Hythe Town 6-2 Beckenham Town - Hythe are halfway to paradise, says Tommy Sampson

HYTHE TOWN  6-2  BECKENHAM TOWN
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Easter Monday 25^th April 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Reachfields Stadium

HTYHE TOWN are on the brink of clinching the Kent League title –but they must avoid defeat at Tunbridge Wells on the final day of the season – if they lose and Herne Bay win at VCD Athletic, then Herne Bay will snatch the crown and grab a long-awaited promotion into the Ryman League instead.
Hythe’s 22-match unbeaten run was ended by Norton Sports on Good Friday and with Herne Bay winning at Fisher the following day, only two points separates the two title contenders.

Scott Porter’s side did the business in their final home game of the season by thrashing a disinterested Beckenham Town at Reachfields Stadium – and at the final whistle here they waited for an agonising 169 seconds before news that Herne Bay had scraped a 2-1 home win over Holmesdale to keep the title race going right to the wire.

Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey was a relieved man to see Darren Marsden’s last-gasp deflected free-kick find the back of the Holmesdale net, to keep his side’s title hopes alive, ahead of their trip to third-placed VCD Athletic on Saturday.

”They’ve still got a hand on it but we go through to Saturday now which is massive, massive for Herne Bay Football Club, Hythe Town Football Club and the Kent League,” said Halsey.

When asked how his side played against Gary Davies’ third-from-bottom side, Halsey replied, “Rubbish!  We played well for 45 minutes of the 90.  We’ve done enough to get the three points so that’s all that matters.  We played well in fits and starts.”

He added: ”We weren’t nervous at all.  Hythe had an extra days rest and we just looked a bit jaded playing two games in three days in very hot weather and we looked a bit tired at times.

”But we won the game so that’s all we can do today.  We’ve known the task for the last six or seven weeks – just keep winning and we’re doing it at the moment.”

Beckenham Town failed miserably in a botched attempt to do Herne Bay a favour – as their kit didn’t turn up until 30 minutes before kick-off.

They acted like a Sunday League outfit as they waited on the pitch for their away strip to arrive before starting their rushed warm-up with just 20 minutes to go before the start.

Beckenham Town boss, Jason Huntley, was embarrassed by the whole affair.

”The person that had the kit, to be fair, the kit was put in a car, they had too many people in the car and they had to change into another car and the fella left it in the other car and had to go and get it,” he said.

”From the first minute we got here, when that happens, it was going to be a bad day. 

”It’s not a good way to prepare for a game.  We should’ve been here at two o’clock and be out at ten-past two and warm-up, but we were still standing here at twenty-five to three.”

But despite their poor approach, Beckenham started the game well, and they skimmed the foot of the near post inside the opening five minutes at a warm and sunny, yet expectant Reachfields Stadium.

John Farley looped a free-kick from the half-way line and the bounce deceived Hythe keeper Kieron Mann, who was under pressure from Gary Gorman and the ball fell nicely for Quentin Conteh, whose right-footed drive skimmed the outside of the near post.

But Hythe went on to dominate the rest of the first half and they went in at the break 4-1 up.

Central midfielder, Ronnie Dolan, wriggled his way past two central defenders (Chris Hill and John Farley) and his low shot brought a comfortable save from Beckenham keeper Nick Blue.

The former Orpington goalkeeper made a fine block with his legs to thwart Gary Mickelborough, after Hythe played a long ball over the top of Farley.

Hythe deservedly opened the scoring after 17 minutes, through their trademark direct approach.

Mann launched the ball up field and Lee Winfield flicked the ball on unchallenged and the ball dropped nicely for Brendon Cass to send a delicate right-footed chip over the exposed Blue and into the far corner.

Hythe striker, Craig Thompson, who was rushed back from a holiday in Italy to play in this game, squandered an excellent chance within two minutes.

It came from a Beckenham corner, taken by Conteh, and Winfield burst forward with the ball and swept the ball to Cass, who raced down the right flank, and as Beckenham struggled to get back in numbers, the former Folkestone Invicta striker centred low for Thompson who skied the ball over the bar with his right-foot from inside the six-yard box.

Thompson then cut inside and sent a left-footed drive, which sailed agonisingly past the far post and another chance peppered the Beckenham goal when Cass played the ball inside for Dolan to send a right-footed drive bouncing into Blue’s gloves.

