Cray Wanderers 4 Hythe Town 3

Bostik League South-East

Saturday 22^nd September 2018

Hythe were unlucky not to come away with a point in a thrilling 4-3 defeat at Cray Wanderers on a damp Saturday afternoon.

Cray were the first to settle and had their first opportunity on four minutes as Aaron Rhule charged through but Hythe keeper George Kamurasi was swift to come off his line to spread his body to block. Hythe did have an effort on nine minutes as Salvyn Kisitu played the ball into Charlie Webster whose shot was pushed around the upright by Cray keeper, Nick Blue. However, the vast majority of the pressure was coming from the hosts and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 15 minutes. Bradley Pritchard sent in a corner that saw Jay Leader rise above the Cannons defence to head home. 

At the other end, Jack Sammoutis played the ball into Zak Ansah but it was Cray who continued to press and on 22 minutes they were two ahead as Freddie Parker turned in and out and then once he was in a shooting position he curled the ball into the bottom corner of the net giving Kamurasi no chance. Just after the goal, there was another opportunity for Cray as Tom Phipp fired wired.

However, on 32 minutes a piece of magic from Kieron Campbell on the right saw the winger cut in and shoot into the right-hand corner of the net to narrow the gap between the teams. The balance of the game had now changed and it was Hythe who were now in the ascendancy and they were back on level terms on 35 minutes. Aziz Lyoubi broke down the left wing and crossed into the penalty area. The ball went round like a “pinball” before falling to Chris Kinnear who slammed in for his second goal of the season.  The Cannons could have been ahead deep into injury time as Ansah played the ball off to Nigel Neita but he stubbed his shot which made it easy for Blue to collect.

The pattern of the game changed again after the break as Cray piled on the pressure. On 53 minutes Sean Roberts hit a snapshot just wide and then Jerome Fernando crossed into Parker who pulled his attempt the wrong side of the post. Archie Johnson was then to break in from the left and forced Kamurasi to save.  It was no surprise when the hosts regained the lead on 68 minutes as Roberts picked up the ball and blasted a shot through a crowd of players and into the net. Hythe were now dependent on breakaways and Campbell was to unleash a shot that went wide.

Substitute Junior Dadson was proving a handful for the visitors as he found himself one on one with Kamurasi who saved the day by getting his body in the way. However, Hythe were to draw level on 80 minutes as a pinpoint long ball from the back from Mitchell Dickenson found Ansah who finished neatly for his fourteenth goal of the season. However, Cray were to have the last laugh when on 87 minutes they were to get the winner. A corner from Pritchard again found Leader and in a carbon copy of the first goal, he rose to head home to seal the point for the league leaders.

Hythe had played their part in an exciting game but came away with nothing that resulted in them dropping down to sixth place as they now prepare for Tuesday night's fixture at home to Faversham Town with a 7:45 pm kick-off.

Team: George Kamurasi, Salvyn Kisitu, Aziz Lyoubi, Chris Kinnear (Euan Sahadow 88 mins), Nathan Daly, Mitchell Dickenson, Jack Sammoutis (Junior Aikhionbare 60 mins), Charlie Webster, Zak Ansah, Nigel Neita, Kieron Campbell.

Scorers: Cray Wanderers - Jay Leader 15 & 87 mins, Freddie Parker 22 mins, Sean Roberts 68 mins. Hythe Town – Kieron Campbell 32 mins, Chris Kinnear 35 mins, Zak Ansah 80 mins.

Attendance: 208.

Hythe Town will play their Velocity Trophy 2^nd Round game at home to Bognor Regis Town on Tuesday 23^rd October 2018 at Reachfields with a 7:45pm kick off. 

Our Club Shop is about to order a supply of our new shirts with the "LIFElabs " logo on the front. Our team is kitted out with "Large" size shirts but if you would like to order either smaller or larger than this please call into the shop at the Faversham game and a £10 deposit will secure your particular size.

For all main sizes the cost per shirt is £30. 

