Bay slumped to their second successive defeat against lowly Redhill but remained 9th in the league thanks to results going their way elsewhere.
Once they got back into the game with Stuart King’s 76th minute strike, Bay looked the more likely and might have taken a point had substitute Kane Butler’s effort not been beaten away by Hunter in the Redhill goal with seconds remaining on the referee’s timepiece even though they lost the services of Gary Sayer in stoppage time, red carded for a foul on the half way line.
Herne Bay had several chances to open their account in the first half. Parkinson headed wide in the 18th and 6 minutes later Michael Turner’s low cross eluded the advancing strikers’ feet as it fizzed through the six yard area. Ita laid the ball off to Joe Nelder in the 37th when he might have taken the shot himself and Nelder’s drive flew wide.
Then, on the stroke of half time Redhill took the lead, always a good time to score according to football coaches. Jack Delo parried a stinging strike from distance into the path of Joe Goldsmith who tucked the ball back past him.
Redhill continued to press after the break and a second goal duly arrived 12 minutes in when Sam Butler latched on to a through ball that he lashed home past the advancing Delo. With nothing to lose and only the game to chase, Herne Bay went in search of a way back into the game.
It duly arrived in the 76th minute when Steven Ita slid the ball across the face of the home goal for Stuart King to slot home. Now there was hope and Bay continued to forge forward, Delo almost playing the ‘libido’ role rather than that of ‘keeper. But the equaliser eluded them, Sayer was shown a straight red for his tackle on the half way line and Hunter foiled Kane Butler at the death.
Redhill: Michael Hunter, Bradley Duke, Rob Hill, Joe Goldsmith, John Difford, Brendan Owusu-Ansah, Sam Butler (Tre Mitford 81), Scott Harris, Tyrone Pink (George Cousins 90), Fiachra McArdle (Tom Bold 70), Joe Bingham.
Subs not used: Chris O’Flaherty, Matt Robinson
Cautions: Tyrone Pink Sent off: none
Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner (Kane Butler 90), Gary Sayer, Daniel Johnson, Liam Quinn, Harry Brown (Jordan Casey 63), Joe Nelder, Dan Parkinson, Danny Williams, Stuart King, Steven Ita.
Subs not used: James Brown, Ollie Lee, Ben Kitcherside
Cautions: Jack Delo, Liam Quinn, Danny Williams. Sent off: Gary Sayer
Player of the match: Danny Williams
Referee: Shaun Scott.
Assistant Referees: Jamaal Horne & Garry Worrell
Redhill (1) 2
Goldsmith 44, Butler 57
Herne Bay (0) 1
King 76
Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Tuesday 23rd September 2014
at Kiln Brow
Attendance: 77