Herne Bay 2-2 West Auckland Town - We make life hard for ourselves, admits Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY  2-2  WEST AUCKLAND TOWN
The FA Carlsberg Vase Semi-Final First Leg
Saturday 24^th March 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Winch’s Field

HERNE BAY manager Simon Halsey says he has seen enough today to suggest his side will claim a memorable victory in the North East next Saturday to seal their passage to Wembley to reach The FA Carlsberg Vase Final.

The phrase “We like to do it the hard way,” has been regularly used en-route to the semi-finals of the national cometition and that was once against the case against a big, physical and direct West Auckland Town side, who came to Kent having knocked out three-in-a-row winners Whitley Bay two rounds ago and sitting in second place in a strong Northern League.

And when a mistake from Herne Bay central defender Jamie Maxted gifted striker Michael Rae his nineteenth goal of the season, it wasn’t the greatest of starts from the Kent Hurlimann Football League leaders inside the opening eight minutes.

Matthew Moffat doubled West Auckland’s advantage after eighteen minutes, but there was plenty of time left in this two-legged tie for Herne Bay.

And when Herne Bay striker Byron Walker (who misses the second leg as he begins a four-match suspension) raced clear and drilled a quality strike to score his 23^rd goal of the season in the 29^th minute, it was game on.

Herne Bay dominated the second half and winger Rhys Lawson curled home an equaliser six minutes into the half to restore parity and there is everything to play for up at Darlington Road in seven days.

Halsey was delighted that his side will go up to the North East with a chance of reaching a Wembley Final for the first time in the club’s proud 125 year history.

He said: “It’s all square. It’s one game to play now.  It’s all level.  I’m not worried about away goals (which only count after extra-time at the end of the second leg).   People talk about away goals. I’m not worried about them at all.

“We have to go up there and win the game outright now and we know what they’re all about so it’s game on!

“I can’t say nothing else about my team. They’ve made it hard for themselves again.  If we didn’t give them two sloppy goals away we’d be looking pretty.”

However, a pulsating Cup tie, watched by a crowd of 1,810, was marred by mindless crowd trouble, which didn’t help when Home fans regularly chanting “you dirty Northern b*****ds” and a group of visiting fans’ joined the home faithful behind the goal of visiting keeper Mark Bell, which was just asking for trouble.

A physically strong West Auckland Town side comfortably brushed aside a Herne Bay side who struggled to cope with their opponents early on.

And it was West Auckland who broke the stalemate with 07:12 on the clock, courtesy of a mistake from Maxted.

Jonathan Gibson pumped the ball out of defence and Maxted inexplicably missed the ball and the ball ran through to Rae, who accepted the gift to slot a right-footed shot past the stranded Dan Eason, the ball flashing to the keeper’s left and into the back of the net to send the visiting fans’ and bench wild.

Herne Bay should have equalised in the seventeenth minute when they created their first chance.

Lawson made a thirty-yard run at the West Auckland defence before teeing up Michael Jenner, who cut onto his left-foot and his low drive from 16-yards brought a comfortable save from Bell, low to his right.

But Herne Bay faced a mountain to climb when West Auckland doubled their lead, just 35 seconds later, in the 18^th minute.

Moffat easily cut inside Toby Ashmore and James Campbell and with only Eason to beat, slotted another right-footed shot past Eason - the ball nesting into the bottom left-hand corner.

Halsey admitted: “We didn’t get to grips with the game early on.  Then the two mistakes and that’s been our problem over the last couple of matches and it was poor decision making that not only lost us the goals but it lost us actually winning the game.”

Speaking about the visitors' forward line, Halsey said: “He’s a good player. Don’t get me wrong, when I say good players, tall and gangly but technically not the best, but the rest of the team play to their strengths.  They won a lot of flick-ons and they play well off each other. 

“We didn’t deal with that movement. They get a lot of runners coming from midfield.  We didn’t really deal with them properly.”

However, with 162 minutes of the tie left to play, there was still plenty of time for Herne Bay to claw their way back into the game.

But they were still giving the ball away too cheaply and being knocked off the ball as the occasion got to some of them.

West Auckland created a good chance when Stuart Banks clipped the ball over the top and Moffat shrugged off Campbell and cut inside the sent a left-footed curler just over the top of the left-hand post.

But this Herne Bay side don’t know when it’s beaten and Walker gave the Kent side hope and belief when he scored a quality goal in the 29^th minute.

Lawson flicked the ball on to release the 25-year-old striker, who burst past West Auckland right-back Neil Pattinson and once he was a couple of yards inside the penalty area, the striker drilled a stunning left-footed shot past Bell into the top left-hand corner, which sent the home faithful berserk.

Halsey said: “What a strike! We said to them let’s get the ball between their full-back and centre half, get Byron on their toes.  Two-nil down. The first time we do it, he smashes it into the top corner.  It’s a great finish!”

