Kentish Express Ashford & District
Cannons pay penalty in trophy
HYTHE TOWN 1 HASTINGS UNITED 2
Hythe bowed out of the FA Trophy on Saturday when they were beaten after taking an early lead in their preliminary round tie at Reachfields.
Alex Flisher’s first goal for the club had the Cannons ahead inside four minutes, but Ben Pope’s double – the second coming from the spot – turned the tie on its head in the final half-hour.
Hythe, without injured duo Charlie Webster and Stephen Okoh, dominated the first 20 minutes and the game’s opening goal came when Flisher broke in from the right, and with most players anticipating a cross, the former Margate and Dartford man beat Hastings keeper Louis Rogers at his near post.
Flisher was a prominent figure in the first half, sending two efforts over from just outside the box as well as glancing a header wide from Danny Divine’s cross.
Hastings slowly began to work their way into the game with Pope seeing one effort well blocked by Ollie Rowe – up against his old team – and another saved, at point-blank range, by home keeper Will Godmon.
Soon after, John Elliott’s cross was headed wide by Jack Dixon who produced a dipping effort that just cleared the bar.
Right on half-time Adam Lovatt broke through only to lift his shot over the bar and the visitors had good reason to feel aggrieved they were not at least level at the interval.
The second period started with Hythe’s Tom Carlton seeing his free-kick superbly saved by Rogers but it was still the visiting side who were controlling the exchanges.
Ryan Worrall drifted a freekick straight into Godmon’s arms before Hastings scored a deserved equaliser on the hour. Daniel Ajakaiye surged upfield before finding Pope who drilled the ball home.
Moments later Hythe had Godmon to thank for keeping the scores level as he saved well from Ajakaiye.
The Cannons did create some opportunities on the break, with Callum Adonis-Taylor having a shot deflected into the arms of Rogers, but it was the visitors who continued to press.
Godmon again excelled, keeping out a header from Dixon, but with 11 minutes left the referee spotted some shirt pulling in the area by Adonis-Taylor and up stepped Pope who sent Godmon the wrong way.
Hythe: Godmon, Divine, Simpson, Rogers, Coyle, Rowe, Carlton, Adonis-Taylor (Bassele 84 min), Hughes-Mason (Walmsley 76), Collin, Flisher. Unused subs: Booth, Ibbertson, Harding, Brown, Eka. Attendance: 366.