Kent Merit Under-16 Girls Cup Final: Bromley 2 Herne Bay Youth 4 aet

Herne Bay Youth needed extra-time before getting their hands on the trophy after a pulsating Kent Merit Under-16 Girls Cup Final.

Bay were two goals to the good before Bromley hit back, only for two clinical finishes to turn the contest back in Bay’s favour.

“I’m chuffed for the girls,” said Bay manager Ian Hills. “They’ve worked so hard all season.

“We narrowly missed out on a cup win last year so to get one over the line is amazing - we’re really proud of them.

“There were some good goals, we’ve always been able to do that. Going 2-0 up and then being pegged back for extra-time, to go again and get two more goals was amazing.”

An early indication of what was to follow came after 50 seconds when Bromley’s Sy’ria Thompson-Campbell turned past two players before forcing an early save from player-of-the-match Maggie Town in the Herne Bay goal.

Bravery was certainly near the top of Town’s qualities as she was out smartly to save at the feet of Jasmine Gouveia-Barnett early on.

Darcie Hills also stood out in defence for Bay while the silky skills of midfielder Lily Harris were a feature of their attacking play.

Thompson-Campbell was a livewire in attack for Bromley. But, having used her pace to get beyond the last defender, her low shot was kept out by the alert Town.

The breakthrough arrived on 26 minutes when there appeared no danger with a ball over the top of the Bromley defence. But Bay’s Drew-Marie Hogben ghosted in from the left and reached the ball ahead of keeper Kelsey Pink before slotting into an empty net.

The lead was doubled seven minutes later when the gifted Harris beat her marker out wide and then delivered an audacious right-foot finish from an acute angle into the far corner.

It was nearly 3-0 early in the