Following two tough home games against Dover Athletic and Dorking Wanderers the Cannons eased up a little with a short trip across the Marsh to meet Southern Counties East side Lydd Town who play two levels below Hythe in football’s pyramid. 

Lydd had at least two recognisable faces in their line up in old Reachfields favourite Sam Marsh and young Harry Carr and although Hythe understandably dominated a lively first half they were also guilty of over-playing their attacks and often over-hitting their passes and crosses. That said the Marsh side more than played their part in the game by closing down many flowing attacks and defending in numbers as Ryan Palmer and Salvyn Kisitu threatened from the flanks and Kane Phillip and Josh Stirman made strong forward runs supported by a focused Charlie Webster from deep.

Hythe had to settle for just Junior Aikhionbare’s 17th minute tap-in goal but with many of the “big-guns” sitting on the bench, the sizeable away support awaited the second period with some optimism.

Sure enough Kieron Campbell soon became the main threat from the left supported by Jack Sammoutis and the prolific Zak Ansah and with Palmer continuing to figure strongly from the right Hythe were looking the part at last.  As the half progressed though chances continued to be wasted and the home side’s huge effort looked like it might be rewarded with a shock equaliser. Sammoutis and Ansah were both denied by either the home keeper or by some occasionally dubious off-side calls whilst others fired high and wide rather than composing themselves.

Then with ten minutes to go suddenly it seemed to dawn on some that there really was no need to be trying to break the goal netting and Sammoutis made space for himself at the edge of the area and fired home a well-placed ground shot to put the result beyond doubt.

With a tiring home side visibly wilting a poor challenge led to a free kick from Campbell going in off a post and at the death a clinical Ansah danced clear to round the keeper and place the ball into an empty goal.

All in all a good workout for both sides at a venue that has been impressively improved in the last couple of years. With both sides looking for promotion into their successive Premier divisions it could well be that each will be having an exciting time come next Spring.

Team: George Kamurasi, Salvyn Kisitu, Charlie Webster, Marcel Lallas Mitchell Chapman, Ben Gorham Ryan Palmer, Charlie Owen, Junior Aikionbare, Josh Stirman, Kane Phillip. Subs used: Kieron Campbell, Aziz Lyoubi, Chris  Kinnear, Jack Sammoutis, Mitchell Dickenson, Jack Negus, Zak Ansah.

Scorers: Junior Aikhionbare 16 mins, Jack Sammoutis 80 mins, Kieron Campbell 89 mins, Zak Ansah 90 mins.

 Attendance: 70