Recap

Croydon Athletic 5-1 Herne Bay
Match Report – Clinical Croydon Keep Play-Off Push On Track

Croydon Athletic delivered an impressive display of attacking football as they secured a 5-1 victory over Herne Bay, edging ever closer to the play-off spots. After a dominant start, Athletic showcased both clinical finishing and resolute defending to pick up another three points in their hunt for promotion.

The hosts came out of the blocks flying and nearly took the lead within the first minute, with Pierrick flashing a shot just wide of the target. However, it didn’t take long for them to break the deadlock. In the ninth minute, Daniel collected the ball centrally, took a touch to set himself, and then found the bottom corner with a precise strike from outside the box, giving the keeper no chance.

Herne Bay’s goalkeeper was in fine form, though, and pulled off an acrobatic save to deny Croydon a second when Dotse’s looping header seemed destined for the top corner. The keeper’s reflexes were on display again moments later when Athletic squandered a golden opportunity to double their lead. Dotse’s shot was cleared off the line, and Daniel’s rebound effort struck a defender and ricocheted off the post, keeping the visitors in the game.

Those missed chances would prove costly as Herne Bay equalised just before the break. A quick counter-attack down the left wing saw the ball cut across the box, where Rowland was on hand to tap home from close range, restoring parity just as it seemed Croydon would take a one-goal lead into halftime.

However, Athletic’s team talk at the break worked wonders. They came out of the blocks quickly in the second half and restored their lead shortly after the restart. The goal came courtesy of another smart assist from Pierrick, who pulled the ball back to Kirby on the edge of the box. Kirby took one touch to set himself before lashing a shot into the top corner from 25 yards – a finish that left the Herne Bay keeper no chance.

Herne Bay had a couple of half-chances to level the score, but goalkeeper Tangara was equal to the task, making a couple of important saves to keep his side in front. At the other end, Croydon were far more ruthless, and in the 70th minute, they made it 3-1. Daniel was the architect of the goal, weaving his way through four Herne Bay defenders in the box before calmly rolling the ball past the keeper to complete a brilliant solo effort and secure his second goal of the afternoon.

The game was effectively put to bed in the 85th minute when Collins added a fifth for Athletic. The goal came from a corner, with Collins pouncing on a loose ball in the box to slot home, ensuring the points were safe and the game was beyond Herne Bay’s reach.

The final whistle blew soon after, with Croydon running out 5-1 winners to continue their impressive run. Another vital three points in the bag means they are now within touching distance of the play-off positions, as they look to keep the pressure on the teams above them.