In a dominating spell, Thompson then cut the ball back for Winfield to whip in an excellent cross towards the far post, and Mickelborough leapt above Steve McNamara to nod the ball into Blue’s hands at the near post.

Beckenham gifted possession once again when right winger Darren Wise looped the ball hopelessly into Mann’s penalty box and the goalkeeper launched another big kick up field and Farley’s back-header was latched onto by Mickelborough, but his right-footed chip dropped just over.

Cass then released Thompson through on goal, but his poor shot was easily gathered by the over-worked Blue.

Hythe Town doubled their lead in the 32^nd minute as Beckenham Town failed to deal with another ball over the top.

Left-back John Walker pumped a ball over Farley and Cass stabbed the ball past the exposed Blue and comfortably slid the ball into an empty net from a couple of yards out.

Beckenham pulled a goal back, from a set-piece, in the 36^th minute.

McNamara swung in a corner from the right, which was met by Hill’s head and Mann clawed the ball up in the air and Harvey Gayle rose and nodded the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

At this point, news had filtered through that Herne Bay were also winning, courtesy of Byron Walker.

But any chance of a Beckenham fight-back were diminished, as Hythe converted from a set-piece of their own.

Winfield’s right-wing corner was met by the unmarked Nick Barnes, who sent a bullet header into the back of the net.

Hythe romped into a 4-1 lead, 43 seconds into injury time, through Mickleborough’s 12^th goal of the season.

Pat Kingwell, who has taken the captain’s armband from the suspended Dave Cook, kicked a free-kick harmlessly into the Beckenham box, which should have been comfortably caught by Blue, who inexplicably allowed the ball to go through his fingers and Mickelborough accepted the gift and tapped the ball into an empty net from eight-yards, leaving Blue time to reflect on his blunder during the half-time break that immediately followed.

Huntley wasn’t pleased with his side’s poor defensive work.

He said: “I had a right go at the defence.  All the defenders wanted to be sweepers, not wanting to take responsibility.

”The first three goals, well the first four goals, were all defensive errors and the fourth one was the keeper’s error and the free header (from Barnes) in the six-yard box, that aint good enough, so a lot of sorting out needs to be done.”

Hythe’s next chance led to their fifth goal, within the opening eleven minutes of the second half.

Winfield’s corner from the right was knocked down by Gavin Ransley and Cass turned and slammed a low shot into the back of the net as his hat-trick sealed his 37^th goal of the campaign.

”He’s a very good goalscorer and he proved that today, he got a hat-trick,” said Huntley.

”But if you make it easy for him, he’s going to get a hat-trick ain’t he.  If you give him space, he’s going to punish you and that’s what he done.”

With the game already out of sight, Beckenham pulled a second goal back in the 73^rd minute.

Charlie Campbell shrugged off the attentions of Dolan and slipped the ball in behind Kingwell and Conteh cut the ball back and Jordan Darko clipped a left-footed shot, which beat Mann at his near post from 25-yards.

Huntley signalled out the seventeen-year-old for special praise on what was a bad day at the office for free-falling Beckenham.

”I was pleased with Harvey (Gayle), he worked very, very well.  He didn’t give up for the 90 minutes and young Jordan, he’s a very young prospect.  He’s only a young boy of seventeen.  I thought he acquitted himself very well and scored a good goal today to finish off his game and he played very well.  The rest of them, big question marks over all of them.”

Hat-trick hero Cass was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 75^th minute by Simon Austin, and news filtered through that Holmesdale had equalised at Winch’s Field.

Porter screamed to his champions-elect, “this is a massive 15 minutes, we stay switched on, we stay focused,” as fans started celebrating their title winning campaign around the ground.

Substitute Austin completed the rout with six minutes remaining, latching onto a long punt up field from Walker, and chipping the ball over Blue’s outstretched arms into the Beckenham net from the corner of the penalty area.

Maidstone based referee Mr Elad Amir brandished a yellow card for Beckenham’s Gayle, who blasted the ball into the Hythe net from 30-yards after being caught offside.

With an expectant crowd of 347 in the ground, Hythe secretary, Martin Giles said over the loudspeaker, “Would you all stay behind after the final whistle – we may have some good news.”

The final whistle sounded and Hythe waited anxiously sitting down on the rain-starved pitch waiting for the outcome of the Herne Bay game – but Marsden kept the Kent League title race going down to the wire and Tunbridge Wells (who have scored over 100 goals in all competitions this season) and VCD Athletic now have a major say in who will be playing Ryman League football in August.

