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Frontrunners Faversham thumped basement boys Lydd - despite playing much of the match with an outfield player in goal - on Tuesday.
The struggling Lydders had forward Jerson Dos Santos sent off for a challenge on goalkeeper Jacob Russell, a tackle which ended Russell’s night, during an eventful Southern Counties East Premier Division match.
With No.2 Lewis Briggs not named on the substitutes’ bench, midfielder Jarred Trespaderne donned the gloves.
But Tommy Warrilow’s team still romped into a 4-0 half-time advantage through a treble by man-of-the-match Danny Parish after top scorer Tashi-Jay Kwayie’s opening goal.
After the restart, striker Stefan Payne got the Lydders on the scoresheet with a penalty against his former team. But goals from defender Bradley Simms, as well as substitutes Johan Caney-Bryan, Ian Draycott and Dan Thompson, ensured it ended 8-1 to Faversham.
Town created the first opportunity inside 90 seconds when playmaker Nathan Wood sent Simms’ left-wing cross narrowly over at the start of a fixture which was about as one-sided as the league table would suggest it would be.
Four minutes later, Kwayie fired a snapshot wide in front of a crowd of 327 at Salters Lane.
But the eighth-minute saw the first big moment. Only a great save by Lilywhites goalkeeper Russell prevented striker Payne from firing in a fierce free-kick against his old club, with a visiting player then taking out Russell as he went for a seemingly loose ball.
And referee Amarachi Okamgba eventually brandished Dos Santos, another ex-Town man, with a straight red card.
That wasn’t the end of the early drama, though, as Russell was unable to continue, leaving Trespaderne to come off the substitutes’ bench - and he headed straight in goal!
But Faversham got the scoring started midway through the first half. Kwayie took full advantage of away keeper Craig Smith’s decision to rush out in an attempt to cut out a through ball and calmly chipped in.
Two minutes later, with home tails up, Smith tipped over a Parish header from a left-wing delivery.
Kwayie looked in the mood and nearly doubled his tally with a carbon copy goal, just missing the target.
Trespaderne’s first action was met by massive home cheers. He made a simple save to gather Payne’s free-kick from his own half.
The Lilywhites doubled the lead in the 33rd minute, however, as Parish sprung the offside trap and slotted home his first.
Two then became three shortly after. Parish found the bottom corner courtesy of a 25-yard effort in emphatic style.
Just before nine minutes of first-half injury time, Lydd midfielder Ronnie Dolan shot inches wide of Trespaderne’s left-hand post.
Town’s fourth completed Parish’s hat-trick. He rounded Smith to net from Kwayie’s through ball, with the home team in clinical mood.
Lydd made a double change at half-time, Tyler Sterling and Lewis O’Leary on to replace skipper Ryan Smith and Kenny Pogue.
Trespaderne’s chances of a clean sheet were ended in soft style in the 55th minute.
Former Football League frontman Payne slammed a penalty into the top corner to make it 4-1 after Ben Gorham was adjudged to have hauled fellow defender Charles Dickens to ground in the box to give the away contingent something to celebrate.
But the hosts added a fifth shortly before the hour as Simms put into an empty net after Kwayie’s strike had been cleared off the line for his maiden club goal.
Caney-Bryan got in on the action with Faversham’s sixth - having come on moments earlier - as he headed home Simms’ left-wing cross in the 70th minute.
With five minutes to go, Draycott became the latest player to break through Lydd’s poor backline to finish.
But even bigger home cheers came in the next minute as Trespaderne saved a goal-bound Jacob Strouts header.
Town’s eighth goal was a comical one. It was awarded to Thompson, who had somehow directed an almost dejected midfielder Billy Bennett’s effort into the goal off his back as he lay on the floor.
While Caney-Bryan saw a stoppage-time goal ruled out, the Lilywhites’ display was more than enough to send them five points clear at the summit.
Town manager Warrilow had made three switches from the team, which were held to a goalless draw at home to high-fliers Fisher last weekend.
They saw the vastly-experienced Frannie Collin, Bennett and Parish come in for Matt Newman, Sam Hasler and Caney-Bryan.
Striker Stefan Payne - who was Faversham’s top scorer last term - faced his old club while defenders Elliott Moore and Charlie Dickens, as well as utility player Robbie Dolan, also started.
The Lilywhites are at Hollands & Blair while the Lydders face another tough test in the league at Corinthian on Saturday.
Faversham Town: Russell (Trespaderne 17mins), Ossai, Simms, Collin, Davies (Newman 77mins), Gorham, Wood (Draycott 73mins), Parish (Thompson 69mins), Kwayie (Caney-Bryan 69mins), Bennett, Campbell.
Lydd Town: C.Smith, Moore, Dempsey, R.Smith (Sterling 46mins), Strouts, Robbie Dolan, Dickens, Ronnie Dolan (Calvert 57mins), Payne (Sillince 73mins), Dos Santos, Pogue (O’Leary 46mins). Sub not used: Philpott.
Referee: Amarachi Okamgba.
Attendance: 327.