Walker, who carried his side through to that famous 2-1 win at Shortwood United in the quarter-finals when they had Dave Soutan red-carded after only 43 seconds, came up trumps again on the big stage with a quality goal.

“It was fantastic to play in that match,” said Walker afterwards.

“I feel they were a lot of players who weren’t playing today that would’ve loved to be in my position. It was a fantastic environment, lovely scenes from the fans that we’re here to support us. It was fantastic to play.  It was a dream.

“I thought we were unlucky to go behind.  I think we conceded two goals that weren’t created by them. I don’t think they worked hard for their goals. Their goals came from our errors.

“It was fantastic for me to score the goal that got us back into the tie, especially as I’m missing the next leg of this tie.”

When asked his feelings about missing the second-leg next Saturday, Walker admitted: “Gutted would be an understatement as well. I’m sad to be missing the next leg of this Vase because I don’t feel I should be missing it for the fact this is a massive, massive opportunity to actually play at Wembley and not being able to feature in the next fixture of this tie, it’s out of my hands.

“I’ll be watching from the sidelines next week.  I’m gutted and I can’t express the words how gutted that I have to do that, but at the same time I look at the squad around me.  I don’t think I’ll be that missed to be fair.  There’s players in this team who can come in and do a job.”

That goal lifted Herne Bay’s shell-like confidence and they began starting to play the Herne Bay we’ve all come accustomed too.

Ben Brown blasted a right-footed free-kick into the wall and Brown picked up the loose ball and played a clever pass to Tom Bryant, the left-back curled a left-footed shot agonisingly wide of the far post from 20-yards.

Herne Bay forced their first of two corners when Brown drove the ball in from the left to find an unmarked Campbell at the far post, but the central defender headed the ball up into the air and Toby Ashmore nodded the ball wide of the near post when it came down.

West Auckland called Eason into making a comfortable save when midfielder Mark Hudson stroked a left-footed shot from 25-yards after Moffat was released down the left and cut the ball back.

Halsey told his players’ “don’t lose it here today!” as they walked out onto the pitch for the second half and the 47-year-old explained why he wore black gloves for the second half despite it being a warm day on the Kent coast.

“The weather’s changed so I couldn’t put my big coat on, my tracksuit and everything so I thought I can’t put (the gloves) on.  We were  2-1 down at half-time.  I must’ve looked stupid with a shirt and tie, trousers and shoes on and a pair of Adidas gloves but we’ve come out with something so I’ll put it down to wearing them!”

Halsey added: “We know they played tight, played a tight formation. I don’t think we used it (our width) good enough to get our wide players’ quick enough but it’s a semi-final.  Everyone’s jittery perhaps, didn’t want to make that mistake.

“We’re still in the tie.  We defended better in the second half, not as good as I wanted to defend.”

Herne Bay created the first chance of the second half after Lawson picked the ball up, cut inside and passed the ball to Luke Harvey, whose right-footed drive bounced wide of the far post.

Winger Danny Lawrence then cracked a speculative right-footed half-volley sailing over the far post, before West Auckland went close.

Bell pumped the ball up field and the gangly Moffat flicked the ball across to Banks, who was left in space to his right, but the winger dragged his right-footed shot across Eason and past the far post.

But Winch’s Field erupted when the home side levelled in the 51^st minute, which they fully deserved.

Lawrence picked the ball up and cut in from the right flank and looked up and swept the ball across to Lawson in space. 

The 23-year-old winger cut inside and curled a low right-footed shot around Bell and the ball nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.

Halsey said: “It was important we got the first goal in the first half to get it to 2-1 at half-time.

“It was great again, it got us on to level peggings and then to be honest I thought we’d go and win the game at 3-2.  I said to the boys at half-time I fancy us to still get something out of it.  Three-two was my prediction. We nearly got there apart from a great save from their goalkeeper. 

“We’re in the tie and we haven’t lost it, which is the main thing.

“The funny thing about Rhys,” added Halsey, “He’s been doing everything right and he said to me ‘ Si, you keep saying if you can keep getting a bit more out of me – what is it? 

“I said “I tell you what, it is you do ever so well when you cut in on your right and you don’t hit the target.”

“Since that conversation he’s hit four on the trot, cutting in and hitting the target.  A bit of a deflection today but I’ll take that all day!”

Lawson said: “I’m actually quite pleased we’ve been able to pull it back from 2-0. We had a terrible start. I don’t know if it’s a little bit of nerves or we just like to do it the hard way!  I think that’s it!

“We got a great goal before half-time and there was nothing else on our minds. We knew we were going to come back and win that or as Simon said at half-time we’re not going to lose basically and as the game went on I think there was only one team in it.”

Reflecting on his eighth goal of the season, Lawson said: “It’s something I’ve been working on in the season is cutting on to my right foot and going across.  I got one last week quite similar and I curled it around the keeper. It was a great goal. I thought we should’ve nicked it to be honest. We had chances. All to look forward to next week.”

