? Constable clobbers Bay....? Whitstable Town 1 Herne Bay 0  Sat 26^th November 2005: pictue Andy Constable whose goal settled the tie: Andy Constable?s extra time goal finally settled the first of three Derby matches scheduled for this season between the two sides, if the other two league encounters, over the Christmas and the New Year are half as enthralling then football fans are in for a treat. Less you think this game was a football spectacle, it was not. But is was a true contest between two side when losing is more than just the result, in Whitstable?s case into the next round of the Lea Ray Cup, In the cups its as much about Monday morning at work and your side has just beaten the 'other lot' down the road. Who knows; the next encounters might go the other way, as we all know is when it?s a derby match; form, reputation, and some cases common sense goes out the window. This game had it all, an over fussy ref who seemed intent on blowing up for every transgression one minute, then letting bone crunching tackles go the next. 

Ex Whitstable player Owen Williams tussling with Andy Constable, after a tough challenge Williams then seemed more intent on his own version of wrestling?s WWF style holding Constable down instead of getting on with the game, the ref somehow deciding Constable had a part in the tussle, booking him as well as Williams was yet another lapse when the ref could have shown a more even handed view of the incident. A manager sent to the stands, in this case the visitors Jason Lillis who was eventually asked to stand behind the barrier, effectively he moved about two yards, such was the comedy surrounding some on the goings on. And there were also moments of neat football, although it has to be said, to coin an old football adage, the visitors ?hardly had a kick?.

Picture: Andy Constable as the celebrations are nearing the end, still under a coule of very happy whitstable players: All over the pitch the red and white of Whitstable overshadowed the blue of ?Bay?, from 17-year-old, keeper Whitstable Sam Mott, imperious between the sticks, to his captain Andy Keir, a rock at the heart of Towns defence who never let the dangerous Dave Masters have kick or a clean header throughout the game, to Town?s front pairing of Steve Marshall and Sam Prett who both ran non-stop before they were replaced by Constable and Darren Budge. Whitstable dominated the first 45 minutes without beating Bay keeper Jack Delo, in part due to his safe handling but also due to that final ?killer ball? as Whitstable coach Simon Halsey said after the game. ?I though Marc Seager (player/manager) was awesome today, with Marcos (Perona) alongside we controlled the first half by pushing up high on them, but more importantly we cut off the supply to their front players. When they did get through the four lads at the back did their jobs. They had four or five corners first half, three or four second, but safe hand from young Sam in goal and some great defending meant they never troubled us. We knew they would give it more of a go into the second half but the longer the game went on you could tell they were looking towards penalties to win the game. Sam need to make two good saves the whole game, one in the first half, one in the second when Nathan Eastwood looked as if he would score, then in the second when he was brave saving at the feet of two Herne Bay players, other than that they never troubled us.? From the first whistle it was all Whitstable, with Stuart Harrison down one flank Arron Knight the other firing balls into Bays area, the visitors were pinned back into their own half. Sam Prett made a great run down the left overlapping with Harrison, Prett?s ball into the box just inches to high for Marshall. From a free kick after Harrison had been fouled on the edge of the area Sam Delo in Herne Bay?s goal saved twice first from Marc Seager?s free kick then after the ball found its way the Harrison, Prett?s delightfully headed ball across Delo?s goal was well saved, the young keeper just tipping the ball over.

Picture: Herne Bay keeper Jack Delo: Half Time: Whitstable Town 0 Herne Bay 0

90 Minutes: Whitstable Town 0 Herne Bay 0

Extra Time: Andy Constable replaced Prett, Darren Budge came on for Marshall and for the first time the visitors were a match for Town with the first half of extra time fairly even with both side having their share of some long spells of possession without any real goal threat. However in the second period Town sensed the game was there to be won whilst the visitors looked to have pinned their hopes on the dreaded penalty shootout. As the clock ticked down it was nearly all Town again, although you just had the sneaky feeling that the visitors would nick the game against the run of play. Constable was hauled over by Simon Brown and rather harshly found his name in the ref?s book along with ex Whitstable player Brown.

In the end Constable?s delightfully taken goal, running into a neat through ball before drawing Delo then firing low in his shot low and hard had the fans on their feet, Constable was quite literally buried beneath a sea of his team-mates with just two minutes of extra time remaining. As the temperature plummeted even further after the game, Constable?s smile added some warmth on a freezing cold afternoon at the Belmont

Whitstable Town 1 Herne Bay 0
Sam Mott: Gary Sayer: Rob Thomas: Andy Keir (capt): Tom Parker: Marc Seager: Marcos Perona: Stuart Harrison: Sam Prett: Steve Marshall:
Subs: Andy Constable: Toby Roy: Alex Hossick: Darren Budge: Michael Adcock: