Inspired Willesborough show tenacity in cup win

Kent County League

Willesborough Athletic are one of the recipients of the Kent FA’s Magic of the Cup award for January.

It follows their 5-4 extra-time Kent Reliance Junior Cup, Group A, win over HF Sports Paulista & Ten-EmBee, which went ahead just days after the death of player Jamie Hurst’s 14-month-old daughter Lulabelle.

The club held a minute’s silence in her memory before the game and wore pink armbands as a mark of respect, before coming from behind three times to win, having been 3-1 down at one stage in normal time.

Club chairman Lee James said: “Jamie captained the side in the game and also scored a penalty.”

Willesborough have since progressed to the last four of the competition and visit Rochester & District League side Peninsula Sports on Saturday week.

Hurst scored again from the spot in the 4-4 Invitation Cup draw against Ashford on Saturday.

Ben Morley, Paldon Bepe and Bekim Ahmetaj added the others.

Harry Goddard, Jordan Hayward and Brad Jordan netted in Kennington’s 3-2 Premier Division win at Farnborough OBG.

Tom Morgans’ late equaliser earned Lydd Town Reserves a point in the 1-1 draw at Bexley.

Warren Smith and Nathan

‘Jamie captained the side in the game and also scored a penalty’

Hardwick were New Romney’s scorers as they went out at the quarter-final stage of the Bill Manklow Inter-Regional Challenge Cup, beaten 3-2 at Otford United.

They trailed 2-0, before pulling one back from the penalty spot, then making it 2-2, before home playermanager Ricky Tompkins got the winner.