Nineteen crazy minutes in the second half turned the first of the Kent Reliance Kent Girls Finals on Sunday on its’ head.

Thanet Colts recorded one of the most amazing comebacks ever seen in a county cup final to beat Dartford in a fantastic advert for the game.

Three down at the break thanks to a magnificent hat-trick from Dartford’s Honor Norton, Thanet coach Ian Heath, in his last game as coach of the side, must have said something really special to his charges as within nineteen minutes of the restart – and inspired by skipper Abigail Greetham – the Colts had netted five without reply.

Greetham herself got things going with a penalty before turning provider for Lily Kemp and then twice more for Holly Enright to turn the Final on its’ head.

Abbie Potter then added the icing on the cake by scoring the fifth from a corner and the trophy was heading down the Thanet Way.

An emotional Heath couldn’t hide his feelings as he spoke to KSN after the game.  “A real game of two halves,” he admitted.

“We did have our chances first half, but just couldn’t take any of them. But we did say to the girls that if we scored in the first five minutes after half time, we had a chance.”

“I never dreamed that we’d get two and then another one! The girls put in one hundred and twenty percent after half time and I’m so pleased for them as they’ve had a great season, and I’m really proud of the girls – it was my last game managing today and what a way for me to go out!”

Dartford coach Zack Hamid was understandably a frustrated figure, “I think we possibly got a bit complacent and thought that the game was won.”

“But they came out wanting it more than we did after half time. First half we did really well – obviously the occasion and the fans made it really special – we created chances and could have been more.”

“I’m very proud of the girls and what a massive advert for girls football a game like this was!”

And what a game it was! Early on Colts’ Katie Greenfield had the first real chance – forcing keeper Hope Smith into a fine low save. Within a minute the Darts broke and Norton fired them in front – scoring from the edge of the box.

Norton then doubled her tally four minutes later as she brilliantly rolled the ball home, and it could have been three soon after had Colts keeper Kiera Stephens not saved well from Lara Marage.

Colts were looking for a way back into the game but in pushing forward they left themselves exposed to the counter and they were punished just before half time as Norton poked home her hat-trick goal from a swift break!

After half time came nineteen minutes that will live in the annuals of Kent Finals history! The fightback began when Greetham unceremoniously blasted home from the spot after Potter had been fouled in the box; and then almost immediately, Colts’ Kemp took advantage of a defensive slip to pull another back.

Amazingly the comeback was completed just 12 minutes into the half and again Greetham was the creator as her deep cross was rammed home at the back post by Enright making the teams equal; before the unthinkable happened as another ball to the back post from Greetham again found Enright who somehow scrambled the ball home – a truly amazing recovery from a side who had looked beaten at the break.

They then added another when Potter scored from a corner to cap a truly incredible comeback.

Norton, who never stopped running, came agonisingly close to reducing the arrears as she shot just over after a powerful run, before Stephens denied her with a fine low save from a terrific low shot!

It was really tough on the first half hat-trick heroine and her Dartford team-mates after their first half display, but there are many top boys teams at this age group who couldn’t have lived with the second half Thanet inspired tornado!

 

Dartford FC – Hope Smith, Jodi Rowson, Mary Thomas, Flo Sha, Bethany Chauner- Woods, May Bui, Aimee Ascot, Lara Marage, Honor Norton

Subs – Jadyn Birthney, Jade Baldin, Shantell Hassan

Thanet Colts FC – Kiera Stephens, Abbie Potter, Abigail Greetham, Holly Enright, Kelsey Knell, Molly Quittenden, Jasmin West. Tayla Cromack, Lily Kemp

Subs – Katie Greenfield, Tia Drinkwater, Rhiannon Catham, Martha Donaldson

Referee – Tia Walby
Assistants – Ben Fuller, Jake Fuller, Karen Jones

Kent Reliance Under 14s Girls Youth Cup Final – Dartford FC 3-5 Thanet Colts FC

Match Photos by PSP Images.