Whitstable Town FC

Marshal grabs the goals, Perona the plaudits?

Quarterfinals of the KL Cup? Whitstable Town 3 v Cray Valley (PM) 0..  

Steve Marshall AUDIO: Steve talking about his three goals, the younger players in the team and how delighted he was to notch another hat trick. ?Three goals in a cup game, it doesn?t get any better than that.?

 Steve Marshall?s hat trick was enough to see off a spirited Cray Valley (PM) and earn Town a semi-final showdown with VCD who finally overcame Deal to book their place in the semi-final with Town. Despite leading two nil at half time Whitstable looked uncomfortable for the first 15 minutes of the second half, the visitors enjoyed their best spell of the game. Whitstable however dominated the first 45minutes, Perona with new Town signing Gary Ward alongside him in place of the injured Marc Seager; looked strong. Up front for the home side, the industrious Andy Constable with strike partner Steve Marshall alongside, caused problems for the visitors back four from the off.

Twice in the first few minutes Cray were nearly caught trying to play the offside trap, Marshall nearly profiting one time, Constable the other. With Aaron Knight enjoying plenty of open spaces on the right, his direct running at the visitors defence unsettled them as they tried to gain some momentum to their game. But all the pressure came from Town, the versatile Alex Hossick wide on the left added the balance as the visitors were caught with a quick attack, the young Hossick winning the ball and feeding wing back Tom Parker whose excellent whipped in cross was met on the volley by Marshall, the experienced striker guided the ball back across the face of keeper Stuart Back?s goal at pace to put Town one nil ahead in the fifth minute. Less than two minutes later Constable could have doubled the score; his shot after good work by Knight was high over Back?s crossbar.

Whilst the visitors; driven on by their captain Billy Dolby struggled to come to terms with the home sides quick attack play and were camped in thier own half for long periods, in contrast the Whitstable seemed to be attacking at will. Perona and Ward braking up any sporadic raids mounted by Cray; at the back marshalled by skipper Andy Keir Town?s Rob Thomas shackled the nippy Clinton Hodge who looked to cause Town problems. Save for a slip by Parker allowing Matt Huckney the space to fire in a shot across the face of Whitstable keeper Sam Mott?s goal and another when Marc Petters was well tackled by Thomas the visitors mounted little threat.

Knight, full of running won a corner after his initial challenge broke up a Cray attack, led to Towns second goal. The Parker-Marshall combination again working to perfection, Parker?s near post cross met perfectly by the head of Marshall, his run to the near post timed to perfection. At 2-0 up Town had more chances to extend their lead, Ward after some great interplay with Perona should have gone on to test Back with a strike at goal, instead his layoff to Marshall, with Constable better position came to nought. Constable then skied a shot over the bar, as did Hossick just as the first half came to as close.

With the exception of a couple of corner which failed too test Mott in Whitstable?s goal and the two forays into Whitstable six yard box; the back four of Keir, Parker, Thomas and Gary Sayer were untroubled by the visitors.

 Halftime: Whitstable Town 2 v Cray Valley (PM) 0

Manager Marc Seager; who was presented with the Kent League manager of the month awards for December before the kick off must have scratched is head for something to say to his side at half time, more of the same please lads I suspect. But it was a downbeat Town who came out for the second half, not that the visitors livened up their own game much, just that Whitstable seemed content to play the game at the visitors pace and not their own. Ward and Perona still hustled and bustled in midfield, the were visitors were trying to play higher up the pitch and at couple of goals down, they invariably started to chase the game.

Gaps started to appear for Knight to exploit his cross'es into the box deserved better than the miss-kick by Marshall, which much to his embarrassment cleared the extra high fence erected at the rear of the ?Gas Works? stand. In the 77^th minute Perona was fouled just inside to visitor?s area, Cray?s player unable to force him wide of the penalty box,  had to bring him down to end his great run. Cool Marshall stepped up to slot the ball past keeper Back to score his third of the game. Back however saved his side from further embarrassment, pulling off a great save from Constable whose superb strike was beaten away by Back, the keeper denied Whitstable substitute Andy Martin who followed up after Back had saved. Seager brought on Martin,  Michael Adcock and Daren Budge, the later replacing Hossick and supplying some neat crosses but Whitstable were unable to add to their tally, running out comfortable winners and setting up a nice home semi final tie against VCD.

Full time Whitstable Town 3 v Cray Valley (PM) 0

Team: Sam Mott: Tom Parker: Rob Thomas: Andy Kier: (capt) Gary Sayer: Gary Ward: t Marcos Perona: Andy Constable: Steve Marshall: Aaron Knight: Alex Hossick:

Subs: Andy Martin: Michael Adcock: Daren Budge: Mark Lane

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