By Andrew Finch

The Moles got off to a flyer, with James McShane twice dancing through the Bay defence in the opening quarter of an hour to give his side a commanding lead.

A controversial penalty from Danny Walder pulled a goal back for the visitors, but he was harshly sent off moments later for a late tackle on Craig Lewington.

The ten men pulled level in first half stoppage time when Sam Hasler’s free kick crept in at the near post, but Robinson’s header from Lewington’s corner won it for the Moles fifteen minutes from time.

The opening half hour was some of the best football the Moles have played this season, as they zipped the ball about with pace and purpose, and didn’t let their opponents settle.

Five minutes were on the clock when Reis Stanislaus’ neat lay off played in McShane. He beat Nathan Eastwood to the ball and then turned Liam Quinn inside out before coolly slotting beyond Jack Delo.

His second owed much to the perseverance of James Cottee, who harried Dan Johnson into giving the ball away to McShane in the penalty area.

There was still plenty to do, but McShane once more left both centre halves on the seat of their pants before finishing calmly beyond Delo to move within two goals of his Molesey century.

Cottee impressed on his home debut, and his glancing header from Ross Chalke’s cross was kept out by Delo, whilst a rampaging run from Luke Elliott was thwarted by a last ditch challenge.

Stanislaus bullied the Herne Bay back four all afternoon, but neither he nor Tom Windsor could get a shot away when the Moles broke with pace and numbers.

Bay gradually got back into the game as the half wore on, but were giving a massive helping hand from the linesman to halve the deficit.

Robinson misjudged the flight of a cross, opting to try and clear with his head when the ball took a wicked dip and ended up only inches off the ground. The ball ended up under his body, and in his attempt to clear the visitors appealed for handball.

The appeals appeared to be in vain when the ref ruled away the protests, but he allowed himself to be over-ruled by the linesman’s flag and Walder sent Liam Allen the wrong way from the spot.

Moments later Walder was a fraction late to a 50/50 ball with Lewington, although his studs were raised and appeared to catch the Molesey skipper on the bottom of the shin.

The ref had made a rod for his own back with a flurry of earlier bookings for lesser offences, so there was an air of inevitability when he showed Walder the red card.

The ten men were level before the half was out, and again there was a hint of controversy, as the linesman once more awarded a decision in Bay’s favour that the ref did not look like he was going to give.

It did appear that Elliott barged Georgio Russo over, although not for the first time in the afternoon the full-back fell to the floor somewhat theatrically.

Sam Hasler caught Allen out at his near post with the resulting free kick to level the scores.

In a breathless end to the half, Robinson’s header kissed the top of the bar from Lewington’s set piece.

The Moles will feel hard done by going in at half-time on level terms, but the second half was a much more even affair. Cottee had a couple of early chances snuffed out by Delo, whilst Allen made a terrific point blank save from Frannie Collin’s header.

The introduction of Molesey’s Ato Okai and Herne Bay’s Kane Phillip added some pace and width to both sides, and Robb Sheridan made a crucial interception from Philip’s cross with Collin waiting to pounce.

McShane and Sam Robinson hit efforts harmlessly wide, and Okai hit a dangerous ball across the six yard box as both sides exchanged blows, but it was the Lewington-Robinson connection that won it for the Moles, as Lewington’s was headed powerfully home by Robinson to restore the Moles’ lead.

Herne Bay threw everything forward in the closing stages but the Moles defended superbly, with the only chance of note falling to Collin, whose header was once again kept out by Allen as the Moles held out to move into 6th position