Broadfields United 2-1 Herne Bay - I will 100% take that, it's on me. if I didn't make that error we'd still be in The FA Cup but we've been beaten by a pub side on Hackney Marshes, says embarrassed Herne Bay boss Ben Smith

Broadfields United 2 – 1 Herne Bay
Location	Tithe Farm Social Club, 151 Rayners Lane, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 0XH
Kickoff	18/08/2026 19:45

BROADFIELDS UNITED  2-1  HERNE BAY
(after extra time)
The Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round (Second) Replay
Tuesday 18 August 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Tithe Farm

HERNE BAY manager Ben Smith says he takes full responsibility for the club’s controversial FA Cup exit claiming the antics from Broadfields United were more suited to Sunday League football on Hackey Marshes.

The Kent side kicked off their campaign by being held to a 2-2 home draw to Sunny Tailor’s side on Saturday 8 August, before travelling to Harrow three days later and comfortably winning the Replay by six goals to one.

However, Smith was allowed to make six substitutions by assistant referee Riley Chalfen and referee Ryan Jones, which broke Competition Rules and The Football Association ordered the Extra Preliminary Round Replay to be replayed and tonight’s referee Toby Carlisle sent off two Herne Bay players on a night of controversy.

Herne Bay – who defeated Harrow Borough 3-2 at home in The FA Trophy First Qualifying Round at the weekend – opened the scoring after 13 minutes through right-winger Emmanuel Robe but didn’t create the chances to kill off their eighth-placed Combined Counties League Premier Division North hosts, who operate on a budget of £500 per week.

Broadfields United have picked up four points from their opening two games and were dumped out of The FA Vase at the first hurdle after losing 3-2 at home to Ampthill Town last Friday night and Taylor made four changes and switched formation to five-at-the-back, which snuffed out the attacking threats of wingers Funsho Sinai, Robe and striker Joe Taylor.

Herne Bay were controversially reduced to ten-men on the hour when referee Toby Carlisle sent off Sinai and he later pointed to the spot with 18 minutes remaining and right-wing-back Rhys Ellis converted the penalty to take the game to extra-time.

The decision to send-off Herne Bay centre-half Jerry Puemo nine minutes into extra-time was simply baffling and Broadfields United snatched the victory through substitute Sofiane Hammouda five minutes from the end.

Smith explained why he was the third Herne Bay man to be red-carded by Carlisle after the game, while Broadfields United coach Moses Alkarssifi got away with a caution.

“The script was written wasn’t it? Let’s have it right, the script was written. It was a farce to have to come here in the first place and the events of tonight were a farce,” claimed Smith.

“But the only way to stop that is by being that much better to stop it but some of the decisions were ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous but what can you say?

“You have to give them credit. They played five at the back and they were trying to stop things and I wasn’t happy at half-time. How quickly we were moving it in those areas and unfortunately there’s some players that aren’t listening as quickly as I need them to because when you’re playing that you need to go round the outside and it should’ve played absolutely into our hands.

“But we’re still in absolute control of the game, whether we’re creating loads of chances or not, we’re in absolute control of the game and yes, that game hinges on that red card.”

Herne Bay took the lead with 12 minutes and 34 seconds on the clock.

Puemo played the ball out of defence along the deck and Taylor dropped deep before flicking his through ball which cut open Joshua Uwaifo (who played left-wing-back) to put Robe through on goal and he emphatically powered his right-footed drive into the roof of the net, despite goalkeeper Finn Rushton getting a glove to the shot.

Smith added: “And then we didn’t want to do what was quite clearly what was going to work a lot. We stopped doing it, which I was frustrated about at half-time.

“We didn’t utilise the areas that were options to us. There’s certain areas, I don’t want to say too much, but certain areas we want to use that we were turning down and trying to do our own thing.”

Herne Bay failed to replicate their impressive performance here seven days earlier as too many players put in poor performances, including the two wingers (Sinai and Robe), attacking midfielder Jacob Lambert let the game pass him by and was deservedly hooked at the interval and Herne Bay clearly ran out of ideas how to break down a back five, with centre-half Ben Gorham clearly not playing to Smith’s game plan.

“What was missing? Decision making! Our decision making was extremely poor,” admitted Smith.

“It’s people wanting to sort of revert to type and play into how they played for other teams and other managers and I’m not going to stand for that!

“I’ve asked people to do certain things, so when it’s there to do those certain things, I expect it to be done.”

