Hythe Town overturned the odds by beating Dartford 1-0 on Tuesday night to secure the Kent Senior Cup.
Dartford went into the tie at Princes Park on the back of a great season in the Blue Square Bet South league and were defending champions of the cup, but it was Scott Porter’s that were to lift the trophy.
The pivotal moments of the game were around two penalties with Dave Cook scoring his for Hythe Town in the seventh minute of the game, whilst Adam Green had his saved for Dartford just minutes later.
Porter told the Kent FA website: “I told my players time and time again to keep believing in it, keep believing in it and we just keep believing we can beat these sides.
“It’s just the way we are. It’s the way we roll. Tonight is a massive, special occasion. This is the best night of my life.”
Meanwhile, Dartford manager Tony Burman admitted his side just couldn’t cope with Hythe Town’s competitive streak: “I don’t want to take nothing away from Hythe. They’ve come and won the trophy on our patch as well and fair play to them.”
The Kent Senior Cup also had the likes of Gillingham, Charlton Athletic and Ebbsfleet United competing this year.
Match report supplied by Hythe Town Football Club:
Yet again Scott Porter’s side have made history, the first Kent League Championship in over 20 years, the first Kent League side in over 50 years to reach the F.A. Cup 1st Round Proper, and now the 1st ever occasion that Hythe Town have won the Kent Senior Cup!!!!! It was done the hard way, the previous rounds opponents overcome, the final which was held at the holders and our opponents home, Dartford FC. Another year, another giant killing added to the list, another trophy…lads, you did us so so proud. The game itself couldn’t have got off to a more explosive start as for Dartford Tom Champion released Tom Bonner down the left who centred for Jack Pallen, but the striker’s close-range shot was beaten away by Dean Ruddy. Pallen had recently been on the winning side against Hythe as a loan player, covering the suspended Stuart King in the Hythe-Folkestone Easter derby.
The visitors were not fazed and took the lead as a result of their first decent attack, Taser Hassan’s surge down the left took him past two Dartford men and into the box, Louis Wells managed to save the winger’s low shot but Referee Paul Harris had no hesitation in awarding a penalty to Hythe, as Jimmy Dryden was pushed from behind following up the rebound. An agonising two minute wait followed whilst Champion received treatment from the Dart’s Physio, before skipper Dave Cook stepped up to emphatically smash home the spot-kick low to Wells’ right. Two minutes later the Hythe support fell silent as John Walker was adjudged to have handled Pallen’s shot in the box, however Ruddy was about to embark on an outstanding night’s work as he saved left-back Adam Green’s penalty low to his right. A few minutes later yet more drama unfolded, as Cook’s lobbed pass sent Ronnie Dolan clear on goal only for his brilliant lob to agonisingly hit the top of Well’s crossbar.
At the other end Aaron Lacy made a typically heroic block on Richard Graham’s goalbound shot, following good work from Pallen. Ryan Hayes’ free-kick to the back-post was blasted over by centre-back Bonner, but at the other end the Hythe attack of Cass, Dryden, Hassan and Dolan were keeping the home defence occupied enough to break-up the home side’s play. But it was without the ball that Porter’s side really came into their own, with outstanding discipline, shape, and organisation from the first minute to the last. The half ended with Nick Barnes blasting over from the edge of the box, whilst for the home side Pallen had the ball in the net only to spot the Referee’s Assistant’s raised offside flag. Throughout the closing stages of the first-half Ruddy’s handling was impeccable, with several strikes on goal from various distances, but the Hythe keeper was still saving his best for the latter stages of the second-half.
Two minutes after the restart Jacob Erskine charged down a clearance to run into the Hythe box and force Ruddy into a decent low save, Nick Reeves clearing the danger. Five minutes later, Hythe had their first chance of the half, a quick Dolan corner finding Lacy, who in turn picked out Cook who headed just over. By the hour mark the home side had made two changes as they looked to pick up the tempo, but Hythe were continuing to frustrate their higher-league opponents, and were about to spurn their best chance to double their lead. Reeves headed down Lacy’s throw to Cass who in turn laid the ball off for Cook who could only scoop the ball just over from around the penalty-spot.
With twenty minutes remaining substitute Danny Harris cut in along the edge of the Hythe box and fired in a fierce low shot that Ruddy did brilliantly to turn around the base of his post. Two minutes later Harris set-up Erskine whose snap-shot was met by another excellent stop from Ruddy. The four minutes of injury time was painful for the Hythe supporters who had been brilliant throughout, as first Graham crossed for Hayes to cut into the box and fire a shot in that Pat Kingwell was right on cue to clear to safety. However Ruddy left his most outstanding save to the last seconds of the game, diving at full-stretch to stop substitute Lee Noble’s fierce goalbound drive, a strike that looked a goal the moment the ball left the Dartford man’s boot, Ruddy yet again had different ideas!
So Dartford join Dover, Ebbsfleet United, Staines Town and Concord Rangers on the list of sides that Scott Porter has masterminded giant-killings over. Throw in the Kent League Championship, a Kent League Cup Final appearance, the F.A. Cup 1st Round at Hereford United, and hopefully a final position of 8th in our first ever Ryman League season and it has been an amazing couple of years for Scott, his management team, his players, everyone behind the scenes including the Chairman and his Directors, and of course our fantastic and ever-growing support. Who knows what the next twelve months hold, but in the meantime we will remember the brilliant scenes at the final whistle and the celebrations that followed…
Hythe Town – Ruddy, Lacy, Walker, Kingwell, Reeves, Dolan, Cook (c), Barnes, Dryden, Cass (Thompson – 85), Hassan (Byrne – 77) – Unused subs – Parkinson, A Porter, Mann
Man of the Match – Dean Ruddy
Attendance – 1336