Herne Bay stretched their unbeaten league run to five failing by seconds though to make it five wins out of five.

“Not overly happy to be honest, frustrating is properly the word”, said Bay manager Sam Denly, “but we didn’t deserve to win the game tonight, I thought Merstham were outstanding, we didn’t have the quality to break them down.”

That Bay didn’t take the opportunity to grab all three points after the visitor’s were reduced to ten men after 11 minutes then to 9 just 11 minutes before time was entirely due to Merstham’s superb organisational skill and Bay’s inability to move the ball with pace and exploit space.

The traffic chaos on the M2 delayed the kick off to 8:30 pm with both teams waiting for players to arrive following the motorway closing accident earlier in the day.

Merstham were reduced in playing numbers when Obamwonyi, the towering centre half, was shown a straight red for impeding Dan Parkinson as he drove through in the 11^th minute.

A goal scoring opportunity denied with the punishment administered swiftly. Herne Bay had enjoyed the early stages with Stuart King’s free kick being spilled by the ‘keeper in the first 60 seconds only for the ball to be hacked away to safety. Immediately following Obamwonyi’s dismissal, Merstham re-organised, putting up two banks of four rather like a military defensive position at Rorke’s Drift to which the home side simply had little answer.

After the break, Merstham might have taken the lead. 9 minutes in, Aaron Rhule fired into the side netting after Eastwood had lost the ball in midfield and the visiting striker had neatly side stepped Michael Turner.

Rhule turned villain though in the 79^th minute when his studs up tackle on Bay centre half Liam Quinn earned him a second yellow card followed by the flourishing of the dismissive red.

Now there was an anticipation amongst one of Herne Bay’s smallest crowds of the season, the weather having turned non conducive for spectators, that a fifth straight win could be achieved.

With a minute a normal time remaining that hope looked to have been fulfilled. Steven Ita’s right wing cross was fumbled by Brannon Daly in the Merstham goal and Joe Nelder pounced to lash home the loose ball.

The celebrations were short lived, however, as within a minute the experienced Tutu Henriques claimed a deserved equaliser for the Moatsiders when he drove home from the edge of the penalty area.

“When you get a goal in the 89^th minute and you can’t see a game out against nine men, I’m not happy obviously”, said Denly, “they’re an organised side, they’re second for a reason, it’s just disappointing, we’ve got to see games out, it’s definitely two points dropped.”

 

Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner (Jordan Casey 85), Gary Sayer, Dan Johnson, Liam Quinn, Dan Parkinson, Nathan Eastwood (Danny Walder 60), Joe Nelder, Danny Williams (Sam Hasler 54), Stuart King, Steven Ita.

Subs Not Used: Harry Brown, James Brown.

Cautions: Liam Quinn.               Sent Off: None

 

Merstham: Brannon Daly, Simon Cooper, Dean Gunner, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Osa Obamwonyi, Tutu Henriques, Taureen Roberts, Peter Adeniyi, Tommy Hutchins (Omar Folkes 60, Marc Okoye 83), Fabio Saraiva, Aaron Rhule.

Subs Not Used: Antone Douglas, Emanual Steven, Yannick Makiese..

Cautions: Aaron Rhule.             Sent Off: Osa Abamwonyi, Aaron Rhule

 

Man of the Match: Tutu Henriques (Merstham)

Referee: Lee Dyson       Assistants: Scott Rudd, Ryan Whitaker.

 

Herne Bay (0) 1

Nelder 89

 

Merstham (0) 1

Henriques 90

 

at Winch’s Field

Ryman Isthmian League Division One (South)

 

Attendance: 119

 

(photo credit: Herne Bay FC – Joe Nelder scored Herne Bay’s goal.)