Herne Bay 0 Hythe Town 6

Velocity Trophy 1st Round

Tuesday 18th September 2018

Hythe Town cruised through to the second round of the Velocity Trophy as they thrashed Herne Bay in a 6-0 win at Winch’s Field on Tuesday evening.

It was Hythe who dominated the game throughout putting behind them their defeat against Herne Bay last week in the Kent Senior Cup. The Cannons had a golden opportunity to take the lead as early as the ninth minute when Charlie Webster was crudely brought down in the penalty area. Up stepped Nigel Neita who sent his kick wide of the upright. The Bay did have their first opportunity on twelve minutes when Jake Embury headed into the arms of keeper George Kamurasi. Neita had another effort for the visitors when he got on the end of a neat interchange between Keiron Campbell and Zak Ansah but his shot lacked power.

Hythe were in the ascendency as Campbell played the ball back to Jack Sammoutis but he shot straight at Bay keeper Jordan Beeney. The Cannons finally deservedly took the lead on 34 minutes as captain, Chris Kinnear threaded a ball neatly through to Ansah who nonchalantly stroked the ball home. Herne Bay did have a couple of chances in quick succession as firstly a Danny Rumbol shot was blocked well by Kamurasi and then, immediately after, a Tom Carlton cross to Embery was held by the Hythe keeper.  However it was Hythe who continued to dominate as a Sammoutis free kick was headed wide by Kinnear.  One more chance for the Bay before the break saw a Bradley Schaffer cross headed over by Raphe Brown.

The second half was one-way traffic as Sammoutis had a shot easily gathered by Beeney but on 50 minutes Hythe were two up as Campbell fed Neita who slammed the ball home to make up for his earlier missed penalty. Ansah then played the ball to Salvyn Kisitu who blasted a shot into a crowd of players followed by Sammoutis forcing Beeny to push the ball around the upright for a corner. Sammoutis, who was growing in confidence as the game progressed, put in substitute Junior Aikhionbare whose placed shot went just the wrong side of the post.

However Hythe were to increase their lead on 67 minutes and effectively seal the win as there was great run was made by Sammoutis. He fed the ball to Aikhionbare who found Kisitu who blasted home from close range.  A couple of chances for Bay to narrow the lead followed as firstly Carlton unleashed a shot that drifted wide and then Schaffer crossed into ex-Hythe midfielder Alex Mulrooney-Skinner who hooked the ball over the bar. The Herne Bay defence crumbled in the last ten minutes as the Cannons ran riot. Firstly Aikhionbare moved and slotted the ball home after 80 minutes. Herne Bay did have a couple of further chances as Sami Mezaine was dispossessed brilliantly by Mitchell Dickenson before he could get his attempt away and then he slammed the ball into the side netting.

But Hythe were to continue their goal feast as on 87 minutes Aikhionbare picked up the ball on the edge of the area and sent his effort into the corner of the net and then Sammoutis had a shot well saved by Beeney. The icing on the cake came a minute into injury time as Sammoutis was rewarded for his efforts as he raced through and slammed his shot home.

It was magnificent team performance from the Cannons where every player played their part in the result that takes them through to a home fixture against Bognor Regis Town in the 2^nd Round. Hythe can now look forward with confidence to Saturday’s league fixture away at Cray Wanderers on Saturday afternoon. 

Team: George Kamurasi, Salvyn Kisitu, Aziz Lyoubi, Chris Kinnear (Charlie Owen 70 mins), Nathan Daly, Mitchell Dickenson, Jack Sammoutis, Charlie Webster, Zak Ansah (Junior Aikionbare 58 mins), Nigel Neita (Euan Sahadow 68 mins), Keiron Campbell. 

Scorers: Zak Ansah 35 mins, Nigel Neita 51 mins, Salvyn Kisitu 67 mins, Junior Aikhionbare 80 &87 mins, Jack Sammoutis 90 mins. 

Attendance: 155