Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Lilywhites finish month with unbeaten record
Ryman League
Faversham Town completed an unbeaten January in Ryman League, Division 1 South, with a 1-1 draw against Hastings at Salters Lane on Tuesday night. They missed an early penalty – Liam King seeing his effort saved by former Chelsea and Millwall keeper Lenny Pidgeley in a frantic opening quarter of an hour – before falling behind to Matt Bodkin’s 23rd-minute opener. Josh Stanford levelled 22 minutes from time, before Bodkin was sent off in the closing stages for a late challenge. He put the visitors in front, finishing off a good passing move in a first half full of good football from both the play-off hopefuls. Pidgeley denied Faversham early in the second half, palming the ball away, before teammate Jerome Sobers saved his blushes, clearing the danger after he rushed out attempting to stop a cross. Stanford’s equaliser was worth waiting for. He got on the end of a fine cross into the box and scored with a diving header. It could have been two soon afterwards but King skied over an open goal, after breaking clear and rounding Pidgeley. Faversham finished the game strongly, with Hastings hanging on, before Jack Harris went close to snatching a late winner against his old club, denied by a fine save from Will Godman. King scored twice as Faversham won 3-1 at strugglers Three Bridges on Saturday. He stabbed home the opener on the half-hour but missed chances and home keeper Martin Grant stood between them and a bigger half-time lead. Sam Bewick put his header over early in the second half and another Faversham effort was cleared off the line before the midfielder doubled the advantage after 65 minutes running clear onto a through ball and rounding Grant to score. King got his second 13 minutes from time with a simple finish. Kieran Allen-djilali pulled one back for the home side four minutes later.