Faversham Town Fall Short Against Ebbsfleet United Youth

Faversham Town KYL U13’s faced a challenging encounter against Ebbsfleet United Youth U13 Reds in a cup match held at Faversham Town Football Club on 10 November 2024. The match kicked off at 3:00pm and concluded with a scoreline of 1-2, as the visitors edged out the home side in a tightly contested affair.

Faversham Town adopted a 3-1-4-2 formation, which saw Owen Ross stationed in goal, while Oskar Gurney, Olivier DeLemos, and Connor Midgley formed a solid back three. Charlie Lyonette played a pivotal role as the lone central midfielder, tasked with linking defence and attack. The attacking midfield trio consisted of Ryan Cairns on the right, Vinnie Rule in the centre, and CJ Jemmett on the left, providing width and creativity. Up front, Nikolai Hualca Da Silva and River Faulkner were positioned as the two forwards, expected to exploit any defensive lapses from the opposition.

The substitutes for Faversham included Timmy Adenji, Freddie Critcher, Cass Cairns, Toby Lovell, and Liam Rich, who were all poised to make an impact should the opportunity arise.

The match began with an early setback for Faversham, as Ebbsfleet United took the lead just two minutes in. The home side struggled to recover from this early blow but gradually found their rhythm. In the 18th minute, Faversham equalised when River Faulkner scored, having been set up brilliantly by Nikolai Hualca Da Silva. This goal injected confidence into the team, and they began to assert themselves more in the midfield.

As the first half progressed, both teams had their chances, but the score remained level at 1-1 as the referee signalled for half-time after 35 minutes of play.

The second half saw Faversham make their first substitution shortly after the break, with Timmy Adenji replacing Asher Adisa in the 50th minute. This change aimed to inject fresh energy into the left flank. Just a minute later, Freddie Critcher came on for Ryan Cairns, further altering the dynamics of the midfield.

However, the tide turned against Faversham in the 60th minute when Ebbsfleet United scored their second goal, regaining the lead. This goal put Faversham under pressure as they sought to respond. In the 61st minute, Cass Cairns was introduced, coming on for River Faulkner, as Faversham looked to bolster their attacking options.

As the match wore on, Faversham made further substitutions, with Toby Lovell replacing CJ Jemmett in the 67th minute and Liam Rich coming on for Vinnie Rule in the 68th minute. Despite their efforts and a spirited performance, Faversham could not find the equaliser, and the match concluded with a 2-1 victory for Ebbsfleet United.

Charlie Lyonette was recognised for his outstanding performance, earning the accolade of Player of the Match for his influential role in midfield. Faversham Town will reflect on this match as a learning experience, as they continue to develop and strive for success in future fixtures.