Both sides may not have had the best starts to their league campaigns, but this is the FA Vase, and league form is set aside. With a place in the next round up for grabs, both teams will be eager to make their mark in the cup.
The start of the game the 2 sides were trying to work each other out with no taking the upper hand but that was till Nicholas Mejia played the ball forward to George Rankin, who threaded a perfectly weighted through ball to Arthur Massingham. Massingham drove at the Hythe Town back line, cut inside, and unleashed a rocket of a shot that flew past Frankie Beckles in goal, breaking the deadlock and giving Athletic Newham the lead.
The next 20 minutes saw both teams move the ball around without creating any clear-cut chances. That was until the 30th minute, when George Rankin found space down the right and delivered a dangerous cross into the box. The ball found Arthur Massingham unmarked, but his effort was well saved by Frankie Beckles, who kept Hythe Town in the game with a strong stop, pushing it out for a corner.
Moments later, following the corner and some sustained pressure, Ikye Dalton beat his man on the flank and cut the ball back into the box, where Richie Keil was waiting to tap home and level the game for Hythe Town.
Hythe Town began to grow into the game after their equaliser and nearly took the lead when a dangerous shot-cross came in from the right, forcing Harvey Simson into a sharp save to keep the scores level.
Just before half-time, Nicholas Mejia was shown a second yellow card and subsequently sent off, reducing Athletic Newham to ten men. It was now going to be an uphill battle for the home side, who would have to play the entire second half a man down.
It was the worst possible start to the second half for Athletic Newham, as they conceded 3 minutes into the half to a well-worked Hythe Town move. Ikye Dalton, once again at the heart of the action, laid the ball back to Armani-Jordan Martin, who unleashed a rocket of a strike to put Hythe Town in front for the first time in the match.
Athletic Newham were on the back foot after conceding but held their defensive line well despite being down to ten men. Their resilience paid off when Hassan Saleh Togba played a perfectly timed through ball to Jayden Thiongo, who produced a wonderful finish to bring Athletic Newham back level in the game.
That equaliser lasted all of three minutes, as the goal only seemed to fire Hythe Town up. They immediately pushed forward in response, retaking the lead in this thrilling cup tie. This time, Armani-Jordan Martin returned the favour, sliding in Ikye Dalton, who turned sharply just inside the Athletic Newham box and curled a brilliant shot into the top corner.
Just moments after Hythe Town retook the lead, Oscar Webb broke into the Athletic Newham box, weaving past two defenders before getting a shot away. Fortunately for Newham, the effort struck the post and somehow stayed out before being scrambled clear. It was a golden opportunity for Hythe to put the game to bed, but Newham were handed a lifeline.
After coming within inches of falling further behind, Athletic Newham launched a dramatic counter. A clearance from their own box reached the halfway line, where a heavy touch from a Hythe Town defender allowed Remarle Lawrence to pounce on the loose ball. Bursting forward, Lawrence slipped a perfectly timed pass to Arthur Massingham, who calmly slotted the ball past Frankie Beckles to bring Newham level yet again at 3–3.
Heartbreak for Athletic Newham as the clock passed the 80th-minute mark. Oscar Webb won the ball back inside Newham’s half, and Armani-Jordan Martin quickly picked up the loose ball, playing it out to Richie Keil on the right. Keil, who had opened the scoring for Hythe Town, was the one to finish the move—netting the decisive goal to end Newham’s FA Vase run for the 2025/26 season and send Hythe Town’s name into the hat for the third round.
Despite their best efforts and fighting spirit, Athletic Newham ultimately fell just short in this hard-fought FA Vase clash. Playing over half the match with ten men, they showed great resilience and character to keep pushing back. However, Hythe Town’s clinical finishing and composure in key moments proved decisive, earning them a deserved victory and progression to the third round. Both teams displayed determination and quality, but it was Hythe Town who took the honors on the day.