Herne Bay were defeated by Ryman newcomers Peacehaven & Telscombe on the south coast with no fairy tale homecoming for Stuart King.

Peacehaven & Telscombe (3) 4
Richards 8, Brotherton 26, 45, Lloyd-Dawes 90+2

Herne  Bay (1) 2
Brown 19, Casey 65

The Ryman newcomers signalled their physical intent from the start and opened their account as early as the 8th minute when they scored from a poorly defended corner, the unmarked Craig Richards heading home at the near post.

Bay bounced back, might have equalised 3 minutes later when a classy back heel from King set Sam Hasler up only for his shot to fizz across goal, then did restore parity in the 11th when Ben Brown dispossessed Richards on the edge of the box to slot home.

Equality was short lived, however, as former Worthing & Whitehawk striker Jamie Brotherton capitalised when the Bay defence failed to clear their 18 yard line, turning and firing across Delo to net in the 26th.

Just before the break, Brotherton scored his second, smashing home with Herne Bay appealing for an offside flag that remained firmly at the assistant referee’s side.

After the turnaround Bay, fired up by manager Sam Denly’s ferocious half-time assessment of the first 45, played with more urgency, were often first to the ball and looked the more likely to score.

Whether it was this ‘tackle first ask questions later’ style or simply a dismay that a two footed tackle by Peacehaven’s Jack Jones on Nathan Eastwood had gone unpunished, that saw Eastwood himself shown a straight red by Hastings referee Matthew Goldsmith for a similar, this time punished, two footed lunge by the left hand corner flag.

If anything, though, it served to spur the visitors on and they duly pulled a goal back on 65 when Jordan Casey’s sublime lob, from ‘keeper Delo’s route one clearance, nestled in the back of the Peacehaven net.

They might have levelled 3 minutes later but Ben Brown blasted over and with the Bay pushing forward for a deserved equaliser they succumbed to a break away 4th goal deep into stoppage time from Lloyd-Dawes.

“I was disappointed with our performance today, and the lads know that,” said Denly, “yes we showed a lot of spirit to get back into the game when we went down to 10 men, but the damage had been done by then.”

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Nathan Eastwood, Gary Sayers, Joe Nelder, Connor Sanders, Adam Woolcott (Jordan Casey 34), Danny Walder, Ben Brown, Sam Hasler (James Turner 77), Stuart King, Dean Grant (Kane Buttler (84)

Subs not used: Jamie O’Connell, Harry Brown.