Herne Bay 3-1 Winchester City - We can mix it up if we need to, says Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY  3-1  WINCHESTER CITY
The FA Carlsberg Vase Second Round
Saturday 19^th November 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Winch’s Field

HERNE BAY manager Simon Halsey paid tribute to his resilient heroes as they booked their place in the last 64 of The FA Carlsberg Vase with a battling victory over 2004 winners Winchester City.

Winchester, who are managed by former Tottenham Hotspur and Gillingham star Guy Butters, arrived at Winch’s Field in second place in the Wessex League, but they are a direct side that continuously pumped the ball high into the air at every opportunity, but Herne Bay’s two central defenders Jamie Maxted and James Campbell were immense and they put their necks on the line at every opportunity to form a solid wall in front of their goalkeeper Dan Eason.

Kent Hurlimann Football League leaders Herne Bay opened the scoring through central midfielder Tom Parker’s first goal of the season after eleven minutes, but the lead lasted just four minutes when winger Charlie Smeeton steered home his fifth goal of the campaign.

But Herne Bay regained the advantage ten minutes before the break when Byron Walker converted his eighth goal of the season from the penalty spot.

But despite scoring five or more goals on seven different occasions this season, Winchester City failed to trouble Eason more than a couple of times during a nervy second half when the Hampshire visitors’ applied plenty of pressure but resilient Herne Bay held on and sealed their progress into the Third Round when substitute Michael Turner’s curling shot on the counter-attack found the back of the net deep into stoppage time.

Halsey, who led Herne Bay to the Fourth Round last season when they were knocked out by eventual winners Whitley Bay, was extremely proud of his heroes when he spoke after the game.

“We saw one that we can prove that we can dog it and fight it if need be and be resilient if we need to be,” he said.

Halsey, who watched one of Winchester’s previous games, added, “They came at us from the off and the game plan was right.  They knew they had to get in our faces and be at us and get around us because if they didn’t we’d dictate the game and we’d play our normal passing game and fair play to them, they’ve put in a good shift there.

“They (the Herne Bay fans’) won’t be happy because we didn’t play well but I’m happy.  At the end of the day tomorrow’s paper and all of the websites will say Herne Bay 3 Winchester 1.”

Winchester’s direct tactics had Herne Bay exactly where they wanted them as the hosts were guilty of hitting the ball long, which was comfortably dealt with by Leigh Mills and Conor McCarthy at the heart of the visitors’ defence.

But when Herne Bay played their trademark slick passing game, it resulted in the Kent side opening the scoring.

Darren Marsden and Walker combined down the right and right-back Toby Ashmore whipped in a cross from the flank which was cleared out to Parker, who drilled a left-footed drive from 25-yards, which nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.

However, Parker swiftly turned from hero to villain when he gave away a free-kick and Tom Dunford stepped up and his right-footed free-kick from 35-yards beat Eason and bounced off the left hand post and the ball fell kindly at Smeeton’s feet, who steered a first time right-footed shot into the net from eight-yards.

Halsey said: “It came from us giving the ball away in the centre circle and then we had to make a last-ditch tackle and then we haven’t reacted to the free-kick coming off the post so all three mistakes and I thought all through the first half they only had a sniff off us when we made a mistake.”

The goal spurred on Winchester and after Jamie White hooked diagonal pass put through Smeeton, the winger unleashed a low right-footed drive on the angle, which bounced past the far post.

White, a former Southampton Academy striker, went close to giving his side the lead when he nipped in front of his marker to hook a volley just past the near post after Dominic Allen was released down the left and put in a fine low cross.

But Herne Bay stopper Eason pulled off a remarkable match-winning save to prevent Winchester from scoring in the 26^th minute.

Allen slipped the ball through to Chris Mason down the left and he whipped in an excellent cross towards the far post and the towering Graham Lyndsey looked certain to score with a downward header from just three yards out but Eason dived swiftly to his left to claw the ball behind for a corner.

Halsey praised the 22-year-old goalkeeper by saying:  “Absolutely great save! That’s what he’s paid for!  That’s what Dan’s all about.  He don’t get a lot to do in games and he keeps his concentration levels at him and he’s done that”

Herne Bay then strangled power and Marsden teed up Walker, whose left-footed drive from 25-yards bounced wide of the far post, before Walker kept his composure to give the Kent side a 35^th minute lead.

Ashmore hurled the ball into the penalty area from the right and Conor McCarthy was adjudged by referee Mr Nicholas Iddiols to have handled the ball.

Winchester keeper Ryan Gosney dived to his right and got a hand to Walker’s left-footed penalty but he couldn’t prevent the nippy striker from scoring.

