy pitch and artic weather put paid to any thoughts there may have been about silky play and exquisite mastery.
Credit then, to both Bay and Meridian for ploughing, at times it seemed literally, through this tough semi-final and the higher league team won through in the end thanks to two clinical extra time finishes to set up an all London & South East Regional Women’s Football League final.
“I told the girls before the game that now they are in a higher league, cup final appearances are going to be limited so you’ve got to take the chances when they come along”, said Herne Bay Ladies manager Anthony Deer, “it took 120 minutes to do it but they’ve done the job”.
There were few chances of note in the opening 45 minutes as both sets of players came to terms with the conditions. After the break, however, Herne Bay piled on the pressure and how they didn’t win this in normal time will remain a mystery to most. Although to the astute, it was no mystery.
Herne Bay simply didn’t put their chances away. In the 52nd minute Gemma Sullivan had a shot well saved by Jessica Nunn and the same player was guilty of a glaring miss when clean through 20 minutes later although maintaining balance would not have been easy and would be a fair plea in mitigation. Sandwiched in between those two chances Nicola Morris swept Emma Brown’s pass from the right wide.
And so to a stamina sapping extra time. Maybe it was the higher fitness level or the introduction of substitutes held back, but Deer’s Bay found that little bit of extra quality that took the game away from their South East Counties League rivals who had traded efforts with the home side throughout the normal ninety as might be expected of their own high position in that league.
But Bay took the initiative and the lead just before the extra time interval. England Futsal international, Emma Brown, strode forward from the half line, rode one tackle, and fired an unstoppable 30 yard shot right footed into the roof of the net.
Then, with eight minutes to go, Harriett Chapman, on as an extra time substitute, slid in round the blind side to meet Kate Foster’s cleverly chipped free kick to slide the ball home and seal the victory.
“It was difficult” said Deer, “through the middle of the pitch is where we want to play our football and, unfortunately, that was the worst part of the pitch.”
“The first half was a bit scrappy but we lacked that killer instinct in the final third. Once we got the ball down and played we didn’t look like conceding and Emma Brown’s scored an absolute worldy. Defensively we were outstanding.”
“Now we look forward to the final, we’ll have a strong team and if we play to the best of our ability, who knows. Getting to the final is an achievement in itself”.
The Kent Reliance Kent FA Women’s Cup Final will be between Herne Bay and London Corinthians on a date, and at a venue, to be announced.
Herne Bay Ladies: Sarah Cooper, Emma Brown, Alex Roy, Beth Nugent, Debbie Blackmore, Kate Foster, Carly Farrow (Harriett Chapman 104), Nicola Morris (Rebecca Longley 109), Gemma Sullivan (Amber Guyatt 110), Hannah Gardner, Rachel Tracy.
Subs not used: Emily Brown.
Meridian: Jessica Nunn, Hannah Wood (Katie Waters 87), Remmy Little (Beth Shrubsole 81), Nicola Quayle, Louise Jackson, Melissa Cook, Natasha Molony, Zara Clarke, Kiera Daulby, Amy Russ, Olympia Little.
Subs not used: none
Referee: Daniel Doyle Assistants: Aaron Conn & George Lowe
Herne Bay Ladies Player of the Match: Emma Brown
Herne Bay Ladies (0) (0) 2
Emma Brown 103
Harriet Chapman 112
Meridian (0) (0) 0
Kent Reliance Kent FA Women’s Cup Semi-Final
Sunday 17th January 2016
at The Altira Park Stadium, Winch’s Field
Attendance: 65
Photo credit: Phil Morgan www.perpetual.photography – Harriett Chapman slides in for Bay’s second goal.