Abdirahman Ahmed impressed for the home side in midfield and he played his part in a decent opening at the halfway point.

Ahmed played the ball into Jordy Mumbiny, who played in his partner, striker David Levy, who lacked the quality needed as his right-footed chip was comfortably caught by goalkeeper Joe Coleman, with both of his hands above his head, in a one-v-one.

Smith feared that the home side would take full advantage of their second bite of the cherry – and his lacklustre players’ allowed them to do it.

“Well-worked move. They’re at home, they’ve got a chance out of nowhere to be in The FA Cup, so they’re going to have chances. They’ll push people forward.

“I knew they would. I called it with the players. I knew they’d change formation and do that and it should’ve played into our hands. It should’ve absolutely played into our hands.”

Things weren’t clicking for Herne Bay but they worked an opening (34:05) when Lambert played the ball inside to Codey Cosgrave, who played the ball inside to right-back Harrison Hatfull, who took a touch before drilling a woeful right-footed drive high and wide from 25-yards from the centre of the pitch.

A better chance came their way (43:19) when Hatfull played the ball inside to holding midfielder Hamilton Antonio, who rolled the ball out to left-back Rhys Wyborn, who took a touch before drilling his left-footed angled drive flashing across the keeper and past the far post.

Some poor defending from Puemo gave Broadfields United a stoppage time chance (46:36) when Levy knocked the ball down inside the box and Gabriel Piokowski (who dropped further back tonight into midfield) hooked a right-footed volley on the edge of the penalty area, aiming for the top left-hand corner, only for the ball to bounce off the top off the crossbar and drop behind for a goal-kick.

“It’s a speculative effort isn’t it? He’s just hooked it back into play and it’s hit the top of the bar,” said Smith.

“We were in complete control of the game and they were tiring and I said to the boys, ‘just don’t give them anything to get behind.  Go and kill the game off’.  Do what I’ve asked you to do but then those plans go out of the window, don’t they?

“I said at half-time, ‘we need another goal’ because everyone’s got a conscience chance and suddenly when that red card comes in, the game flips on its head.”

Not an awful lot was happening for either side during the opening exchanges of the second half until referee Toby Carlisle pulled out his red card (14:10) to send off Sinai, who failed to turn up and let the game pass him by.

Antonio played the ball out to Sinai on the left, he ran down the side of the penalty area and was heading towards the by-line before the recalled Solomon Alidor-Hamilton (who plays on the right of a three central defenders) came across the slam the door shut on the by-line.

They don’t make centre-halves like they used to. Centre-halves used to be tough men who never acted in this manner.

Sliding in to make the block, Alidor-Hamilton dropped to the deck, right in front of some travelling fans who were standing just a couple of yards from the incident.

Screaming, his noisy team-mates and then raced into the vicinity and (a noisy home dug-out also) put pressure on the referee who pulled out a red card, which left Smith and Sinai and the rest of the stadium baffled and bewildered.

“It’s just outrageous! It’s just absolutely outrageous!  They’ve played on the reaction from the people on the sideline. Honestly it was like being down the local park in a Sunday League, it was so bad and you’ve got the Fourth Official here not calming (things down in the home bench), not stopping that, just allowing it to happen.

“Henry’s got to the by-line, he’s overstretched for the ball and he’s tried to slide to keep it in but their player’s come across to defend it, gone down screaming, everyone’s run round it as if it’s some big lunging tackle.

“It’s laughable but as I said we’re coming here tonight, you can’t give them anything and I said it before the game. You can’t give them any chance, any opportunity for something to go against us because it will.”

Mumbiny operated in space down the right wing and fizzed in a cross which was swept towards goal first time by substitute striker Hammouda, which was comfortably caught by Coleman (24:38).

Levy cut into the Herne Bay penalty area from the left wing and referee Toby Carlisle adjudged that Herne Bay right-back Hatfull had committed a foul and pointed to the penalty spot.

Captain Tom Kennard gave the ball to right-wing-back Rhys Ellis, who sent Coleman the wrong way with a right-footed penalty, which nestled inside the bottom right-hand corner (26:28) to grab an equaliser.

Smith replied: “What can you say about that? What can you say? Some of the stuff that was going on on the pitch and that’s a foul apparently.  It’s difficult to take. 

“But what can you do? It’s a penalty and you’ve just got to think about ‘ok, we’ve got to now work a way of how we’re going to get near their box and score,’ because at that point we had Henry off, Robe has had to go off. He’s hurt his leg, dead leg, because he was getting kicked all over the place!

