Whitstable Town FC

Whitstable Town 2 Sevenoaks 0: ?Prett injury blow mares win?
Picture: Sam Prett unlikly to play again this season after injury: Whitstable followed on with their two recent good performances with a solid, rather than electrify display of football. With the ever dependable Rob Thomas and Andy Keir at the heart of Whitstable?s defence the visitor?s rarely troubled Mark Hickson?s goal, when they did threaten, mostly at corners and set pieces; Hickson was equal to them. Up front the lively Arron Knight, judging by the support from the sidelines one of Town?s favourite sons was bright in the opening exchanges. It was somewhat ironic that he needed to be substituted after he set up Town?s best move with a good run to the by-line after he came off worst in a particularly heavy challenge a couple of minute before. His replacement; Stuart Harrison was straight into the action linking well with Sam Prett and Steve Marshall who both worked hard in the opening spell of the game. Whitstable, who had a half decent shout for handball against Ryan Hackett waved away in the first 5 minutes, took time to find their rhythm.

For the visitors, the front pairing of Daniel Jones and Dwayne Okocha both worked hard but never bettered Kier and Thomas. Sevenoaks most threatening moves were from highball into Hickson?s area, the young keeper coping well and without duress.

The pitch, slick with light rain falling favoured Whitstable?s quick passing game with Marcos Perona and Gary Ward the play makers, Alex Hossick as the mid field ball winner and they all started to have an influence on the game. Town?s best chance in the first half fell to Marshall, visiting keeper John-Paul Jones saving well twice as Marshall shot from close range. He was at his best minutes later after Marshal got onto the end of a Perona cross, Jones saving well low down.

Half Time: Whitstable Town 0 Sevenoaks 0

With the visitors desperately trying to end their season in a positive mode, Whitstable knew that they would never give up chasing every ball and made Town work hard for any opportunity. Town?s opening goal came as a blur, Ward?s neat flicked ball from midfield into the stride of Prett, gave the nippy striker just the half a yard needed to deftly lob the advancing Jones and put Whitstable a goal ahead in the 53^rd minute. Prett could have netted again ten minutes later but for the timely interception of Hackett who took the ball off his toes, as he was about to shoot. Andy Constable, the one player on the pitch to play for for both teams, replaced Marshall and he was lively from his first touch

Picture: Marcos Perona who netted Towns 2nd goal: Town pressed as the home side, although the visitors never out of it, looked less of a threat. Prett, stretching for a ball in midfield strained his groin in the attempt and was carried off the Belmont pitch with the prospect of him playing any part in Town?s remaining games distinctly remote.

Young 17-year-old Harry Gower; a local lad and Whitstable player from the age of U7?s replaced Prett and never looked out of place as Whitstable went in search of their second. Although scored in the 85^th minute by Perona, the goal owed much to the skill of Constable whose good work on the left and neat ball from left over to the right to Perona was inch perfect. Perona still had much to do, closed down quickly by his marker he dropped his shoulder as if to shoot with his right foot, before slipping the ball to his left and firing his low shot past the despairing dive of Jones to seal the game for Town.

Team: Mark Hickson: Shane Davies: Rob Thomas: Andy Keir: Marcos Perona: Gary Ward: Alex Hossick: Sam Prett: Steve Marshall Arron Knight:

Subs: Mark Lane: Michel Adcock: Harry Gower: (Prett) Andy Constable: (Marshall) Stuart Harrison:(Knight)

Tony Rouse WTFC ? 2005