Kentish Football 
We have to pick ourselves up for Norton Sports, says gutted Herne Bay skipper Luke Harvey
Sunday 23rd January 2011
HERNE BAY skipper Luke Harvey says he will pick-up his team-mates following yesterday’s devastating FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round exit to back-to-back winners Whitley Bay, writes Stephen McCartney.
The Kent League leaders made Whitley Bay look very ordinary, but Simon Halsey’s side were made to pay for missed chances as Whitley Bay broke their hearts with a undeserved last-gasp winner through Paul Chow.
Herne Bay were by far the better side, especially during a dominant first half, but the Northern League side grabbed a 48th minute lead through the impressive Paul Robinson.
But their joy was short-lived as the Kent side deservedly levelled within four minutes when Harvey met Toby Ashmore’s free-kick with a shot on the turn, which was blocked by visiting keeper Terry Burke and Tom Bryant slid in to score from close range.
Herne Bay pressed down the hill for the winner, but after home keeper Dan Eason prevented Robinson scoring on the break down the middle, he was helpless to deny record-breaking Chow - who scored the fastest FA Carlsberg Vase final goal ever after just 21 seconds last season -as Herne Bay’s defence switched off for ten seconds, for the first time and were punished, ending Kent’s interest in the competition for another year, with a cruel, heartbreaking exit.
Harvey, 24, put on a brave face after his side’s good performance.
“What can I say? I’m gutted to be honest,” he said.
“We deserved a lot more from the game but it’s one of those things. We just have to pick ourselves up now.
“Their keeper made some good saves, Dan (Eason) made some good saves. It could have gone either way but we have to pick ourselves up. We’ve got a big game Wednesday and then back to the bread and butter on Saturday.
“I think we’ll be alright from now on, I’m just a bit gutted about the result.”
The pre-match talk was about giving everything and becoming Herne Bay’s heroes - the only thing that was lacking was the famous victory.
“We couldn’t have asked for nothing more from the boys from the first to the last,” praised the striker.
“I said to them before we started ‘just give everything’ and they did that and it just didn’t happen for us. Another day it might have gone for us, we could’ve won, I think three, four, one, but it wasn’t to be today but we can take a lot of positives today and we’ve got to get our heads up now.”
When asked whether the best team LOST yesterday, Harvey replied, “I might be biased but I can honestly say the best team lost the game. We played a lot of good football, we had some good chances but football’s about putting the ball into the back of the net and we didn’t do it so never mind, but definitely the best team lost the game for me.”
Harvey looked on in horror as Robinson played the ball across the penalty box and Ashmore and Steve Hanson left Chow unmarked at the far post and the striker’s left-foot swept the ball across Eason into the far corner with 48:50 on the clock.
Fourth official Ron Albert rose the number 3 board (for additional minutes) 53 seconds into stoppage time. The game should have been up by the time Chow scored the cruel winner.
“Dan’s pulled off a couple of great saves through the whole game but the last one (denying Robinson on a one-on-one before Chow’s winner) was a great save,” added Harvey.
“The last goal, it was a bad goal for us to give away. The way we defended all game and to give that sort of goal away when we pushed out and left men in there was bad really. Good teams punish you and that’s what they did. They got that one chance and they punished us.”
Herne Bay are quickly back in action at Winch’s Field on Wednesday night in the Kent League Cup Quarter-Final First Leg against former tenants Norton Sports - a game that is likely to explode into life.
Sittingbourne resident Harvey, meanwhile, revealed he is certainly looking forward to the game against Ben Taylor’s side.
“A lot of Norton Sports’ players are lad that I grew up with,” he said. “They’re best friends of mine but for me it’s a special game for me. I’ll be hyped up for it anyway!
Harvey will phone his Herne Bay team-mates today to ensure they are raring to go on Wednesday, and away to Erith Town in the Kent League on Saturday.
“It hurt everyone, no-one likes losing. You look at their reaction, they were devastated,” added Harvey.
“But it’s about picking ourselves up. Good teams pick themselves up, we’re going to pick ourselves up and we’ll go again come Wednesday. We’ve got a big game and we’ll be fired up and go again.
“Every game we look to win and that’s what we’ll be doing.
“I’m gutted! That’s the word to sum it up.
“We’ll get around the boys today, I’ll speak to them and they’ll be picked up and ready to go on Wednesday night.”
Devastated Herne Bay manager Simon Halsey, meanwhile, says it’s back to the bread and butter of “grass roots” football, and clinching the Kent League title at the end of the season is what he wants now.
Looking ahead to the Norton Sports bash, Halsey said: “They’ll be up for it but as long as we play football like we did yesterday and they give me sevens and eights we’ll be fine.
“It’s a two-legged affair so I’m not over fussed what happens in the first leg. I don’t want to lose it, don’t get me wrong. It’s half time at the end of Wednesday night so we’ll assess it then after the game, see where we are after that.”
Halsey hopes yesterday was the sleeping giant’s last ever FA Vase tie - Ryman League club’s compete in the FA Trophy.
“Yes, that’s was a little thing I tried to give to my players, try and progress as far as we can in the Vase,” explained Halsey.
“Hopefully we’ll win promotion and we’ll be in the Trophy, which is well out of our grasp to lift so this was a chance at going as far as we can. It didn’t happen, it’s over and now we’re back to reality.”
A crowd of 655 was attracted to yesterday’s FA Carlsberg Vase tie and Halsey would like to see some of them return.
He said: “We’ve had a lot of people come here, perhaps not seen us before locally and hopefully they’ll return through the gates and push us on in the next game and just keep coming back to watch us.
Herne Bay average gates of 165 - the second best supported club in the Kent League - and Halsey added: “We are a good side and that’s what’s football’s all about. Unfortunately we didn’t prevail against Whitley Bay, but it doesn’t stop us what we’re trying to do.”
Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net
Herne Bay v Norton Sports
Safety Net Associates Kent League Cup Quarter-Final First Leg
Wednesday 26th January 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Winch’s Field, Stanley Gardens, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5SG
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd