At last a win and three points, although despite having numerous chances throughout the game the nerves were stretched at the end as Horsham threw all they had at us in the closing minutes in an attempt to get the equalizing goal.

Herne Bay welcomed back Ian Pulman, coming on as an 88th minute substitute . Bay started this game like they were continuing on from last week’s game at Greenwich Borough, having three great chances to score in the opening six minutes. Horsham hit back forcing Ben Hunter to pull off a couple of top drawer saves to keep the scores level.

This after only 12 minutes of play!

The play throughout the half was very entertaining, end to end stuff with both sides playing good passing football. A great game for the neutrals and although the teams went in at half time level, Bay created sufficient chances to have easily been 2 or 3 goals to the good.

The second period continued in the same vein as the first but with Bay in the ascendency. After nine minutes of play Bay took the lead. Junior Aikhionbare was fouled 25 yards out and from the resulting free kick, Tom Carlton whipped in the perfect cross to the far post for Junior to meet with a diving header into the bottom corner at the near post, wrong footing the keeper.

Four minutes later and the lead was doubled. Great work from Nassim Dukali tying the defender in knots down the left before passing to Danny Leonard on the overlap. Danny cut the ball back from the by line with pace, forcing defender, Steve Metcalf to put into his own goal as he tried to prevent Junior meeting the crossed ball.

Horsham hit straight back and within a minute had reduced the deficit when Naz gave the ball away allowing Horsham to drive forward with Tony Nwachukwu smashing the ball past Hunter.

Undeterred Bay pushed forward and were really dominating the game. Numerous chances went begging; Josh Wisson heading against the upright, Naz having a goal bound shot deflected just past the post and a couple of frantic goal line clearances.

Horsham made three substitutes in a short space of time and this gave them fresh impetus; Dean Brown up front was being given far too much space and every single pass seem to find him. On two occasions he broke through, one on one, but Hunter and Ben Gorham came to the rescue to keep the lead intact.

There seemed to be an unusual amount of injury time but the referee had been stopping the clock every time he felt Bay were wasting time. At last the final whistle blew and a well deserved victory against a team that had won four out of their last five matches had been achieved.

Herne Bay: Ben Hunter, Richard Ismail, Jack Steventon, Ben Gorham, Josh Wisson, Danny Leonard, Bradley Schafer, Tom Carlton, Jake Embery, Junior Aikhionbare, Nassim Dukali

Subs Used: Ian Pulman (Embery 88) Danny Rumbol (Steventon (90) Tyler Myers (Dukali 90)

Subs not used: Jono Richardson, Raphe Brown.

Horsham (0) 1 – 2 (0) Herne Bay

Att: 173

(Goals Aikhionbare, Own goal)

Report by John Bathurst.