Bearsted 1-0 Hythe Town - That's not a top side, playing like that, admits Bearsted assistant manager Billy Jones

Bearsted 1 – 0 Hythe Town
Location	Otham Sports Ground, Honey Lane, Otham, Maidstone, Kent ME15 8RG
Kickoff	21/10/2025 19:30

BEARSTED  1-0  HYTHE TOWN
Presence & Co Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division
Tuesday 21 October 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Honey Lane

BEARSTED assistant manager Billy Jones admits his side will have to play better if they are to remain at the top of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table.

Bearsted manager Kevin Stevens attended the game despite suffering from a chest infection and watching his side’s lacklustre performance wouldn’t have made him feel any better.

The Bears’ did claim the victory, courtesy of 26-year-old striker Jake Embery’s 11^th goal of the season, slotting in a composed penalty to score against a former club.

The Cannons, who suffered relegation from the Isthmian League South East Division last season, are on course of dropping out of this division completely if they replicate this sorry performance at Honey Lane tonight as they remain in the bottom five, just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Both sides progressed through to The FA Vase Second Round with single-goal home victories at the weekend, with Embery’s late penalty seeing off Cowes Sports and Hythe Town beating Peacehaven & Telscombe.

“I’ve just said to them in there, the only positive they’re getting from us is that they’ve won the game and we got three points but apart from that, there’s not too many positives to take out of that, if I’m being brutally honest,” admitted Jones.

“I think we dominated the first half. I think if we had scored two and maybe a third, it would’ve put the game to bed.

“We just said to them at half-time, that you’ve got to work hard to keep possession more. We just didn’t do that second half. We completely went against what we said at half-time and that’s probably the most frustrating thing.

“I think there’s still a lack of confidence in the way we want to try and make them play but when we do it, we do it really well but when we don’t do it, we actually look quite poor as a side.

“I’m probably doing us a little bit of an injustice here because we’re now sitting top of the League but when you’re speaking at the start of the season like every manager and staff do to their players and the players’ speak back to you and ask if standards are being kept and keeping everything to a point of making us work hard first and foremost but secondly be good with the ball and second half we weren’t that, we weren’t that.”

Ira Jackson has suffered 11 defeats in his first 17 games in charge of the Reachfields Stadium club.

“Just frustrating. We gave away one mistake and it cost us, that’s pretty much it,” said the Hythe Town manager, 28.

“I think other than a mistake, it was quite an even game to be fair,  I think the whole game was.

“Second half, we dominated a lot more but yes, even game. We didn’t get the win. We didn’t get the goal, that’s pretty much all I can say. We played well but you’ve got to score when you play well.”

Bearsted were without Sam Flisher (calf), Bradley Jeffrey (ACL), Conrad Lee (thigh), Billy Lewins (neck), Daniel Melvin (groin), Luka Radojevic (one-match suspension), Joe Wilson (groin), while Jackson kept tight-lipped about his injury situation.

Bearsted produced a well-worked move with the game’s first chance, after three minutes and 36 seconds.

Holding midfielder Sam Stace linked up well with right-winger Nathan Light before Stace curled his right-footed shot harmlessly wide of the far post from 22-yards, with the visiting fan-base strangely ringing a bell on several occasions.

Hythe Town left-back William Dempsey was their weak link in defence.  Embery played the ball inside to Stace, who rolled the ball out to Light, who easily cut inside the Cannons’ captain before his left-footed angled drive was spilt by visiting goalkeeper Nathan Boamah at his near post and Embery poked his first time shot past the foot of the right-hand post from six-yards.

“It’s a good chance. I think he’s unlucky there. Jake’s always a poacher in the six-yard box and I think he’s unlucky there on that one,” added Jones.

Bearsted were gifted the winning goal, when it arrived with 20 minutes and 29 seconds on the clock.

The awful Dempsey gave the ball away to Embery inside his own defensive channel and Embery cut into the penalty area and was fouled by centre-half Kyle Biggleston and referee Chris Stilton pointed to the spot.

Embery rolled his right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner, sending goalkeeper Nathan Boamah the wrong way, with a composed penalty.

“It was probably our best bit of play in terms of pressing them down one side, playing on the one that we wanted them to play on, giving us the ball, breaking into the box, forcing them to make a tackle, which they’ve done to give a penalty away,” said Jones.

“Fair play to Jake, he’s on 11 goals so far, could be on more. I’m sure he’ll probably tell you that himself but I’m pleased for him to get another goal.

“Jake gives us experience, work-rate, proper, proper team player, goals and he’s a real asset to have.”

Jackson added: “We just didn’t manage the moment right and I think it’s those little mistakes that we’re still tweaking but yes, apart from that, I can’t really fault the performances.

“Look, we gave away a mistake, they score the penalty. It is what it is. It’s those fine margines in football that win you or lose you games.”

Biggleston was pressed by a hungry Aidan Clark inside the Hythe Town half – after Boamah hit a set-piece forward – and former Cannon, Jarred Trespaderne stroked a left-footed drive sailing over Boamah and crashing down off the underside of the crossbar from 45-yards with 25:32 on the clock.

“Yes, I think everyone was hoping that was going in, especially Jaz but it weren’t to be, just hit the underside of the bar and stayed out,” added Jones.

When asked to reflect on that effort, Jackson swiftly replied: “Yep, what about it? It's not really much to reflect on. Great strike. Didn’t go in. it is what it is.”

Hythe Town offered very little in attack and were causing no threat to man-of-the-match, Bearsted centre-half Ryan Blake, who liked to his a long diagonal out of defence.

Striker Albert Osigwe drove forward and was fouled by Bearsted centre-half Daniel Keyte and goalkeeper Leighton Fanshawe lined up a two-man wall.

Central midfielder Armani-Jordan Martin slammed a woeful free-kick into the wall and Robbie Keil took a touch before curling his left-footed shot harmlessly around the far post from 30-yards.

Hythe Town went closer with their next free-kick after Blake was cautioned for a strong tackle on Osigwe and the impressive Richie Keil stroked his right-footed free-kick just over the crossbar from 30-yards.

Hythe Town produced their best move of the entire match with 43:40 on the clock.

Martin’s right-footed pass from midfield released right-winger Steadman Callender down the right and he beat the offside trap to cut in towards the by-line and putting in a great cross towards the back post where an unmarked Richie Keil hooked his right-footed volley across Fanshawe and narrowly over the crossbar (aiming for the top far corner).

“Good, good chance. Again, it’s unfortunate. It’s not gone in but it’s a tough chance to score at that height for him.  Could he had gone with his head? Who knows. It’s a difficult situation,” added Jackson.

Jones said: “To be fair, I know Richie, he’s at the Maidstone Academy and normally he finishes them, so I was surprised he actually put that over the bar. Thankfully for us, he did.

When asked about his half-time thoughts, Jones added: “Just to remain patient on the ball. They set-off us first half. We knew they were going to come out second half because they had to – but just be patient with the ball and move the ball from side-to-side and eventually one of their players has got to come out and press the centre-half.

“I just felt in the first half we give it away too much under no pressure but yes I’m being really picking, we’ve just got to do better in certain areas.”

Jackson was asked why ineffective right-winger Callender – his most experienced player at this level – was hooked at the interval.  Olatomiwa Adegbulugbe came on in his place but was just as bad as a left-winger and suffered the embarrassment of being hooked 35 minutes into the second half.

“We just needed a bit more dynamism. We needed to be a bit more of a threat and whether he was experienced or 17 years old, we just needed more, simple,” came Jackson’s reply as to why Callender was hooked.

When asked whether hooking Adegbulugbe was tactical or due to injury, Jackson replied: “Tactical. Mainly. We wanted to make sure that as we’re pressing forward to go and win the game, that we didn’t lose it in the process even more.”

Hythe Town created an opening after only 64 seconds when Richie Keil and Isaac Currie linked up before the ball was worked out to Adegbulugbe, who cut onto his left-foot and his low cross from the flank was held by Fanshawe, diving low to his left to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom far corner.

Hythe Town had plenty of the ball but lacked quality to get past a Bearsted back four, well marshalled by Blake and Keyte.

“Well, pretty much the whole half we were on the front foot, bar a couple of mistakes but like I said before, I don’t really want to repeat it. It’s a good performance in the second half,” said Jackson.

“We just didn’t get the goal that we needed. I think a draw would’ve been a fair result but fair play to Bearsted, they’re on a phenomenal run at the moment and they took advantage of the mistake that we made.”

Bearsted boss Stevens shouted out and asked poor left-winger Richard Jimoh if he was ‘feeling alright’ – as he offered very little threat in attack and failed to impress whatsoever.

“He done ok, he done ok. He’s been carrying a knock recently and he’s just kind of got over that, so he’ll probably agree with me that he’s not fully 100 per cent fit, but when he does turn it on, there’s definitely a player in there, for sure,” came Jones’ reply.

Jackson made a double change on 62 minutes, bringing on central striker Kian Scott and right-winger Mefose Esumobi, making his debut, after recently being bombed out by Steve King at Isthmian League South East Division side Deal Town.

Esumobi looks like he has won a raffle to be on a football pitch. He has an awful touch – the ball often bounces off him – he fails to pass the ball to a team-mate and offered no threat to Bearsted’s left-back Sonny Jackson.

Jackson refused to throw his number 16 under the bus.

“Tough performance from him in terms of he’s just coming back from an injury, so it might be a game too soon for him.  We know the potential that he’s got, he’ll be a good asset for us. He’s got a bit of a thigh injury.”

Hythe Town dominated the corner count by six-to-two and Martin swung the ball in from the right and with the bell ringing in their ears the ball was met by Dempsey at the near post and after digging the ball out from under his feet, his left-footed shot deflected past the far post.

“They had to (come out and attack). At one-nil down you’ve got to have a go and the position they are in the League, they’re going to have a go,” said Jones.

“I can’t speak too much for them. I think Ira will tell you how many times they let themselves down with the quality of passing, or the quality of finishing or the quality overall, so listen, that’s not for me to judge. Our main thing is we’ve got our three points and we move on.”

Richie Keil’s resulting fourth corner failed to beat the first man, as Bearsted’s right-back James Bessey-Saldanha headed the ball off the goalline and over his crossbar (20:13).

The crowd of 136 had to wait until the 76^th minute for an actual goalscoring chance.

Trespaderne swept a left-footed free-kick over the high-line Hythe defence and the ball was cleared out to Blake, who hung the ball back in from the left and Keyte’s downward header at the near post was comfortably gathered by an untroubled Boamah.

Stace laid the ball inside to Bessey-Saldanha, who cracked a low right-footed drive through a crowd of players from 35-yards, destined for the bottom left-hand corner, only for Boamah to dive to his right and use a strong hand to push towards safety.

“I actually thought James was probably our bright spark tonight, playing at right-back, which is not his position but he’s done well in that position over the last two or three games,” said Jones.

“He just gives you an outlet that he can wriggle past people with his pace. Yes, he was unlucky with that. He said at half-time he wanted to score, so he was close.”

Reflecting on Boamah’s performance, Jackson said: “He played well to be fair, apart from Jarred’s shot that he was probably a little bit too far off his line for, but he played well. Another good performance from him.

“I don’t think he deserved to concede today but look, this is football, not everything goes the way that you plan originally.

“We played well. We didn’t score the chances that we had and we probably didn’t create clear enough ones to get the point but we move on – another game to come.”

Scott charged down the right channel and cut the ball back to right-back Hugo Taylor, who put a ball into the Bearsted box. The ball was knocked down by Adegbulugbe inside the box and Martin took several touches before cutting inside and stroking a low right-footed drive towards the bottom far corner, which was comfortably held by Fanshawe, smothering the ball low to his left (32:59).

With Bearsted winger Ashton Mitford laying down on the lush playing surface, play continued and more woeful defending from Dempsey saw him gift a 10-yard pass straight to Embery, who swept a right-footed shot past the near post of an open goal from 35-yards.

When asked about keeping their third clean sheet on the bounce, Jones replied: “Like they were on Saturday in the Vase, that was a 1-0 as well and another penalty but we can’t go through the season, we’ll, I’d like to go through the season winning 1-0 and (scoring) penalties but that’s not how it’s going to go.

“We need to work on some few bits, those two (Blake and Keyte) defended ok tonight.”

The overall standard in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division so far this season has been poor with too many players not taking pride in their own individual or collective performances – across the board, not just this game tonight.

Bearsted did not perform like a side that are serious title winning contenders but they are at the summit having picked up 25 points (eight wins, one draw and three defeats) from their 12 games.

Whitstable Town are now in second-place in the table – following their convincing 5-1 win away at Snodland Town tonight – with Jamie Coyle’s men picking up 25 points from their 11 games.

Jimmy Anderson’s side bounced back from their 1-0 home FA Vase derby defeat to Tunbridge Wells at the weekend by winning 1-0 at home to Phoenix Sports and are in third-place with 24 points from 10 games. 

Erith & Belvedere (24 points from 15 games) and Tony Reid's Larkfield & New Hythe (23 points from 12 games) are in the play-off zone, with Andy Constable's Holmesdale in sixth on 23 points from 14 games.

The bottom six sides are Faversham Strike Force (14 points from 11 games), Hythe Town (10 points, three wins, one draw and nine defeats) from 13 games, Hollands & Blair (10 points from 11 games) and Corinthian (10 points from 13 games).

Chislehurst Glebe (seven points from 13 games) and Stansfeld (three points from 11 games) remain in the relegation zone.

“I’ve just said to them in there, they’ve got one positive and that’s we’re top of the league and we’ve got three points,” admitted Jones.

“There was no instructions from us from the side for the last 20-25 minutes because if felt like the instructions we had given them were ignored and that’s probably the most disappointing thing because we’re good enough to play, especially on a pitch like this where we train the way we do and we organise the way we do.  Yes, to give a second half performance like that, weren’t us.