“It was difficult to work out a way of how we were getting up the pitch.  I had two really young lads on the bench and maybe in hindsight I should’ve put them on because they had energy and a bit of pace going forward.”

Just why an Isthmian League club in the local area hasn’t picked up Jordan Grey or Ahmed in the Broadfields United midfield is a mystery as the pair have been head and shoulders above their ninth-tier team-mates over these two games here in the last seven days.

Ahmed produced a sublime through ball from inside his own half to release Mumbiny, who put Piorkowski through on goal, who went to pieces as he took the ball past the advancing Coleman, forced himself wide and from the right-hand side of the penalty area kicked the ball straight into Coleman’s gloves at his near-post as none of his team-mates had joined him inside the Herne Bay penalty area.

Herne Bay managed to find a way back into the game and should have changed the outcome with some decent late chances before the end of the 90.

Substitute Lewis Gard played the ball up to Taylor, who held the ball up before laying the ball off to Harvey Brand (who replaced Lambert at the break and slotted into central midfield) to drag his right-footed shot past the far post (40:42).

A big kick from Coleman was flicked on by Taylor (who failed to have a single shot on goal) and he laid the ball off for Frank Craik, whose left-footed shot was smothered by Rushton, low to his left, as Herne Bay created chances to snatch a late victory (42:57) by playing more direct and getting Taylor involved more.

Wyborn threw the ball into the Broadfields penalty area from within the left-channel and Taylor cut the ball back to sub Frank Craik, whose first time right-footed shot was comfortably saved by Rushton at his near-post.

“I just thought with their centre-half (Marley Anderson-Richards) going off (in the 77^th minute), I thought actually go a bit longer and trying to nick the pieces on second balls was our way forward," said Smith.

“We had four good chances in that eight minutes to go and score and we didn’t take it and you are thinking at that point, ‘this isn’t going to be our day,’ and then the first half of extra time, we didn’t look in any trouble really did we?

“I think our chance to win it was before the end of the 90 because for that five, probably eight minutes before the end of that game, we had chance after chance and only looked like one team winning it.

“Thoughts on 90 were we’re suddenly creating chances, so it was more of a case of just get the ball up to JT (Taylor) and get around him and see what he can create for us.”

However, Herne Bay’s chances of progress was damaged once more (8:02) when a long ball forward from Broadfield’s defensive third was heading towards the half-way line when Frankie Major conned the referee by going down like he was shot and assistant referee Neil Cooper flagged and the referee pulled out a yellow card and then a red card to send off Puemo.

“What can you say? What can you actually say? If you look at the first half, their players were throwing our players on the floor off the ball etc and getting away with it.  Honestly and yet when it’s spun the other way, the amount of times we got away from their player on the break and they just took our legs away from behind and not even a booking. I mean, it’s just laughable," claimed Smith.

Wyborn delivered a quality free-kick delivery from the left towards the back post where centre-half Ben Gorham glanced his header from a tight angle which was comfortably caught by the untroubled Rushton (13:05).

Sub attacking midfielder Dillon Gordon clipped the ball up into the Herne Bay penalty area, the ball was cleared out to Grey, whose right-footed half-volley went through a crowd of players and past the far post from 22-yards.

Major put his head in his hands when he jumped up at the far post to meet Gordon’s floated cross from the right channel and steered his free header past the left-hand post from eight-yards.

Broadfields United will now be the side that hosts Mason East’s Corinthian here on Saturday, by grabbing the winner with 10 minutes and 2 seconds on the clock, as the Middlesex outfit took advantage of having extra bodies.

Sub winger Finley Brooks put in a great cross from the right – as Broadfields United dominated the right-hand side in the second period of extra time – and Hammouda brought the ball under his spell before drilling his right-footed shot into the right-hand corner to produce Broadfields United’s biggest FA Cup scalp.

Three bibbed wearing Broadfield United squad members sprinted out of the dug-out and joined in the celebrations behind the goal.

None of these players were cautioned by the referee for running onto the pitch! Do I need to go on….? Oh look, another bewildering decision from the referee!

“We told our guys' not to play inside, that’s where the bodies are. That’s where they want us to play and certainly in extra-time, it was ‘just get it forward,” said Smith.