Halsey added:  “Great he’s on the scoresheet again.  He’s been away, and he’s put us 2-1 up so I’ll take that!”

Herne Bay went close to going further in front just 39 seconds into the second half when Marsden was denied his 13^th goal of the season as Gosney dived to his right to tip the right-footed shot around his post after Rhys Lawson’s pass from the left.

Halsey added: “Marzo should’ve scored in the first minute of the second half really and that must’ve put the game beyond doubt but he didn’t and we made a game off it – it was a battle!”

Eason’s second best save of the game swiftly followed just 51 seconds later when he tipped White’s left-footed drive from 18-yards around the post after Gosney launched a giant-kick up field.

Winchester squandered some good chances before the hour-mark as they dominated possession during the second half as they took advantage of the loss of Herne Bay right-back Tom Bryant, who was forced off with an injured left ankle.

Lyndsey was played in but could only slid a low left-footed shot just past the foot of the left-hand post from the edge of the Herne Bay box.

Smeeton was then left unmarked following McCarthy’s free-kick into the box but could only steer his looping header onto the top of the roof of the net and Mason’s powerful left-footed shot on the turn was caught by Eason high above his head.

And when Lyndsey cut inside and curled a left-footed shot across Eason and past the far post on the hour-mark, you sensed that it was going to be Herne Bay’s day.

Halsey said: “I’m just pleased with the way we defended as a side.  They do that week in week out Winchester, get the ball thrown down their opponents’ necks and that’s why they win so many games because some teams can’t live with that.

“I know we didn’t pass the ball as well as we could but we was resilient defensively as a side and that to me that’s a great win and it shows we’ve come another step in not being the pretty delightful Herne Bay.  It shows we can dog it out as well.”

Herne Bay’s counter-attacking football, however, created a couple of decent chances which forced Gosney into action.

Dan Lawrence did well to maintain possession of the ball after a poor touch and slid the ball into Marsden’s path, whose stinging right-footed drive from 25-yards was struck straight at the Winchester keeper in the 71^st minute.

Another chance fell Herne Bay’s way four minutes later when left-winger Lawson wriggled his way through the Winchester defence down the left and his centre found substitute Jamie Turner, whose low left-footed drive was straight at Gosney.

Despite plenty of late pressure, Winchester didn’t trouble Eason again as a blue wall was put up in front of him and the home faithful witnessed a new different side to their team.

Halsey added: “Yes, they had a lot of possession throwing the ball up in the air, long, wherever, but Dan didn’t have anything to do so to me that’s great, great, great defending from our lot and when we got the ball, we counter attacked them.  We was the one that created the clear chances.”

Herne Bay soaked up all of the pressure that Winchester could throw at them and with 50:54 on the clock Herne Bay snatched a third with a devastating counter-attack.

Walker cut into the middle of the park and spread the ball out wide to Michael Turner, who took a fine touch, cut inside and unleashed a right-footed curler which flew past the diving Gosney into the far corner.

Halsey said: “I don’t know that it’s against the run of play, it’s what you call counter attacking and that was great composure.  He’s got a great touch, first touch cut inside and a great finish.  No-one’s more pleased for Michael than me.”

Reflecting on the win over one of the fancied sides in the competition, Halsey said: “We’ve pulled off a great result and get ourselves in the hat for Monday.

“We’ve put a brave fight there, not our normal, great passing game, just the way we defended.  I know I keep going on about it, you can edge your title resilient.

“I’m well pleased with them.  It just shows that we can mix it up if we need to.”

Herne Bay: Dan Eason, Toby Ashmore, Tom Bryant (Steve Hanson 48), Jamie Maxted, James Campbell, Tom Parker, Dan Lawrence, Darren Marsden, Byron Walker, Ben Brown (Jamie Turner 63), Rhys Lawson (Michael Turner 76).
Subs: Ollie Bartrum, Brad Ashmore

Goals: Tom Parker 11, Byron Walker 35 (pen), Michael Turner 90

Winchester City: Ryan Gosney, Conor McCarthy, James Embree, Alex Przespoleweski, Leigh Mills, Tom Dunford, Chris Mason, Dominic Allen, Jamie White (Alex Easton 63), Graham Lyndsey, Charlie Smeeton.
Subs: Brionne Graham, Danny King, Martin Beck, Rory Anderson

Goal:  Charlie Smeeton 15

Attendance: 302
Referee:  Mr Nicholas Iddiols (Belvedere)
Assistants:  Mr Ronald Albert (Catford, London SE6) & Mr Piotr Zachwieja (Orpington)