Herne Bay were now dominating proceedings and in truth created enough chances to win the game.

Halsey added: “I think we took a little sting out of their tail.  I thought we raised it a little bit even when we went 2-0 down.  We started playing a bit.

“It wasn’t looking good at all.  As with my lads they never give up. They battled right through and we just had to play football.  We had to deal with their long ball all the time and we done it in the end. 

“That’s what’s got us where we are in the competition. We’re relentless right the way through the competition.  They never give up. Even when we’re not playing too well, they just keep going, grinding and grinding.”

Lawson played in Walker, who slid a left-footed shot agonisingly wide of the far post when well placed, just 143 seconds after his team-mate levelled.

Halsey added: “He’s turned and hit one with his left-foot and you expect him to hit the target.”

West Auckland were now on the ropes, but they had a chance on the break when Moffat passed the ball to his strike partner Michael Rae, who shrugged off Campbell, but thankfully his right-footed drive bounced once into Eason’s gloves.

West Auckland’s best chance came in the 62^nd minute when Jonathan Gibson sprayed the ball from right to left to Martin Young, who took a touch before cracking a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which Eason dived full-length to his right to push away.

Banks shrugged off Bryant and after Andrew Green cut inside from the right, substitute Steven Brown played in Young, but he stroked a right-footed shot into Eason’s gloves in the final seventeen minutes.

There was a terrace skirmish behind Eason’s goal when Banks turned and flashed a drive across the Herne Bay keeper and past the far post.

But Herne Bay almost snatched victory in the final four minutes after Walker won his dual against central defender Mark Stephenson, before slipping Luke Harvey in behind the defence and with only Bell to beat his right-footed shot was blocked by the advancing keeper, low to his left.  The loose ball fell to Lawrence, who drilled a shot in from an acute angle, which Bell beat away, but Lawrence lost composure when he hastily fired his shot into the side netting.

Halsey said: “Their goalie has made a great save from Luke.  We should’ve won the game really.  Danny Lawrence has gone down the right, done the first thing, he fired it across the box, got the rebound and he’s seen the headlines and he didn’t pick Byron out which he should’ve.  I’m nit-picking, we’re in the tie.”

West Auckland also had chances to win it.   The dangerous Moffat turned and cracked a left-footed drive wide of the far post. 

Lawson then gifted the ball away to Banks, whose left-footed shot was comfortably saved by Eason.

There were no celebrations from both sets of players at the final whistle, but Herne Bay proved that yet again they have the quality, pride and desire to clinch the win up in the North East in seven days’ time to book a place at Wembley Stadium for the Final on Sunday, 13 May – and lift the silverware to mirror Deal Town’s success back in 2000.

Halsey said: “Eighteen minutes into the game I would’ve taken it (a draw).  It’s all square so it’s all to play for. I will sit back tonight and look at it and I will think if we didn’t make those two mistakes we’d be going up there with perhaps with a 2-0 (lead), but who knows, football may not have worked out like that!

“They do it time and time again don’t we?  We make life hard for ourselves! Great character, I think, that shows.  If that’s the character we need to get us there (Wembley) then so be it.”

Herne Bay are now only 90 nerve-jangling minutes away from playing at Wembley Stadium.

Lawson said: “I think it’s a dream isn’t it?  It’s a long ninety minutes but we’ve just got to work hard and try what we did today.”

Walker added: “It will be won through determination.  It will be won by decision making. It will be won with belief. It will be won with desire.  The team who wants it more on the day.  The team that concedes the less. The team that contributes the most. The team that has the less errors will come away victorious!”

Halsey added: “The dream is still on. We won’t give up.”

All to play for then!  Let’s hope the mindless thugs who tarnished this excellent game stay away!

Herne Bay: Dan Eason, Toby Ashmore, Tom Bryant, Jamie Maxted, James Campbell, Michael Jenner, Dan Lawrence, Ben Brown, Byron Walker, Luke Harvey, Rhys Lawson.
Subs: Michael Turner, James Turner, Ollie Bartrum, Tom Parker, Brad Ashmore

Goals: Byron Walker 29, Rhys Lawson 51

West Auckland Town: Mark Bell, Neil Pattinson, Andrew Green (Matthew Coad 75), Jonathan Gibson, John Parker, Mark Stephenson, Stuart Banks, Mark Hudson, Matthew Moffatt, Michael Rae (Ross Preston 85), Martin Young (Steven Brown 70).
Subs: Darryl Hall, Paul Garthwaite

Goals: Michael Rae 8, Matthew Moffat  18

Booked: Neil Pattinson 52

Attendance: 1,810
Referee: Mr Simon Hooper (Swindon, Wiltshire)
Assistants: Mr Stuart Pawley (Cambridge) & Mr Marc Wilson (Cambridge)
Fourth Official: Mr Colin Lymer (Basingstoke, Hampshire)