Whitstable Town FC

?Yong guns come good?  Greenwich Borough 0   v  Whitstable  Town 2:  KOS group cup.
Picture WTFC m.o.m. Tom Parker, never stopped running: A goal either side of half time, one from Arron Knight, the other a Stuart Harrison strike was enough to see off a spirited Greenwich side on a bitingly cold day in the suburbs of London. In an evenly contested first half it was Whitstable who went in ahead at the interval by the single goal, Greenwich unlucky not to be level but for great interception from Rob Thomas when emergency signed Whitstable keeper Sam Mott was stranded, Thomas clearing off the goal line. Town?s youngster Darren Budge,Tom Parker, Gary Sayer, Knight and Thomas all vied for the M.O.M for Town, Tom Parker just shading the vote for his 90 minutes of non-stop football.
I could have been so different had the dominance the home side shown in the first 10 minutes been converted into goals, both Gerome Steel and Chris Hubbard should have tested Whitstable keeper Mott with better strikes when wonderfully placed.

To their credit Town weathered Greenwich?s early storming start, slowly getting to grips with the swift breakaways from Steel and the equally quick Duane Moncriete who fed off quick balls bypassing the midfield with balls fired down the flanks. Whitstable pressed and from a Marc Seager 15^th minute corner Andy Keir?s great downward header beat keeper Holder, but stuck between his feet. As Whitstable pushed up they were always vulnerable to Greenwich?s quick breaks, from one such move, with Mott stranded it was the excellent Robbie Thomas who came to the rescue clearing Moncriete?s goal bound shot off the line.

Manager Seager had opted for a new front pairing of Andy Constable alongside Stuart Harrison, with Sam Prett and the in-form Steve Marshall sitting it out on the bench. Seager?s selection raised a few eyebrows but it was soon evident that with Constable winning balls in the air, coupled with some delightful one two?s with his new strike partner, Whitstable started to get into their stride. Seager, Knight and the overlapping Parker were involved in a great move, Parker?s shot well saved by Holder. The ref needed to be on his game as both sides went 100% into every tackle, Oliver Hunt and Peter Smith for the home team along with Knight for Whitstable all received yellow cards before the game settled, with both teams playing some neat football on a very bobbley surface. With five minutes to go to the interval firstly Darren Budge was involved then Knight pounced on a loose ball after Holder had failed to hold onto Harrison?s well-stuck shot, Knight slotting home from close range.

In the first half?s dying seconds the home side were very unlucky not to be level, Chris Hubbard flying down Whitstable?s left flank fired in a hard low driven cross which just evaded the onrushing Steel, the Greenwich management jumping feet into the air at the closeness of the miss.

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Half Time: v Greenwich Borough 0 Whitstable Town 1

Although the second half lacked the intensity of the first it was in no small measure down the good performances all over the pitch from Whitstable. Player manager Seager in midfield with Alex Hossick alongside, his usual partner Marcos Perona still out with a slight strain, started to take a stronger grip on the game. Constable hit the post with Holder beaten, Harrison went close and Seager had a great strike just sail over Holder?s crossbar

But it was new signing 17-year-old Mott; in goal because Robert French Whitstable?s 15-year-old substitute keeper has a problem with his knee who saved Town, regular keeper Marc Hickson was with the reserves. Mott?s brave dive at the feet of Steel, with the nippy striker through on goal, brought warm applause from around the ground. Whitstable took a much firmer hold on the game in the second 45 minutes, with the exception of Steel?s attempt, and a couple of testing corners, Keir?s defence aided by the young keeper copped admirably.

In the 75^th minute Knight laid in a delightful ball to Constable, the rangy striker somehow ballooned the ball wide when he looked shot odds to score. Eventually the game was settled in the 80^th minute the Harrison, Knight combination working again for Whitstable?s second goal. Knight who originally harried a Greenwich defender way over the opposite side of the field into conceding a throw in, the ball finding its way over to Knight who had much to do before laying the ball in for Harrison who made sure with a side footed shot, Holder getting a hand to it but unable to stop it ending up in the net. Town ending up full value for the win against a hard working Greenwich side, who on today?s performance will most definitely finish the season much higher in the league than were they currently sit, which is at the wrong end of the table.

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Full Time: Greenwich Borough 0 Whitstable Town 1

Sam Mott: Tom Parker: Andy Kier (capt) Rob Thomas: Gary Sayer: Alex Hossick: Marc Seager: Darren Budge: Arron Knight: Stuart Harrison: Andy Constable

Subs: Michael Addcock: Steve Marshall: Toby Roy: Sam Prett: Robert French: