Hawks hoist themselves skywards

On the approach to the Enclosed Ground, home of Whitehawk, a car waiting to leave the caravan club had its windows rolled down and was playing Mr Blue Sky. For once, the Electric Light Orchestra weren’t in danger of prosecution under the trade’s descriptions act, but sadly as we approached kick off in our Pitching In Isthmian South East Play Off Final between Whitehawk and Hythe Town, the blue became flecked with cloud and the temperature fell. Still, we hoped the two sides would soon warm us up.

It was rather remarkable that either the Hawks or the Cannons were about to gain promotion to Step Three. Head back just twelve months and the sides were placed sixteenth and seventeenth in Pitching In Isthmian South East, tied on thirty nine points, both staying out of the relegation play off spot then occupied by Lancing by a three point margin. The turnaround masterminded by Shaun Saunders and Steve Watt since then is nothing short of incredible.

For almost all of the campaign, however, we’ve expected the Hawks to be one of the four sides contesting the play offs. After all, only on three match days out of thirty eight have they found themselves outside of the top five, and even then with games in hand over the other play off contenders.

It is an entirely different story for the Cannons. If we were to look back to Boxing Day, Town had just lost to promotion favourites Ramsgate and were down in sixteenth place, only one point above the bottom four. Fast forward to Tuesday night and there they were, defeating the Rams on their own patch to clinch a Play Off Final place, and winning their seventh consecutive match-a run which has seen them concede three goals. If the Hawks had hosted the Cannons in the early part of the campaign they’d have been firm favourites. Now? It looked far too close to call.

The Cannons travelled to the Enclosed Ground on Saturday November 12th, and a goal at the end of each half from Joe Shelley and Joel Daly gave the hosts three points. The last time they met, however, at Reachfields on January 28th, a Liam Smith goal just after the hour mark gave three points to the Cannons- and since then, Hythe had lost only three times- and had ended the season with yet another remarkable record, that of having the best defence in the Division, something which certainly didn’t seem likely as 2022 turned into 2023.

There were queues outside the turnstiles long before they opened, and the first section of the car park was already full; although, as Hawks Chair Andy pointed out, some of the early arrivals were concerned with a different species of bird, as they were visiting the pigeon club which abuts the ground. Tuesday night’s Play Off Semi-Final delivered the Hawks best home gate of the season, seven hundred and two- there was no doubt we were going to beat that by some distance tonight- even after the pigeon fanciers departed.

Whitehawk won the toss, which meant that Hythe were kicking off down the slope, but it was the Hawks who earned the first corner, in the second minute, and it gave Steve Phillips his first touch of the ball, an easy stop when the ball was send back into the box after a clearance. The keepers second touch of the ball was much less orthodox, a header clear as the hosts dominated the early stages.

The first chance arrived to the hosts on nine minutes, a free kick into the box met on the stretch by Rob O’Toole, who was stretching and unable to divert it on target. The home fans, who had gathered en-masse in the open stand, weren’t at all downhearted and began to create their usual racket, siren, cowbell, drum and all. Suitably encouraged their side earned another corner, and when the ball was recycled Charlie Lambert tried his luck, shooting across the goal and wide of the post.

We reached the eighteenth minute before the visitors had their first opportunity to deliver a ball into the box from a free kick; but whilst we were expecting a cross, instead, Frannie Collin tried a grass cutter which caught out everyone but Hawks keeper Luke Glover, who was down to save. Collin had been in fine form of late, with six goals in his last seven matches.

The hosts were forced into a change on twenty minutes, Nathan Cooper hobbling off to be replaced by Will Miles, and it coincided with the first real period of Hythe pressure. Glover had to be alert to punch away a corner, reaching through a crowd of bodies to connect with the ball, and suddenly the visitors were seeing much more of the ball. At the heart of their best work was centre half Lex Allen, who was thwarting the regular Hawks tactic of sending long balls towards the head of forward Rob O’Toole by winning all of them.

The Hawks had the best chance so far on thirty four minutes. A quick break and a shot from Charlie Lambert was saved by Phillips, but he couldn’t hold the ball and it went loose to Alfie Rogers, who should have done better with the rebound but sent his shot wide. That was Lambert’s last involvement, he injured himself shooting and had to be replaced by Kris Oti; a second enforced substitution for the hosts.

Four minutes from half time a foul on Oti twenty yards out gave the Hawks a shooting opportunity. The free kick rebounded off the wall, but the follow up was low, powerful and true, and hit the back of the net as Charlie Harris ran off to celebrate. One-nil, and the Hawks faithful having a party; a maelstrom of waving scarves. After a long period of added time the referee brought the first half to an end, and the outcome- so far- was a fair reflection of the match.

The Hawks had the advantage of the slope in the second half, and the also had the advantage of a packed, noisy covered stand- which, within a minute of kick off, was shaking as its occupants jumped up and down. Those fans, with their large collection of unique and slightly daft songs, were the best entertainment during the first fifteen minutes after the restart, as Hythe toiled and the Hawks held. As we reached the hour mark Rogers had the first effort of the second half for the hosts, but it was both high and wide and rather typical of what we’d seen during the last quarter of an hour.

What pressure there was belonged to the hosts, and they earned a corner on sixty eight minutes. Miles met it with his head, and it looked goal bound, but up went Phillips and touched it over. The next one came to Harris on the edge of the box, and we looked for a repeat of the first goal, but this one was nearer the corner flag than the bottom corner.

With twenty minutes to go the visitors swapped a midfielder for a forward, Jarred Trespaderne off for Jeff Duah-Kessie, but it didn’t initially change the pattern of the game, the hosts still carrying the most threat. When the Cannons finally did fire a high ball towards the head of their big striker, he was offside. The attendance was announced as one thousand, four hundred and twenty eight- so more than double the previous best. So far, it was only the home fans having a good time, but good work from Marcus Goldsmith down the left found Duah-Kessie, and the visitors had a corner, which gave the travelling masses something to cheer. It was cleared, but their side suddenly looked more lively. Could they get back into the match? Shad Ngandu worked himself space on the edge of the box and tried a shot, but, off balance, placed it fifteen yards wide.

Into the last ten minutes we went, and Rogers had the chance to shoot, just inside the Cannons box. The crowd implored him to hit it, but he waited too long and his shot was easily blocked. Another Hythe change, Sam Itauma coming on and immediately winning a corner- but it came to naught. Only the home fans behind Phillips goal seemed relaxed.

And then there were five, and the hosts remained on top. Veteran striker Nathan Elder was introduced from the Cannons bench, but he had little time to make an impact. We reached the ninetieth minute, and the hosts won a corner on the far side, trying a little keep-ball but failing to keep the ball. Next, Oti went to the corner but only managed to give away a goal kick, and we reached the ninety third minute.

After six and a half minutes of added time the final whistle went, and the Hawks were there, to the accompaniment of a pitch invasion and the acrid smell of smoke. The best team on the night had triumphed, and oh, how they celebrated.

Many congratulations to all at Whitehawk; and commiserations to Hythe, who will travel home disappointed, yet with much to be proud of.

Right, tomorrow is Saturday, so it must be Sudbury!

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