Whitstable Town FC

Fleet Town 2 WTFC 1 FA CUP preliminary round replay

Fleet Town 2 Whitstable Town 1   FA CUP preliminary round replay (3-3 Whitstable had the worst possible start in this FA Cup replay when with just four minutes on the clock, the unfortunate Shane Davies diverted the Fleet keepers long punted clearance aided by the sloping pitch into his own net. The defender had gone 50/50 far a high ball, which flicked off his boot to loop high over the head of Whitstable keeper Mark Brown to give the home side an early lead.. Buoyed by the goal they pressed the visitor?s pressed back into their own half, Fleet keeper Justin Gray firing in long high balls as their only route to goal. It proved fairly effective on the slopping pitch, with Whitstable?s back four, although under pressure, coping well Whitstable manager electing to go with three up-front from the off, after the first 15 minutes of home side pressure, Steve Marshall, with Sam Prett and Andy Constable started to threaten the visitors goal. Both Constable and Prett tested keeper, whilst Stuart Harrison roaming across the middle of the park caused problems with his runs. At the break, with the game about 50/50 Whitstable were happy to go in just the one goal down. Half Time: Fleet Town 1 Whitstable Town 0 At the restart and with the slope in their favour it was a great temptation for Whitstable to play the same long ball game as their host. Particularly after a long ball out of defence by Brown found Marshall, who flicked it to Prett, who laid the ball to Andy Constable who slotted home from just inside the area in the 55th minute. It should be noted that even on this less than perfect pitch, Whitstable play their best football when they play the ball wide and by keeping the ball on the floor, as they reverted to their normal game plan they really pressed Fleet back into their own half. Apart from one long range shot by the Fleet?s Terry Davis the home side seemed to lack the guile to break down the visitors, they did however have a glorious chance too re-take the lead after a flying breakaway with two Whitstable defenders trying to contain four Fleet players, the flying Davis missed a sitter from yards out. If the home side missed their chance to wrap up the tie Whitstable?s player manager Marc Seager, missed and even better one with the game entering the last five minutes. Stuart Harrison glided into the area and despite some neat turns and tricks was not able to get in a shot, a Fleet player clipped his heels and the ref pointed to the spot. Seager?s shot straight at the keeper was parried, the onrushing Aaron Knight just failing to prod the ball in at the second attempt. The missed penalty galvanised the home side and on their 2nd breakaway attack in as many minutes Andy Kier was adjudged to have committed a foul just outside the area, Davis cheekily sliding the ball past the outside of a less than perfect wall of Whitstable players. There was still time for Seager to hit the post but not enough to pull another goal back to take the game to extra time, Fleet going forward into the next round. WTFC ?

 

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