“It was played inside and lost the ball. It didn’t need to. It could’ve gone straight into the front man but I can’t knock the effort of those lads for 90 minutes.  You’ve got a couple of players out there who were injured from minute one, ran through a brick wall for the club tonight.

“I’m disappointed for the supporters because The FA Cup is for the fans, it’s not for me, it’s for the fans, so I’m disappointed for them, really disappointed for them.  They’ve travelled really well tonight, they sung for the boys at the end. Massive thank you to them. They were incredible and helped the boys stay in the game but not to be tonight, not to be this year in The FA Cup.”

Smith was quick to criticise the decision taken by The Football Association to give Broadfields United a second bite of the cherry and Herne Bay’s players just failed to turn up tonight, which added to the recipe. It was only watched by a crowd of 131 as FA Cup magic didn’t capture this part of London.

“We’re not going to win it (The FA Cup).  I made some comments in the local press that I don’t care about The FA Cup. I don’t! That’s me speaking honestly. I care about it for the fans. I care about it for the club.

"Me personally. I think it’s a shambles! I think it’s a farce on many aspects. It’s the biggest, Greatest Competition in the world. I think it’s a farce on so many aspects.

“Ninety-three out of 100 people, neutral people, would’ve said the result (last week) should’ve stood. Let’s have it right, so it’s all it is.

“Let them have their night. Fair play to them. Congratulations by the way. The way they acted at the end, they’ll always be a pub side with that mentality. They’ve got some good players that that if they change that mentality, they might do alright. They might go up the League’s but things like that just tar, it just taints what could’ve been an unbelievable night for them.  In their minds, it’s an unbelievable night but if you’re a neutral here watching that tonight, which you are, I mean, it’s embarrassing. Yes, I thought we were at Hackney Marshes at one point – but we’ve lost. It’s embarrassing for us.”

Herne Bay had one final attempt to salvage something from this farcical and embarrassing night, following their third and final corner, even sending keeper Coleman up for Hatfull’s left-wing delivery The ball came out to Craik, who dragged his right-footed drive through a crowd of players and past the far post.

Carlisle issued Herne Bay with their third red card of the evening sending Smith off after the final whistle and the manager explained the situation.

Smith went to see the match referee just before the post-match press conference but after the cooling-off period had elapsed in a very calm manner and was asked what was discussed inside the match officials' changing room.

“The game’s done. He sent me off at the end, the final whistle. He (the referee) said I slapped one of their coaching staff (Alkarssifi).

“No (I didn’t). I put my hand around him to say ‘just relax mate’.  I went round and shook every one of their hands because one thing I won’t do is be a sore loser or any of that.  I will go and shake their hands because I’ve seen them jump around in the first game, I’ve seen the way they’ve acted in the second game and acted afterwards with our committee members.

“We’ve been beaten by a pub side in a club pub, that’s what we’ve been beaten by tonight.

“I’m big enough to take that and that’s on me.  I’ll make a point of going round and shaking (their hands), when their jumping in my face and they’re coming round trying to goad us and trying to entice us into an argument and all that.

“I went round to shake all their hands. I’ve got no problem with that because there’s a way to win and there’s a way to lose and they as a club have not got that whatsoever. When you win a game and you win a game like that, they should be, you don’t act like that, show some class!

“The referee said ‘I slapped their coach.’  I’ve replied, “I don’t know where that’s come from – I’ve not slapped anyone!’ I’ve literally just put my arm around him and said ‘calm down, well done, good luck in the next round.”

“For them to put a red card on me. I mean, you were stood quite near me for the whole game. I don’t think I’ve acted inappropriately at all in the game, with the level of intimidation and antics that were going on.”

When asked why he thought the home clubs acted in that way, Smith replied, “Because that was the only way they were going to win.  You play the cards that are dealt. You play your best hand. That’s their best hand and it worked tonight because the officials are absolutely gone with it, hook, blind and sinker.

“Look, the officials can get it wrong. It’s a game on opinions. The officials got it wrong. Officials can get intimidated by a lot of aggressive people and I think that’s happened tonight.”

When asked if he would’ve acted in the manner that Broadfields United did after last weeks’ game, Smith replied, “No, no, I’d be embarrassed. My chairman wouldn’t have allowed me to do anything other than...

"It’s embarrassing! But whether the officials are part of blame for allowing it, whether we’re completely culpable, whatever. It’s no sporting advantage in what we’ve done but it is. It’s against the rules and I will 100 per cent take that. It’s on me. If I didn’t make that error, we’d still be in The FA Cup. I’ve got no problem taking that on me.

