This fixture formed part of the Southern Counties East Football League (SCEFL) annual ground hop. People had travelled from all over the country to see a game last night, three matches today and two more games tomorrow.

Today’s first fixture pitted Rochester United, who came into the game sitting in second place in the SCEFL Division 1 table, against ninth placed Faversham Strike Force.

Goals have flowed this season for Rochester United, with Fjord Rogers already accruing nine goals and Max Morgan plundering four goals, since his summer move from K Sports. Manager Matt Hume would have come into the fixture hoping for three points to allow Rochester United to end the day in top spot.

Stuart Benfield, newly appointed manager of Faversham Strike Force, has seen his side both score and leak a high number of goals this season. Marshall Wratten has top scored with six goals this season, alongside Tom Barton, with three. Axford would have hoped to tighten up the defence as Faversham let in eight goals, in their last match against Deal Town.

The first half was keenly contested. Neither side seems to be able to find the passes in the final third, required to break the deadlock. Two open goals chances were mis-hit, one at either end, and at the break the scores were goalless.

The second half was another hard fought affair, with a lot of long ball football from both teams. With ten minutes left on the clock, Rochester United had a penalty claim, after Logan Thomson was brought down on the edge of the area. The referee saw it as a free kick and the resulting kick was well saved, to keep the scores level.

As the game moved to the 90th minutes the ball broke on the edge of the Faversham Strike Force area to Harrison Hume who fired home a goal to send the home support and the bumper Groundhop Crowd wild.

At full time it was Rochester United who took the three points to put them top of the SCEFL Division 1 table. Faversham Strikeforce’s new manager, Stuart Benfield, will have seen much to feel positive about as his team battled so hard, but they will need to start winning to ignite their season.