It seemed like the gods were against Herne Bay today starting when the lunchtime wind turned to heavy rain and wind in the hours leading to kick-off. This undoubtedly took quite a few hundred off the attendance which was anticipated to be around 1,000.

On the pitch, it felt that the rub of the green was against us as early as the 5th minute when the assistant referee’s flag disallowed a goal from Michael Salako when he looked to be level with the defender as he got to Monty Saunders’ cross.

Bay had secured the return of Joel Odeniran on loan from Folkestone Invicta on New Year’s Eve, and he showed his determination with an early challenge on Margate’s player-manager Ben Greenhalgh.

After a foul on Michael Salako, Scott Heard lofted a free-kick into the penalty area which was slightly too high for Liam French at the far post as Bay started brightly playing against the driving rain.

In the 13th minute Bay came very close to opening the scoring, when Salako spread the play out to Saunders and continued his run into the box. Saunders cross picked out Salako’s run and his header was on target but Margate’s keeper Reece Hobbs dived to his left to make the save which was then cleared.

In the 15th minute, a loud cheer came from the crowd of 652 who had braved the weather when the floodlights were turned. This was followed by a confident catch by Hobbs when Jack Parter crossed to Saunders, and at the other end, Harry Hudson nearly cleared the AL Scaffolding netting behind the car park end goal when he tried his luck from distance.
Bay fell behind in the 26th minute when Greenhalgh made no mistake with his second long shot of the game. He picked up a throw-in from Hudson and for once he had time and space to smash a long-range shot in off the crossbar out of the reach of the diving Josh Bexon.

Bay was still playing some nice football on the 3G surface, and some build-up play involved several players but they could not find the final pass to set up a goal attempt.

When player of the match Scott Heard’s pass was intercepted it took a very well-timed tackle from Freddie Oliver to prevent a good chance for Margate. Soon after, Bay’s injured captain Liam Friend was replaced by Frankie Smith and Bay had to change their formation from the back three they had been playing.

During time added on at the end of the first half, Bay appealed vociferously for a penalty when Kane Haysman was challenged in the box, but the referee did not see it the same way, so Margate remained one up at the break.

Bay started the second half in a promising fashion. Frankie Smith surged forward on the left wing, but his shot lacked sufficient power to trouble Hobbs who saved comfortably.

Heard and Haysman broke quickly down Margate’s right and Heard’s mis-hit cross nearly caught out Hobbs, and Haysman later put a very dangerous ball across the goalmouth but it was cleared over the bar by a defender for a corner.

All this time Bexon had been relatively untroubled in Herne Bay’s goal, but in the 69th minute Margate got their 2nd goal, and what a great goal it was. As the ball was cleared out of defence in the centre of the pitch, Heard and Kai Garande raced each other to the loose ball. Heard got there a split second before but as he tried to knock the ball past Garande it ricocheted forward and Garande curled a shot from fully 25 yards just inside Bexon’s right post.

It was hard to see two “worldy” goals against Herne Bay again, but the reaction of the players cannot be doubted as they still forced Margate backwards. Josh Reid, who had come on as a substitute before the 2nd goal, caused a lot of problems with his pace and directness and he won more corners for Herne Bay.

One of these, in the 73rd minute, was taken by Frankie Smith and resulted in Kane Haysman’s perfectly timed run, scoring with a header which was no less than the team deserved. It was Haysman’s 13th goal of the season.

At 1-2, it was not beyond reason that Herne Bay could level the score, but things did not quite go right. Salako was inches away from heading in another of Reid’s crosses. Odeniran was playing more as a left winger, won the ball in his half, and sped forward and won a corner. Margate were hanging on, and yet the equaliser would not come.

Reid nutmegged Tyrone Sterling but was fouled, nothing came from Frankie Smith’s corner, and Artem Kuchkov’s cross found Kane Rowland but he couldn’t keep his shot down and it went over.

The referee signalled 4 minutes additional time, but Margate held on to the 2-1 advantage to maintain their promotion hopes. If Herne Bay continue to play as well as they did, a climb up the table will be possible.

Herne Bay: Bexon, Parter, Saunders (Kuchkov 62‘), Carrington, Friend ((F Smith 36’(Diakiesse 90+4’), Odeniran, Oliver (Rowland 70‘), E Smith (Reid 62’), Salako, Haysman, Heard

Subs Unused:

Yellow Cards: Parter (51’), Salako (65’)

Next Fixtures:
Saturday 4th January 15:00, away v Erith Town (Isthmian South East)
Saturday 11th January 15:00, away v Lancing (Isthmian South East)