Kent County League 3 Hertfordshire Senior County League 0

Anyone who missed the last 75 minutes of this FA National League Systems Cup third round tie played at Chatham on Saturday would have been forgiven for not believing the final score line.

Hertfordshire completely ran the Kent defence ragged for the first quarter of an hour and had it not been for poor finishing by the visitors Matt Bowen and Jamie Darby, the home side could have been at least three down. 

Kent, realising something had to done, suddenly sprang into life and gradually worked themselves back into the game and on twenty four minutes a good move down the left flank saw a pin-point cross find Cray Valley's Dean Flood who slotted home from ten yards.

Kent's lead could have easily been increased two minutes later, but Snodland's Matt McHugh's fine effort was brilliantly saved by Dan Stephenson in the Hertforshire goal.

By now the Kent defence had completely come out of their slumbers and any attacks by the visitors lively front line were thwarted. From one such attack the ball was again well won by Old Roan's Seldon Brown who played it down the left and resulted in a fortieth minute cross from Crockenhill's Tony Atkins finding Flood who scored his second with a well directed header  to give his side a two goal cushion at the break.

 

 

 

The visitors started the second period brightly and it was not long before a free kick from Darby crashed against the bar and a minute later the same player was denied by the brilliance of Milton Athletic's 'keeper Chris Smith.

 

 

 

Most of Hertforshire's approach work continued to be good, but their attempts on goal were usually too high, too wide or adequately dealt with.

 

 

 

On 72 minutes Old Roan's Danny Lawrence produced an extra piece of magic, just as he did at Brighton in the second round, and unleashed a thirty yard dipping shot which completely deceived Stephenson to ensure the Kent County League's passage into the Semi-finals. 

 

 

 

Kent's  final goal saw the visitors lose some of their discipline with David Reade despatched to the dressing room for having just a little too much to say for the liking of Essex Referee John Hopkins.

 

 

 

Disregarding the first fifteen minutes this was an excellent Kent performance and much credit must go to Manager Mark Edwards who knew just where to find adequate replacements for those members of his original squad who withdrew through injury. The Semi-final draw is eagerly awaited.

 

 

 

“This result means the British Energy Kent County League representative side are just two games away from representing England in the 2006 UEFA Regions Cup,” said Geoff Jenkins, general secretary of the victorious Kent County League.