What a difference a few days makes. Sam Hasler, the villain against Guernsey, turned hat-trick hero as Bay cruised past an ill disciplined South Park.
“I’m very pleased, I thought we were excellent again today”, said Herne Bay manager Sam Denly, “it should have been more than four and we should have been three or four up in the first fifteen minutes”.
It was something of a surprise that Herne Bay hadn’t put this game to bed in the opening half but as South Park players saw red one by one, Bay might have had a cricket score and perhaps did not make the most of their three man advantage in the final half hour of this fixture.
Nelder pounced in the fifth minute after a mistake by the home ‘keeper but could not keep his shot down and six minutes later Elliot Cutts slid the ball wide with Wastell beaten. Sam Hasler, who had been sent off against Guernsey in midweek, made amends for his misdemeanour in the Bailiwick that had seen Bay salvage a point, by producing a free kick just after the quarter hour mark that whistled into the home net.
In the 20th minute the foraging Joe Nelder fed a deliciously skilful ball through to Cutts but he was denied by the goalkeeping of James Wastell. Cutts was a last minute starter for this game after James Turner had pulled up in the warm up leaving Bay with only four substitutes.
It proved not to be a major issue as South Park imploded in the second period. Indeed, they were reduced to ten man on the half hour when Alex Penfold was dismissed for his tyrannical tirade of verbal abuse to an assistant referee. Four minutes before the interval, Wastell was again on hand to claw Nelder’s header off the goal-line.
After the interval Cutts thought he had finally got on the scoresheet only for his 50th minute strike to be ruled out for offside. Then came an incredible act of self destruction by the home side. Jack Stafford had only been on the park 60 seconds when he received a yellow card then three minutes later he was given his marching orders (a straight red) for stamping.
He was followed immediately back to the home dressing room by Dean Lovegrove who shook Williams warmly by the throat during the melee that ensued. South Park were down to eight men, surely now Herne Bay would put this game to bed. Almost immediately, Joe Nelder doubled the visitors’ advantage when he calmly passed the ball into the net.
Hasler increased Bay’s lead via the inside of a post on 62 and completed his hat-trick in the 82nd when he cut inside to fire home past the luckless Wastell who received the praise of the handful of travelling supporters behind his goal for his efforts in restricting the scoreline.
“Today, they’ve gone down to eight men and it’s almost become a training game for us”, said Denly, “but another excellent performance away from home and three important points. Sammy Hasler displayed his other side today, I’ve said it before, he’s one of the best players in the league, what lets him down sometimes, as on Wednesday, is that he can be a bit of a hothead. He’s got to take that out of his game, but today he let his football do the talking”.
South Park: James Wastell, Dean Lovegrove, Alex Penfold, Asa-Rixon Nicholls, Dylan Merchant, Ryan Smith (Jack Stafford 55), Jack Macleod (Dan Moody 70), Nathan Ayling (Karl Parker 72), Kieron Lavery, Jar Jackson, James McElligatt.
Subs not used: Kofi Quartey, Jerry O’Sullivan.
Sent off: Alex Penfold, Jack Stafford, Dean Lovegrove Cautions: James McElligatt, Jack Stafford
Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner, Gary Sayer, Dan Johnson, Connor Sanders, Nathan Eastwood (Kane Phillip 63), Harry Brown, Joe Nelder (Dan Parkinson 65), Danny Williams (Giorgio Russo 75), Sam Hasler, Elliott Cutts.
Subs not used: Mark Lovell (only 4 subs named)
Sent off: none Cautions: Joe Nelder.
Referee: James Simpson Assistants: Steven Hughes & Lee Martin-Cramp
Man of the Match: Sam Hasler (Herne Bay)
South Park (0) 0
Herne Bay (1) 4
Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)
Saturday 28th November 2015
at Whitehall Lane
Attendance: 63
(photo credit: Steve Barton – Elliot Cutts watches on as Sam Hasler’s free kick whistles past Wastell)