Whitstable Town FC

In the other quarterfinals, league rivals Deal Town and VCD Athletic play for the right to face the winners from the Belmont game and Beckenham Town play Milton Athletic for 'home turf rights' against either Erith Town or Tunbridge Wells. Deal and VCD are 'in form' and neither side will take prisoners, I suspect Fordy's boys will just shade it on the day. Beckenham should comfortably sail past Milton, and Wells probably have enough steam after taking six points over Xmas to roll the Dockers over. Having said that, this is cup football and anything can happen on the day.

In the league on Saturday, and with repercussions for Whitstable Town, Erith & Belvedere play at home against Maidstone United. Both teams suffered shock defeats on Monday, the Stones playing at home had to swallow their first loss of the season and the Deres lost their home tie in the xmas derby with Thamesmead. Both sides will be highly motivated to win this one and a close draw would surely be the best result for WTFC.

Other teams looking to haul in the Reds are 4th placed Thamesmead Town who play at Greenwich Borough and sixth placed Lordswood who travel to Herne Bay. It's hard to see how Boro', the leagues whipping boys, will be able to resist Thamesmead, although the hard pitch there could be a factor in the outcome. Lordswood, buoyed from beating Maidstone on Monday, will also be hoping to nick that third spot with the three points from Winch's Field. Even so I predict a home win for the improving Blues, as they continue to gel as a team.

Only thirteen points span the top nine places and Slade Green are desperate to get back on terms, they find themselves in the bottom half of the table and in danger of dropping off the pack, but their recent form should see them through at Hythe Town. Hythe just seem to be short on luck in the league this year, despite their attack's terrific goal scoring record in all competitions and particularly Richard Sinden's in the league they remain in twelfth position.

How do you begin to predict the remaining match. Sevenoaks away at Sporting Bengal, between them they have so far leaked 92 goals with a combined goal difference of 69, meaning they have only hit the net themselves a total of only 23 times in 32 matches! As the Oaks have yet to win away and Sporting have yet to win at home a goalless draw would be the easy call, but I'm going for a Bengali victory by three goals just because I think they will BELIEVE they can, which seems to matter on the Mile End Road.

Two away fixtures this week for those who follow the Whitstable Town Reserves, they play at Lordswood on Saturday in the Division 1 and 2 Cup and on Tuesday the 10th at Deal Town in the Floodlight Trophy. No doubt the side will begin to include quite a few first team players in their ranks, as many are due to return to fitness this month.

Come on you Reds!

Peter Albin. 3rd January