“Two players had gone to hospital (last week).  There was an awful lot going on, an awful lot going on, so it is what it is. That is football.  You just wonder where common sense actually goes in some of these situations but ultimately tonight it’s their night, congratulations to them and I’m someone I don’t hold grudges. It is what it is. It’s done. Whether their antics at the end or throughout all three games their antics and comments made online I’m sure the manager will come out with some really arrogant statements.

“There’s a way to win and a way to lose and my players and my club have shown how you lose in the circumstances that we’ve lost tonight as well, which is very difficult to do.”

Herne Bay return to the calmer waters of Isthmian League Division One South football with an opening trip to Sheppey United next Tuesday 25 August.

The Batten brothers’ side are in sixth-place having picked up three points from two games and they lost 1-0 at home to Margate tonight, while Herne Bay sit in the bottom six due to their cup exploits.

“We’ll be in on Thursday, we’ll have a double session on Saturday, some more opportunity to prepare for us,” revealed Smith.

“We’ve got to raise our levels. Saturday against Harrow Borough, 45 minutes of football, we were unplayable and we’ve had spells in pre-season where we’ve been unplayable and we’ve got to remember what those principles are that made us unpalpable in those spells and we’ve got to put it out there for 90 minutes.

“I know where we need to go. I know what I need to do. I knew that before the game started and that hasn’t changed, so the plan is no different.

“What I need to do and what we need to do as a club, we weren’t going to get there overnight.  My chairman (Matt Barman) is incredible, he knows what we’re building. He knows that it will take time, he’s an ex-manager, an ex-player himself.

“What do I need? I can’t come out here what specifically we need. There’s a few areas what we need and there are a few characteristics that we need.

“It’s alright being great with the ball at your feet at times. You’ve got to be great in the mind as well and certainly players that make consistently make better decisions but we’re nowhere near the finished article of what Herne Bay under me will be and my second spell at Herne Bay will look like. There’s no panic.

"I was happy for us not to have a League game.  I don't know what side, what version of Herne Bay are going to turn up in each half in each game at the moment.

"I'm used to having sides that I know what I'm going to get.  I don't know what minimum I'm going to get. I don't know what certain people are going to do in certain situations.  There's certain moments in games where suddenly we start doing certain things and I'm thinking 'why are you doing that?' I've specficially asked you not to do that!"

Broadfields United: Finn Rushton, Rhys Ellis, Joshua Uwaifo, Marley Anderson-Richards (Joe Connolly 77), Tom Kennard, Solomon Alidor-Hamilton (Sofiane Hammouda 66), Gabriel Piorkowski (Frankie Major 84), Jordan Grey, David Levy (Dillon Gordon 90), Abdirahman Ahmed, Jordy Mumbiny (Finley Brooks 103).
Subs: Adebola Okeowo, Ben Forde

Goals: Rhys Ellis 72 (penalty), Sofiane Hammouda 115

Booked: David Levy 20, Marley Anderson-Richards 26, Jordan Grey 83, Jordy Mumbiny 90, Frankie Major 116, Moses Alkarssifi 120 (coach)

Herne Bay: Joe Coleman, Harrison Hatfull, Rhys Whyborn (Loui Hoxha 117), Hamilton Antonio, Ben Gorham, Jerry Puemo, Funsho Sinai, Codey Cosgrave (Lewis Gard 77), Joe Taylor, Jacob Lambert (Harvey Brand 46), Emmanuel Robe (Frank Craik 68).
Subs: Joe Tyrie, Jamie Lartice

Goal: Emmanuel Robe 13

Booked: Harrison Hatfull 39, Rhys Wyborn 56, Jerry Puemo 73

Sent Off:  Funsho Sinai 60, Jerry Puemo 99, Ben Smith (manager) 120

Attendance: 131
Referee: Mr Toby Carlisle
Assistants: Mr Mujtaba Alkafawi & Mr Neil Cooper
Fourth Official:  Mr Abdulaziz Olol

Match Duration:
First Half: 47:01
Second Half: 51:54
Extra Time First Period: 16:07
Extra Time Second Period: 18:16

Long throws into the opposing penalty area: 6
Gabriel Piorkowski (Broadfields United) 1
Harrison Hatfull (Herne Bay) 2
Rhys Wyborn (Herne Bay) 2
Frank Craik (Herne Bay) 1