Kennington 5 Hythe Town 2
Southern Counties East Premier Division
Saturday 28th March 2025
It was an afternoon that the Cannons would rather forget as they went down 5-2 away at Kennington on Saturday afternoon.
There were four changes to the side that had drawn at home to Holmesdale the previous weekend with new signing Archie Simmonds coming in for goalkeeper Daniel Jinadu. Also starting his first game was Levi Burgin who replaced Gil Carvalho, who was on international duty with Sao Tome. Also coming in were Blu Hustwaite and Louie Procopi with the latter returning this week from Sheppey United, replacing Uko Oji, who has departed the club and the suspended Jerald Aboagye.
The game started brightly for Hythe as after only five minutes Husthwaite fired wide and then Robbie Dolan headed wide of the upright. However, a controversial penalty was awarded on nine minutes as Ryan Philpott was adjudged to have been brought down in the penalty area. He got up to take the penalty planting the ball past debutant keeper Simmonds to make it one-nil.
Tom Hanfrey then sent in a deep cross that was headed wide by Cannons skipper Jason Fregene. There were chances coming at both end as former Cannon Bradley Walledge broke in but his final shot sailed over the bar and then Philpott was in the action again as a ball came in over the Hythe defence, but his final effort drifted wide.
At the other end Hustwaite laid the ball off to Monty Saunders who shot over. Hythe continued to look for an equaliser as a Tolfrey free-kick found Procopi whose header slammed against the cross bar with Burgin firing the rebound just wide.
However, it was Kennington who were to increase their lead on 43 minutes as Simmonds attempted to clear the ball but it fell to Phillpott who finished neatly to make it two and then a minute into injury time it was three as another ex-Hythe player Joe Fisher got on the end of a rebound and placed his shot in to the back of the net to give the hosts a three goal half time lead.
Hythe began a potential fight back as Richie Keil had a shot pushed wide by ex-Hythe keeper Joe Mant. The resultant corner on 46 minutes found Keil who poked the ball home. Hythe narrowed the gap to one goal as Dan Thompson hooked the ball home on the hour.
The travelling support had some optimism as the visitors pressed for an equaliser and then came the moment on 78 minutes when those hopes were dashed. There was an altercation off the ball. This saw the referee controversially reach for his back pocket to show Tolfrey a red card and the Cannons were down to ten men.
Kennington capitalised on the man advantage and two minutes later Walledge worked his way in and finished neatly. Then five minutes later the game was all over as a couple of efforts were blocked before the ball fell to Kaelem Sobhee-Turner who blasted home.
The game finished with Hythe manager Andy Drury giving the referee a piece of his mind only to receive the second red card of the afternoon. Drury was to resign his position straight after the game.
It was a sorry afternoon for Hythe as they now look certain for the drop and now have to look for a new manager.
Team: Archie Simmonds, Louie Procopi, Will Dempsey, Tom Hanfrey, Jason Fregene, Dan Thompson, Monty Saunders, Robbie Dolan (Jake McCarthy 77 mins), Richie Keil, Blu Husthwaite (Callum Frith 55 mins), Levi Burgin (Jack Hanson 66 mins). Subs Unused: Henry Newcombe, Olu Shobowale.
Scorers: Kennington-Ryan Philpott 9 (pen) & 43 mins, Joe Fisher 45+1 mins, Bradley Walledge 80 mins, Kaelem Sobhee-Turner 85 mins. Hythe Town: Richie Keil 47 mins, Daniel Thompson 60 mins.
Red Card: Tom Hanfrey 78 mins.
Attendance: 247