Disappointingly, Hythe manager Porter declined to comment afterwards, and when asked for his post-match comment, hat-trick hero Cass said, “I’m not allowed to!”

Luckily, Tommy Sampson called to wish both Hythe Town and Herne Bay luck in Saturday’s showdown.

The last time the Kent League title race was this enthralling was in 2006 when league leaders Beckenham Town lost the title on the final day of the season to Maidstone United.

That day, Beckenham were held to a draw by Erith & Belvedere, whilst Maidstone United secured promotion with a comfortable 4-0 win at Sevenoaks Town.
 
Sampson, who guided Herne Bay to the Kent League treble in 1997 and Deal Town to FA Vase glory at the old Wembley Stadium three years later, says both Porter and Halsey will have sleepless nights going into the final game.

”They’ve both got awkward games – it’s like a cup match for both teams, they’ve got to win,” said Sampson.

”I went to the last day once, it’s ever so nerve-racking. In 1999 (with Deal Town) I lost the league to Ramsgate on the very last day of the season and it’s very difficult because you want to know what’s going on elsewhere.  I kept being told (the Ramsgate score) by people and it’s very nerve racking.

”I wouldn’t like to be in the manager’s shoes on the last day because it’s so nerve racking.  It’s so close.  They call it “halfway to paradise – so near yet so far away!”

 Sampson added: “Hythe have got the upper hand.  Herne Bay have to win at VCD.

”It’s a great race.  It’s nice to go to the Kent League Cup Final knowing who has won it, knowing who’s won the championship.”

But what ever has happened during the first 39 matches doesn’t matter, according to Sampson.

”You prepare normally because the last 40 weeks have gone so your just preparing for one game.  You have to prepare for a huge disappointment, obviously, but you have mustn’t be too preoccupied on the day.

”When Jim (Ward) beat me to the league in 1999 when I was at Deal, we drew 0-0 at Crockenhill, who were at the bottom of the league and Jim won at Greenwich, I think, so there’s no easy or hard games.  It’s just prepare for one game and you tell your players they’ve got to play at their very best.

”There’s 40 weeks hard work at stake and it will be just a good or bad memories come Saturday night.”

But Sampson tells Martin Larkin and Ricky Bennett not to throw the towel in and let Hythe and Herne Bay win comfortably.
 
”Well, Ricky Bennett, whose at VCD, knows what it’s like to win the league as he was with me at Deal.

”Martin Larkin, at Tunbridge Wells, will see it as a feather in his cap if he can beat the perspective league champions.

”Martin must be suffering a bit of disappointment from the Kent Senior Trophy final so it will be a shot in the arm for him a little.

”I’m sure Scott and Simon will have a dreadful nights sleep come Friday night – I know I did – as you constantly look back over the season.

”Both clubs have got to look forward as the Ryman League is important to both clubs, but I can only give them my best wishes.  I know what it’s like, I’ve won mine.  For these guys they’ve got to go through it.  It’s going to be a tough Saturday, but I will be hanging on the phone waiting to see whose won.”

Both clubs have made this the most exciting Kent League title race for five years.  Good luck to you both. May the best team win!

Hythe Town: Kieron Mann, Greg Smith, John Walker, Pat Kingwell, Nick Barnes (Dan Cook 89), Ronnie Dolan, Gavin Ransley, Lee Winfield, Craig Thompson (Sam Conlon 82), Brendon Cass (Simon Austin 75), Gary Mickelborough.
Subs: Dan Scorer, Ashley Porter.

Goals: Brendon Cass 17, 32, 56, Nick Barnes 43, Gary Mickelborough 45, Simon Austin 84

Booked: Nick Barnes 15, Greg Smith 34

Beckenham Town: Nick Blue, Darren Wise, Steve McNamara, Chris Hill, John Farley, Jordan Darko, Charlie Campbell, Jason Clews, Quentin Conteh, Gary Gorman, Harvey Gayle.
Subs: Danny Lawson, Fehmi Emiriourhi, Danny Gorman, Anthony Weir, Reece Parmenter.

Goals: Harvey Gayle 36, Jordan Darko 73

Booked: Charlie Campbell 81, Harvey Gayle 90

Attendance: 347
Referee: Mr Elad Amir (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Jack Packman (Margate) & Mr Karl Sear (Margate)