Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Lilywhites suffer first home loss
Ryman League
Faversham slipped to their first home defeat of the campaign as Hythe snatched the points late on for a 2-1 win in Tuesday night’s Ryman League, Division 1 South derby.
The visitors went ahead within two minutes as Town failed to clear and Sam Adams drove into the corner from the edge of the box.
Faversham took a while to get going but just after the half-hour Josh Stanford burst forward before Kieron Campbell found George Monger to fire into the top corner from 25 yards.
Will Godmon kept Hythe at bay in the second half with a fine save to tip an acrobatic effort from a deep corner over the bar and Matt Bourne made a fine block on the line to deny another chance.
However, after Stanford and Dean Grant wasted openings at the other end, Godmon made a superb reaction save to keep out a header from a corner, only for Alfie May to fire the rebound in from close range and snatch the points.
On Saturday, the Lilywhites avenged the previous weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Cray by beating Wands by the same score to progress to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.
Luke Harvey headed just wide early on but Campbell needed to make a vital block at the other end to keep the visitors out.
The breakthrough came on the hour when Stanford was pulled back on the left and Campbell’s subsequent free-kick flew through a mass of bodies and found the far corner.
Godmon kept Town ahead with a flying save to his right following a corner moments later, while at the other end, his opposite number lost out to Sam Bewick, although the Town man could not convert from a tight angle.
Stanford curled a free-kick wide and Harvey headed over as Town sought a second, while the closest Cray came was a cross which glanced the bar on its way out in the dying moments.
Meanwhile, Herne Bay allowed a lead to slip to a 3-2 defeat at previously winless Chatham in Division 1 South on Monday night.
The visitors went ahead through Stuart Zanone shortly before the half-hour but Joshua Jackson levelled for the hosts seven minutes before the break.
Dane Luchford turned the game around two minutes into the second half and Jackson grabbed his second with 17 minutes left to make it 3-1.
Although John Difford saw red for Chats and Danny Walder reduced the deficit from the penalty spot two minutes from time, Bay could not find a leveller.
On Saturday, Bay had to battle back from a slow start to beat Ashford Town (Middlesex) in the FA Cup first qualifying round.
Max Herbert put Town in front after just eight minutes and the hosts were unable to cope with the visitors’ all-action style.
However, Bay raised their game after half-time and Mark Lovell levelled midway through the half with a header before Sam Hasler turned the game with a stunning long-range strike with eight minutes to go.
There was still time for Hasler to add another in the final seconds to seal Bay’s progress with a 3-1 win.