Hythe Town sensationally grabbed a point deep into injury time with the goal coming from a most unlikely scorer as goalkeeper George Kamurasi bundled in an equaliser in a 2-2 draw at VCD Athletic on Saturday afternoon.
The Cannons edged the first half but it was the hosts who created the first opportunity as after only two minutes Aymun El-Moyhalbel played the ball into Joe Denny whose stooping header went just wide and then at the other end, on five minutes, the hard-working Charlie Webster cut in from the right but he scuffed his shot straight at VCD Athletic and former Hythe keeper, Joe Mant. Within a minute El-Moyhalbel had a similar attempt for VCD with the same result with Kamurasi collecting the ball easily. Zak Ansah then got into the action for Hythe as he broke through the offside trap attempting to lob the ball over Mant who managed to get his fingers to the ball to prevent a goal. The game was going from end to end with Kieron Campbell looking particularly dangerous for the visitors. He got the ball over to Chris Kinnear but his header looped over.
Kamurasi, who was to become the hero of the afternoon, tipped over a header from Denny from a Dominic Odusanya corner. Then came a moment of genius from Campbell on 26 minutes as he gave the Cannons the lead. Aziz Lyoubi played the ball out to the Hythe winger, who deep in his own area charged forward dribbling through the VCD defence beating at least three defenders before slotting the ball home to make it 1-0. Hythe could have been two ahead two minutes later as Campbell chipped neatly into the path of Ansah who forced Mant to save at his near post. With ten minutes to go until the break Kamurasi had to tip over again for the second time as Baker headed on a free kick. There was one more chance for Hythe right on the stroke of half-time as an Ansah free kick from twenty yards out drifted over the wall but also over the bar.
The first attack of the second period came from Hythe as Nassim Dukali put Ansah away but he didn’t test Mant and then at the other end a dangerous cross from Bradley Simms was headed wide by Baker. Chances were coming at both ends as Jack Sammoutis sent in a corner that was met by the head of Kinnear but it went straight into Mant’s arms. Then, as Hythe seemed in control, the game was turned on its head as firstly on 68 minutes a break by Alex Gaggin saw the midfielder brought down in the penalty area by Lyoubi. Up stepped Jake McIntyre who buried his kick into the corner of the net just out of the reach of Kamurasi. Within two minutes VCD were ahead as El Moyhalbel poked the ball over the line after a melee in the Hythe penalty area where a number of efforts were blocked.
Hythe quickly had an opportunity to bring the scores level as a Campbell corner was met by Kinnear at the near post but he headed over. It seemed that the two goals had given VCD confidence and it was them who went up the gears and looked the more likely. With a quarter of an hour to go a shot from El Moyhalbel was parried by Kamurasi but he was quick to recover and save again, this time from Baker. Then, he made two saves in quick succession followed by Sammoutis clearing off the line as VCD bombarded the Hythe goal. He was then to block again from El Moyhalbel. As the game appeared to moving towards a home win up stepped Kamurasi who joined the attack at a Webster corner. He managed to bundle the ball over the line to give the Cannons a point when it looked unlikely. The drama didn’t end there as with the last action of the match Kinnear was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on VCD captain, Jack Steventon.
A point was the reward for the Cannons who sit in eighth place in the table with a home fixture coming up next Saturday (2nd February 2019) against Three Bridges.
Team: George Kamurasi, Salvyn Kisitu, Aziz Lyoubi, Chris Kinnear, Ollie Rowe, Mitchell Dickenson, Nassim Dukali (Elliot Capel 55 mins), Jack Sammoutis, Zak Ansah, Charlie Webster, Kieron Campbell.
Scorers: VCD Athletic – Jake McIntyre 68 mins (pen), Aymun El-Moyhalbel 70 mins. Hythe Town – Kieron Campbell 26 mins, George Kamurasi 90 mins
Attendance: 107