Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Keeper’s switch a net gain
Youth football
A depleted Faversham Strike Force under-16s edged their Causeway Steel Challenge Cup clash with Greenwich Borough on penalties as they found an unlikely goalscoring hero. The Force dominated their physical opponents from the off on Sunday, with Romeen Gurung in inspired form. But it was regular goalkeeper Wayne Everest, playing outfield, who gave them a merited lead as he fired home at the second attempt, following good build-up play from John Williamson and Joshua Powell, when his initial 20-yard effort came back off the bar. Greenwich came out stronger in the second half as their direct approach forced keeper George Pipkin into a string of good saves. However, Strike Force’s luck run out as a shot deflected cruelly off a defender and rolled in for an equaliser. Kurt Dayson-scott missed a good late chance before the match went to extra-time. There were no chances for either side in a tight 30 minutes and so the hosts went to penalties for the second cup game running. Both teams were faultless in their opening five attempts but after the Force’s first sudden-death penalty was scored by Luke Taylor, Greenwich struck theirs just over the crossbar to hand Mike Juden’s side the win and a trip to Glebe in the next round on December 3.
Canterbury City girls’ under-16 defender Zara Howard celebrated her birthday with a player-of-thematch award for her part in a 4-3 defeat of K Sports in Maidstone on Sunday. City went a goal down in the first five minutes of the Kent Girls and Ladies’ League match, but struck back to make it 3-1 at halftime. With 10 minutes to go K Sports hit the target twice to level the score at 3-3, but Ella Wilson scored in the last minutes of the game to give City all three points and secure their place at the top of the Division 1 table. Canterbury coach Paul Stevens said: “A win is a win and in every season there are times when you just need to grind out a result, which is what the girls did today.” Canterbury City: L Vergo, M Walker, D Harris, Z Howard, R Day, C Pollard, E Jordan, I Cory, T Stevens, L Rowland, J Cain, K Worboyes, E Wilson.