Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Town’s momentum halted
LILYWHITES’ PUSH TOWARDS THE PLAY-OFF PLACES HANDED A SETBACK WITH MIDWEEK DRAW
Faversham’s surge towards the Ryman League Division 1 South play-offs was stalled by a 1-1 draw at home to Horsham on Tuesday night.
Town fell behind after just two minutes when Liam Wright beat Will Godmon with a superb curling free-kick from 25 yards.
Alfie Rogers went close to a second, just missing an AshleyPaul Robinson cross, while he was beaten to a loose ball by Godmon and scuffed another shot at the keeper.
Ryan Cooper fired over at the other end but, after seeing two efforts scrambled off the line, Faversham did draw level in first-half stoppage time when Josh Stanford prodded past Josh Pelling after a quick freekick.
Pelling kept out a couple of efforts after the break as Town pressure built, although Rogers fired over at the other end after being played through as Horsham ended a run of three straight defeats with a point.
Town had made it four wins in five games with a 3-0 success against play-off rivals Corinthian Casuals on Saturday. They swept aside a club who have been something of a bogey team in recent years, taking the lead inside four minutes when Sam Bewick pulled a cross back for Luke Harvey, whose shot was blocked by keeper Danny Bracken but only as far as Dan Carrington who forced the rebound home.
Town bossed the half but Godmon needed to thwart Shaun Okojie after Matt Bourne’s poor backpass before the break.
After the restart, Bewick fired wide from a Harvey cross and hit a Ryan Cheek pass over, while Okojie shot off target at the other end.
The crucial second arrived 16 minutes from time when a long free-kick forward from Godmon bounced into the area allowing Harvey to rise highest to nod into the bottom corner.
The final goal arrived with six minutes left when Jordan Casey fired home a superb free-kick from 25 yards, while Renford Tenyue’s header flashed wide in the closing stages.
Mark Lovell’s second double in four days earned Herne Bay a point from a 2-2 draw at Chipstead on Tuesday. He took his tally to five in three games after Bay had trailed 2-0 at halftime. His first earned them a way back into the game almost immediately after the restart.
Connor Sanders’ long throw caused problems in the home box and the Bay striker pounced to score from close to the line.
The second, 16 minutes from time, came in similar fashion, this time Sanders’ throw wasn’t cleared and Lovell volleyed home from the edge of the box.
Bay might have even snatched a late winner but Adam Woolcott’s effort went wide.
Karl Parker put Chips ahead after a quarter of an hour and went close to adding to their lead before Danny Cumber doubled the advantage nine minutes before the break as Bay were undone by the home side’s route-one approach.
Bay adopted the same tactics in the second half with Lovell profiting, before Stuart King came off the bench to replace Danny Williams with 12 minutes left –his first appearance since returning to the club.
Bay had beaten bottom club Godalming 3-2 at Winch’s Field on Saturday.
All the home side’s goals came in 24 first-half minutes but they lost their way in the second, as the Surrey side got back into the contest before being reduced to 10 men, when defender Chris Musgrove was sent-off for a second yellow card.
Kenny Sanders set up Lovell for the sixth-minute opener and Williams got the second with an impressive 25-yard strike, before Lovell added the third three minutes later.
Darren Wheeler pulled one back from the penalty spot four minutes after the break, awarded for Connor Sanders’ foul on Graeme Purdy.
Purdy then headed home unmarked just past the hour.
Bay’s Ben Gorham saw his effort ruled out earlier in the half before Williams missed out on a fourth, denied by Godalming keeper Oneal Garnes in a one-on-one finish.