Sunday 11th August 2024.
Isthmian League Division One South East
Littlehampton Town 2 Herne Bay 3
Attendance. 312
Herne Bay: Taite Holtam, Jack Parter, Daniel Carrington (Skye Salmon 49), Tom Hanfrey, Frankie Smith, Mo Kamara, Ethan Smith, Artem Kuchkov (Josh Reid 71), Kane Haysman (Monty Saunders 86), Michael Salako, Kane Rowland. Subs not used: Harry Brooks, Kayan Hassan.
Scorers: Kamara (11), Parter (19 p), Salako (45),
Red card: Rowland.
Yellow cards: Kamara, Frankie Smith,

You would have to go back to August 2015 to find the last time that Herne Bay had won an opening day Isthmian League fixture, and since then five had been drawn and three lost. A 213-mile round trip to the Sportsfield, the longest that Bay would face all season, on a Sunday, and against a side that had strengthened considerably with experienced campaigners during the summer, this promised to be a tough start to 2024/25. Add to that this was Herne Bay’s first competitive match since April, whilst Littlehampton already had a victory in the FA Cup under their belt. True, Bay had won both previous games against their opponents, home and away, last season but that would matter little in league match one of 42 this time out. Steve Lovell handed out four full debuts (Taite Holtam, Ethan Smith, Kane Haysman and Artem Kuchkov) and two return debuts (Mo Kamara and Jack Parter) with a further two debuts (Skye Salmon and Josh Reid) and one return debut (Monty Saunders) coming off the bench. Liam Friend was out with a bad back and Scott Heard was on holiday.

It took just eight minutes for the home side to take the lead when Alex Laing swung in a corner, the ball was flicked on at the near post and Rob O’Toole headed home. Within three minutes Herne Bay came back when Artem Kuchkov, Mike Salako and Kane Rowland combined to set up Mo Kamara who crashed the ball into the bottom left from 20-yards. In the 19th minute Herne Bay were awarded a penalty. Jack Parter had swung in a corner which was met by the head of Tom Hanfrey. The ball was heading for the back of the net only to be stopped by Jordan Layton’s hand. With last season’s spot kicker, Theo Osinfolarin, having moved on it was left to Parter and he cooly slid the ball into the bottom left corner. With the break looming, Parter launched a 60-yard long ball out of defence which deceived centre-half Marshall Ball and found Salako who took the ball round James Binfield between the sticks for the home team, and slotted home from a tight angle. It was a great opening half from Bay with constant pressure bringing deserved rewards. Littlehampton Town played out from the back during the early stages and Herne Bay’s high press often won the ball back inside the home side’s defensive third.

For the second half Littlehampton began to ring the changes and it began to pay dividends. They went much more direct the longer the game went on, ditching their playing out from the back tactic that they started the game with and putting as many long throws into the Bay box as they could. Just before the hour mark a clash-of-heads inside the Herne Bay penalty area between Laing and Frankie Smith saw both players receive medical attention. Referee Joshua Langley-Fineing consulted his Assistant. Strangely a penalty was awarded and Smith was booked. Jordan Layton netted from the penalty spot, despite Holtam getting a hand to it. Then things became much more difficult, with 24 minutes left on the clock. Kane Rowland was leaving the field of play to be substituted. He was deemed not to be leaving by the most direct route; the substitution was not allowed and the man in black sent him off for allegedly pushing the referee.

Parter fed substitute Josh Reid, on for Kuchkov, and he nearly made the game safe when he beat Littlehampton left-back Nick D’Arienzo but his shot went just wide. Kamara saved Bay’s blushes, with the game coming to an end, when a Leighton long throw was headed on and struck the inside of the far post and Kamara was there to clear off the line. Bay were resilient as they protected their lead and came away from the West Sussex seaside with an important opening day three points.