As October starts to turn cold and wintery it is usually time for an annual meet up with an old friend Mark, in Rochester. Last year we went to watch Larkfield & New Hythe, the year before Chatham Town. This year it was even closer for us, with a visit to Rochester United’s ground to watch their groundshare partners Greenways FC play host, in the Kent Senior Trophy First Round, to Faversham Strikeforce FC.

Both sides play in the Southern Counties East Football League Division 1, with Greenways sitting in tenth place with twelve points from twelve games. Faversham Strikeforce FC occupied third place, just two points behind leaders, Forest Hill Park, with 21 points from eleven games.

Faversham Strikeforce’s top scorers this season have been, Tom Barton with 7 goals, Alex Willis with 6 goals and Marshall Wratten and Alistair Wren (both 3 goals). Their manager Stuart Benfield would have come into the game with belief that his Strikeforce side could really translate their strong league form into a Kent Senior Trophy cup run this season.

Manager Andy Pierce would have come into today’s game hoping that cup success could ignite Greenways’ season. Greenways FC’s goals to date have come from Ashley Poppy with 7 goals, James Austin, Levi Gold, Farai Maganga, George Wady and Logan Thompson all with 2 goals.

The game kicked off with foreboding clouds hovering above the ground, showing a. Real promise of impending rain.

After a cautious opening 15 minutes from both sides, the game turned in the 16th minute when the visitors were ahead after a shot from Tom Barton was parried by Greenways’ keeper, Ivor Williams, into the path of Alex Willis, who finished well to make it 0-1.

The first half ended with no addition to the score. Neither side could take advantage of the multitude of chances created and at half time, while both teams went in with the game still open, the weather changed and the heavy rain, which would fall for twenty minutes, began.

In the 55th minute Alex Willis bagged his second of the game to make it 0-2, to Faversham Strikeforce, with a beautifully struck free kick.

Despite the double goal lead, if anything Faversham Strikeforce seemed to lose confidence at this point. The wet surface seemed to help Greenways who began to claw their way back into the game through the shifts put in particularly by James Austin, Ibs Goswell and Farai Maganga. With ten minutes to go Greenways were back in the game, to create an exciting finale, after a swivelled finish by Levi Gold made it 1-2 in the 80th minute.

This finally reinvigorated the visitors and in the 86th minute Tom Carter finished to put the game beyond doubt at 1-3.

Then in the 90th minute it was 1-4 when Faversham Strikeforce finished with a shot slid home by the experienced Marshall Wratten.

At full time it was Faversham Strikeforce who deservedly progressed into the next round. Greenways FC had put a decent shift in today but lacked the quality in the final third to challenge.