Match report: Hythe & Dibden FC show no mercy in 3-2 Wessex League Premier Division win over local rivals Blackfield & Langley FC

Hythe & Dibden piled more misery upon the head of relegated Blackfield & Langley with a victory that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested at the Hythe Garage Stadium on Saturday.

After an early own goal, the Hythe came back from behind to lead 3-1 thanks to two goals from Blu Sexton-Chadwick and another from Harrison Clarke before a late goal from Oli Bailey made for a nail-biting climax.

“It was a great win”, said Hythe & Dibden manager Richard Morse. “It’s always good to get one over your rivals.

“I thought we fully deserved the result based on our overall play, and we scored three really good goals to top off an excellent performance.”

With eight minutes left, Blackfield & Langley took a shock lead after an unfortunate error at the back saw Harrison Clarke’s back pass go over Luke Deacon and into the net.

Deacon made a good save to stop it from being 2-0 before a deflected cross presented an easy tap-in for Sexton-Chadwick to get his side back in it with 17 minutes played.

Hythe should have made it 2-1 after missing the target with a free header from a corner before Sexton-Chadwick did it again, this time using his head to take the lead after nodding down an impossible-to-stop header after a free-kick was played back into the danger area.

Five minutes later, in the 64th minute, Clarke redeemed himself after the earlier own goal to give his side a two-goal advantage after a corner.

With Hythe in total control, Harry Osman saw his goal-bound effort denied by Deacon after a great cross by Henry Mubiru, but Bailey was on hand to fire home the rebound.

With the relegated visitors pushing for the win, they had the chance to snatch a point and give the fans something to cheer after a torturous season, but the effort flew wide.

Hythe hosts Brockenhurst in their final match of the season on Saturday, while the Watersiders welcome Millbrook.

Blackfield & Langley: J. Harwood, D. Nguyen, T. Crook, J. Rose, L. Attrill, A. Silverstein, T. Nguyen, J. Mann, O. Bailey, J. Burton, H. Osman. Subs: C. Wilson, C. Hitchings, H. Mubiru, J. West.

Hythe & Dibden: L. Deacon, D. Wyatt, S. Danvers, K. Gatera, R. Flooks, T. Lycett, M. Laptas, L. Carbayo-Borges, B. Sexton-Chadwick, L. Thompson, H. Clarke. Subs: O. Davies, A. Kim, J. Batt, T. Hobbs.