The Cannons took their chances as they ended up comfortable 3-0 winners at a damp Reachfields on Saturday afternoon.
It was the Cannons who were first to create as after only one minute Ryan Palmer lobbed the ball over the VCD defence into the path of Zak Ansah but the league’s leading scorer miss hit his attempt wide of the target. VCD had to wait five minutes for their first opportunity as Tyrone Guthrie hit a long shot straight into the arms of Hythe keeper George Kamurasi.
There then followed a midfield battle which led to very little goalmouth action until the 23rd minute when the dangerous Alex Gaggin broke free and played the ball into Jonathan Adebayo whose shot on the turn was superbly tipped over by Kamurasi.
VCD continued to press and Ali Fuseini shot on the turn straight at Kamurasi. Hythe were then to have a bright spell as Palmer put through Ansah but he couldn’t get enough on the ball to trouble former Hythe keeper Joe Mant. Ansah was then to return the favour and fed the ball to Palmer who side-footed just wide.
However, Hythe were to be awarded a penalty on 35 minutes as Kieron Campbell cut back in and was brought down with the referee pointing straight at the spot. Up stepped Ansah who planted his penalty just out of the reach of Mant to give the Cannons the lead.
Jack Sammoutis, who had an excellent game in midfield, broke through and laid the ball off to Palmer whose attempt went just over and then a minute before the break VCD’s Fuseini turned in and shot over the bar.
It was VCD who were fastest out of the blocks in the second half as they went in search of an equalizer. Substitute Aymun El-Moyhabel jinked his way into the penalty area before feeding Alastair Gordon whose final shot was easily saved by Kamurasi and then El-Moyhabel played the ball into Fuseini who forced Kamurasi to tip the ball over again.
The pressure continued with persistence from El-Moyhabel ending with a shot that went over the bar and then Fiseini shot from the edge of the area but it was held Kamurasi. A couple of chances followed at the other end as Sammoutis broke in from the left but his attempt went wide followed by a Campbell shot that also missed the target.
However, a three-minute spell followed that saw Hythe secure all three points. On 70 minutes Campbell pounced on a defensive error and played a pinpoint ball to Ansah who calmly buried his shot into the net to make it 2-0. On 73 minutes Hythe got their third as Ansah played the ball off to Sammoutis who finished his chance off clinically into the corner of the net.
Credit to the visitors who continued to look to narrow the deficit. With a quarter of an hour to go Gordon crossed into Junior Baker who scooped the ball over the bar and then Gordon had a shot saved at the second attempt by Kamurasi. Gordon continued in the action as he let loose a shot that was headed over by the dependable Nathan Daly before it could get close to the goal. One more chance for VCD saw a Gaggin cross ending with Courtney Barrington shooting wide.
It was Hythe who were to end with a clean sheet and all three points as they move into second place in the table. The Cannons take a break from the league next Saturday as they entertain FC Romania in the Preliminary Round of the Buildbase FA Trophy. Kick-off at Reachfields is 3 pm.
Team: George Kamurasi, Salvyn Kisitu, Aziz Lyoubi, Jack Sammoutis, Nathan Daly, Mitchell Dickenson, Ryan Palmer (Josh Stirman 82 mins), Charlie Webster, Zak Ansah (Billy Lewins 90 mins), Junior Aikhionbare (Nigel Neita 67 mins), Kieron Campbell.
Scorers: Hythe Town – Zak Ansah 35 (pen) & 70 mins, Jack Sammoutis 73 mins)
Attendance: 229