The real Herne Bay team just didn’t turn up today. The visitors appeared fitter and showed tremendous work rate and desire to compete and win every ball.

A relatively small side but their players harried and hustled all the time showing that if you put in the effort the rewards will come.

It started very well with Tom Carlton firing over the bar inside the first minute followed by good work by Jake Embery putting Danny Leonard through down the left. Unfortunately nobody was there to get on the end of his low drive across the box. Whyteleafe then started to take the game to their hosts. Using quick breaks down both flanks feeding their star forward Eddie D’Sane.

The Whyteleafe midfield closed down any attempt by Bay to break out; always first to the ball as the attacks came thick and fast. Bradley Schafer was hustle off the ball as Bay tried to mount an attack, the ball was moved out to Dan Hector on the right. His cross found D’Sane but it was the player, not the ball, that found the back of the net with the ball bouncing harmlessly wide of the upright.

In a rare attack Carlton broke free down the right but his goal bound shot was blocked at the near post. The very skilful, Harrison Carnegie, operating down the left was causing all sorts of problems to Bay’s defence but when given the opportunity to shoot on the half hour his effort ran tamely into keeper Jordan Beeney arms.

D’Sane was always a threat but as with a lot of forwards he tends to go to ground a bit to easily but in the 38th minute he managed to convince the official that he was pushed over by Danny Rumbol. The official pointed to the spot and for the second time in the first two matches a penalty was awarded. D’Sane tried placing the spot kick to Beeney’s right as the keeper dived to the left. The ball hit Beeney’s foot and trickled over the line.

Bay tried to up their game in the second period but the first attempt of the half fell to Hector who out-paced the defence but shot tamely at Beeney. After a good spell of Bay pressure in the ‘leafe area the ball fell to Connor Wilkins but his shot was deflected over the bar. From the corner kick Matt Fry sliced his effort harmlessly away.

A quick break by Raphe Brown down the left resulted in another blocked shot. The best chance to level the scores came after good work from Leonard and Embery with the ball coming to Brown, unmarked but he just couldn’t get the ball under control before Nathan Cambell closed him down and cleared the danger.

The final chance came when substitute Sami Meziane fired in a fierce volley straight at the ‘leafe defender. So it was that the single penalty which prevented Bay from sharing the points but Whyteleafe, being the better side on the day, thoroughly deserved the victory.

Saturday 18th August 2018

Bostik League Division One South East

Herne Bay 0 (0) – (0) 1 Whyteleafe

Att: 228

Herne Bay: Jordan Beeney, Danny Rumbol, Raphe Brown, Cory Walters-Wright, Matt Fry, Danny Leonard, Bradley Schafer, Tom Carlton, Jake Embery, Connor Cox, Connor Wilkins

Subs used: Ben Gorham,(Walters-Wright 54) Miles Cornwell (Cox 54) Sami Meziane (Carlton 74)

Subs not used: Ryan Kingsford, Alex Mulrooney-Skinner