Snodland Town 0-1 Faversham Town
The only Premier Division game of the night came from the GI Landscapes Stadium, and went to the visiting Faversham Town who beat Snodland Town 1-0.
In a rainy showdown, home captain and goalkeeper Shaun Wicks had an impressive night, conceding just once when Johan Caney-Bryan scored the game’s only goal. After Callum Davies headed a corner back across the box, Caney-Bryan tapped it in from close range.
Wicks kept his team in the match with several key saves as the home side struggled to break through Faversham’s defense, resulting in a frustrating night for the Lilywhites. Snodland, however, showed significant improvement from their loss to Rusthall the previous Friday.
Faversham had their chances but were repeatedly thwarted by Wicks, who denied striker Tashi-Jay Kwayie multiple times. The first opportunity came when Kwayie broke free but was stopped by Wicks, who stood firm.
Kieron Campbell came close with a powerful free-kick before Faversham finally took the lead. Davies headed a deep corner back into the box, allowing Caney-Bryan to tap it over the line, securing the well-earned lead for the Lilywhites.
Kwayie will be disappointed not to have doubled Faversham’s lead just before halftime, as he failed to connect cleanly with a Nathan Wood cross.
While the first half was largely dominated by Faversham, the second half became a more balanced affair. Yet, it was the brilliance of Snodland’s keeper, Shaun Wicks, that kept his team in the game. Time and again, Wicks thwarted Faversham’s relentless attacks at the GI Landscapes Stadium. He denied Kwayie with a leg save, stopped Caney-Bryan’s shot before bundling the rebound behind, and made a miraculous reflex save from another Wood cross. Kieron Campbell was also halted by a brave Wicks save, and Matt Newman headed a free kick wide of the target.
One dramatic moment saw Davies and Wicks both end up in the back of the net after a free kick into the Snodland box went untouched. Ian Draycott, coming off the bench, beat the offside trap but lobbed the ball just over the advancing Wicks, only for it to land on the roof of the net.
Despite Newman being sent off for two soft yellow cards, Faversham remained in control. However, with only a one-goal lead, the home side always had a glimmer of hope. That hope nearly materialized late on when the ten-man Faversham defense failed to clear a ball in their box, but there were no Snodland players in position to capitalize.
Faversham have moved up to second in the table, sitting five points behind leaders VCD with a game in hand. They hold a two-point advantage over third-placed Punjab, who have also played 11 games. The top three teams—VCD, Faversham, and Punjab—are already beginning to distance themselves from the rest of the pack.