A week is a long time in football as Lordswood found out. After their superb victory last week they came back to earth with a lacklustre performance at Reachfields. This was most definitely a game of two halves.

The game started so well for Lordswood as in the 10th minute they took the lead when Anthony Sharpe on halfway flicked the ball forward to Stuart Thorley on the right wing and his first time cross evaded the defenders and Darren Bridges shot home from 15 yards. Hythe got their game going in the 15th minute when a cross into the area saw Mike Smissen force Rowan to save his header at the second attempt. At this stage Hythe had a lot of possession but weren’t really creating anything. However a tremendous clanger from the normally reliable Arnott saw Hythe equalise. A long ball forward saw Gary Mickelborough chase after it, Arnott came out of his area to clear his lines but he made a mess of it allowing Mickelborough to shoot into an empty net. Six minutes later Luke Mortimer took a free kick twenty yards out, his thunderous shot was somehow punched clear by Paul Hyde. With half time looming, Hythe took the lead when a long ball down the middle saw Smissen left unmarked and he shot past Arnott.

The second half was 45 minutes for Lordswood to forget as they conceded five goals. The third in the game for Hythe came in the 55th minute when Lee Winfield collected a long ball down the left, he beat Luke Mortimer and advanced into the area before slotting the ball past Arnott. In the 63rd minute it was four and what a goal it was. Dale Skelton cut inside and with the outside of his foot crossed the ball to the far post for Ben Sly who took the ball down and shot past Arnott in one movement. Seven minutes later it was five when a free kick into the area was half cleared to Joe Nielson who shot home from 15 yards. A minute later and it could have been worse when Smissen was left unmarked centrally. He went into the area and tried to round Arnott but the Lords Keeper was able to grab the ball at his feet. It became six in the 76th minute when Joe Hitchens passed to Mickelborough who ran into the area and slotted the ball past Arnott. In the 84th minute a rare Lordswood attack nearly got a goal when a ball forward saw Dave White flick it on into the path of Adam Whitnal but his attempted lob from 15 yards sailed over the keeper and the bar. In the 85th minute it became 7-1 when Lee Winfield running forward from halfway went into the area and scored past Arnott. Lordswood did get a consolation goal in the 88th minute when a long ball forward saw Matt Peters flick on for David White whose lob from the edge of the box floated over the Hyde and into the net.