“The win, the win (was a positive) because we needed it going back into the League after the Vase game on Saturday.  I can’t fault our work-rate. I don’t ever fault that. Just our quality, we’re better than what we showed second half.

“The boys came over and clapped the fans. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t have enjoyed that second half, put it that way!

“Obviously delighted, we’re delighted to be where we are. We’ve worked ever so hard to get there and there’s still a long way to go but if we keep persevering and keep working hard, hopefully we’ll be up there, or there and there abouts.”

When it was put to him that Bearsted have to play better to be classed as serious promotion challengers, Jones admitted: “Absolutely – that’s not a top side playing like that. I think if you look at sides over the years, you know sides that are in the top three and how they play and how they move the ball and how they work and yes, that’s definitely not a sign of one.”

Bearsted host Erith & Belvedere to Honey Lane on Saturday and when asked about facing Sam Groombridge’s men, Jones replied: “It’s going to be a tough game. The gaffer went to watch them not so long ago. They’re a very good side, well organised, they pass the ball really well, move you around the pitch very well.

“We’ve got to be better than we were tonight, put it that way!”

When asked about his aspirations for the season ahead, Jones replied: “Just to give the boys enough opportunities and chances to believe in, that’s to be up the league as far as they can possibly go and that comes from them, within that changing room. It doesn’t come from us.

“We have a belief in them, that’s why we put the squad together with the players we’ve got and hopefully we put on a different performance on Saturday and we’ll be going out to try to get another three points.”

Jones summed up the mood perfectly.

“It’s going to change and it will keep changing. Everyone will think the big spenders will be up there, of course they will be and they’ve gone on a great FA Cup run and Vase run last season and they’re going to be up there.

“But we drew with them (Whitstable Town) here, we’ve got them next Tuesday (at their place in the Challenge Cup) and then away in the League (on 11 November), so we’ve got some tough games coming up.

“But there’s no easy games, that’s the thing, as you’ve seen tonight. If you were a neutral here tonight, you wouldn’t think we were top and they were where they were.”

Former Hythe Town manager Steven Watt was in attendance tonight and his Hythe Town side would have put in a vastly better performance than Jackson’s current crop, who are sleepwalking towards another relegation.

“I’m learning a lot. The basics of football are really important. Quality is really important, moments are important and when you’re on top of a game, you have to be ruthless but I knew that before. I’m just seeing it as a manager this time,” said Jackson.

“We are where we deserve to be. Our performances haven’t been good enough in enough games to be higher in the League and we haven’t been ruthless enough to win games but it’s a very long season and that will change.”

When asked whether he is going to bring in fresh blood, Jackson, who would be foolish to rely on Esumobi to avoid relegation, replied: “I haven’t decided on that yet. I think we’re doing fairly well, in terms of recent times. We’ve done a lot of chopping and changing. I think we need a bit of consistency and I trust that those boys will be better in terms of results.

“I think performance wise, the last couple of games including Saturday and today, have been good and we just need to win.

“There’s pressure on everybody. If you’re losing games there’s always going to be pressure but look, it’s football. I’m used to pressure. I’ve played the game at a high level. I’m now managing, so it is what it is. You need to win games of football, so yes, if you want to know if there’s pressure, ask the chairman.”

Hythe Town welcome Tunbridge Wells to Reachfields Stadium on Saturday. Steve Ives’ side suffered a 4-0 defeat to Punjab United at Culverden Stadium tonight and sit in 12th place in the table with 17 points (five wins, two draws and seven defeats).

“They lost a game, we lost a game. One of us has got to win on Saturday and it’s got to be us,” added Jackson.

Bearsted: Leighton Fanshawe, James Bessey-Saldanha, Sonny Jackson, Sam Stace, Ryan Blake, Daniel Keyte, Richard Jimoh (Jack Palmby 74), Jarred Trespaderne, Jake Embery, Aidan Clark, Nathan Light (Ashton Mitford 82).
Subs: Adam Turton, Michael Hagan, Chris Swift

Goal: Jake Embery 21 (penalty)

Booked: Ryan Blake 31, Sam Stace 87, Jarred Trespaderne 90

Hythe Town: Nathan Boamah, Hugo Taylor, William Dempsey, Isaac Currie, Aaron Archibald, Kyle Biggleston (Jerzy Krzyszka 81), Steadman Callender (Olatomiwa Adegbulugbe 46, Folarin Awoleke 80)), Armani-Jordan Martin, Albert Osigwe (Kian Scott 62), Richie Keil, Robbie Keil (Mefose Esumobi 62).

Booked: Isaac Currie 37, Jerzy Krzyszka 84

Attendance: 136
Referee: Mr Chris Stilton
Assistants: Mr Michael Donnelly & Mr Steven Page
Observer:  Mr Geoffrey Stanborough