On a crisp, but warm Saturday afternoon as the sun was starting to dip, Folkestone’s favourites The Mighty Sevens stepped onto the pitch at Gillingham to face the Anchorians 4s, knowing all too well that they were in for a tempestuous ride - history has shown clashes between these two rivals to be far from easy affairs.

And this was to not be an exception; in fact, a classic as such, if astounding decision making in favour of the home side was anything to go by. But the Sevens were well aware of this going into the fixture, and were determined to play their brand of hockey and concentrate on bringing home the bacon.

And, with an electric start, boy did they. With a home team push back, they were quickly robbed and from Simon Baker to Borris Nordone to the burly Matt Carter who whipped a reverse stick shot and within some 36 seconds, the ball rattled the back of the home side’s net: 1-0 to the Sevens.

Clearly stunned, the Anchorians could only muster faint rallying cries of support to each other as, for the next ten minutes, they were well and truly put under the cosh as the Sevens stamped their authority on the game.

Enter some questionable decisions as the visitors quickly found themselves a man down as Matt Goodwin found himself sidelined for a stick tackle deemed serious enough to be sent off for a period. But, undeterred, a pinpoint aerial from Carter found a lonesome Nordone - playing upfront in the normal left wing position for the enigmatic skipper Kennedy, who had volunteered to play as sub as he was recovering from chronic illness earlier in the week - who, with clinical play, controlled the ball and drilled through the keeper’s legs to make it 2-0 in just over 17 minutes of play…the boys were flying.

A ball to the head saw young Josh Lowe sidelined for the skipper Kennedy to take to the field and fill in right wing, almost immediately on goal for a probing pass to be just too far for the charismatic talisman. However, some persistent play from the likes of young Andrew Reed and the wings of Richard Price and Luce Gordon were kept busy as were the backs of Stuart Ingleston and Carl Bonzio as the play swung back and forth.

And in no time at all, further breakthrough play saw Goodwin, now back on the field, weaving his way through his opponents to unleash a shot that the keeper, obscured by the barrel-like form of Carter, was unable to prevent clattering the backboard: 3-0.

Some probing play by the Anchorians and perhaps some dip in form from the visitors, saw them through on goal as Bonzio took a shot to the chest on the outside of the post that went across, but critically not over the goal line but ruled as a goal for the home side. Despite protestations, it was clear the decision was not going to be changed, much to the delight of the partisan home crowd: 3-1 and onto halftime.

The second half was an altogether different, and more scratchy affair as tackles and verbals were royally exchanged and the Sevens saw themselves on the receiving end of a hatful of decisions that defied logic and short corner after short corner awarded against them. A sliding tackle from Price - in which although he successfully got the ball, upended the opposition player only for the latter to throw away his stick and, in his anger, attempt to punch a somewhat bemused Price. Whilst surely the home player should have been red carded, instead, both players were yellow carded for ten minutes.

The home side managed to pull a goal back and it seemed like the Sevens were playing the entire club for the last ten minutes as the Anchorians sought to level the score. Whistle after whistle and short corner after short corner were being awarded at an alarming rate but time and time again, the visitors held firm with every player pitching in and keeper Stuart Peall pulling off some extraordinary saves.

With some relief, the final whistle blew for the game to conclude at 3-2 to the Sevens and the Anchorians victorious home streak broken.

We caught up with Skipper Kennedy, who despite still suffering from the effects of an illness that had floored him all week, stood proud with his team mates and offered these words: ‘We came here today knowing that it would be a testing game. There’s not a lot of love lost between these teams and we’re well aware of how tricky a fixture away can be.

‘However, I’m exceptionally proud of how these lads came together and stood firm in the face of adversity; it felt at times like we were playing more than eleven players but we played our game and came away victorious.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever played in a fixture where we’ve had so many short corners against us - we literally lost count of how many - but how well did we weather that?! We held our discipline despite being enormously frustrated at times…were we perfect? No, we certainly had our moments, but I’d like to think we played a fair game in what we’re trying circumstances against a club determined to beat us. Our hosts pushed us hard and they’re a good team, but we prevailed. We look forward to hosting the return fixture next year and seeing how that turns out!’