Kevin Fewll WTFC m.o.m.

Whitstable Town 1 Croydon 0? KL Premier Div 12^th August 2006

?It was the three points that mattered,? said Whitstable Town manager Marc Seager after the match: ? If you ask me was I happy with the outcome, the three points yes, but we can play better. The goal, which Marcos (Perona) scored after just three minutes, came from just the sort of plays we have been working on in training. Getting the ball wide; Mickey Lane did a great job, nice early cross into the danger area and Marcos was on hand to knock it in after we pressured their keeper. For the next 15/20 minutes we bossed the game, then for some reason we stood off; it gave them the chance to pressure and we were never comfortable again for the rest of the game. Kevin Fewll in goal had a great game and its performances like that underline why we wanted Kevin at the club, he was excellent today and the three points were down to some good defending and good positional play by our keeper.?

Sam Prett, who worked tirelessly up front throughout the game was unlucky on several occasions during the 90 minutes, he was just inches wide on more than one occasion and along with strike partner Stuart King, signed during the close season from Herne Bay, were both on their game. King will learn from the match, at times his natural goal scorers? instinct overrides the chance to lay off the simple ball and let others in better placed, but he will learn.

Another couple of new faces to the first team to shine were left sided midfielder Jake Gess who along with 6ft 3in Josh Maine has forced their way into the side after a great pre-season, Maine has so impressed Seager with his attitude and competitive style of play. ?Both Jake and Josh are ball winners,? said Seager ?Josh want to win every ball whether it?s a header or a tackle which is what I want from my players, but there are parts of his game, such as his distribution that we need to work on. A couple of times today he made a great interception, and then gave the ball away under no pressure. But; what a great player this lad can be for the club, he listens, he is nearly as quick as Robbie Thomas and he is so strong. If we have missed a part of the jigsaw to turn us into a winning side its been these areas and we now have a bit of steel about us, Today was big game to win, but its where we are at the end of the season that matters, not on the first day.?

The visitors threatened on a couple of occasions but Fewell was equal to them, Town going in at the break leading by the single goal.

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Half Time: Whitstable Town 1 Corydon 0

With the visitors raising their game straight from the kick off, Fewell made the first of three or four important saves inside the first 15 minutes of the re-start. The visitors double their tally of corners and attempts on goal, twice Fewell denying them when they were in with a great chance of levelling the score. In midfield, goal scorer Perona was replaced by Marlon Button and late on Andy Constable for King, Constable immediately unsettling the visitors with his hustle and bustle style of play. Town, although indebted to Fewell for the clean sheet created a hatful of chances to extend their lead, not least a great chance when Prett was through, two or three when King was in but failed to look for his strike partner, the visitors keeper catching the Fewell bug, making some great saves to stop Town scoring at least another couple. Gary Sayer replace Thomas and Town pressed more down the flanks, looking good going forward.

The ref, who was inconsistent through out the game won few fans from either sets of supporters, his stop start approach to running the game coupled with the ?Oh I got that one wrong a few minutes ago, so I?ll book his him the next time he tackles? attitude, infuriated the players and supports alike. Seemingly he was the only one at the game who failed realise that after two months without rain the less than perfect surface was a times like a skating rink, (near neighbours Faversham?s game called off with a waterlogged pitch), more common sense should have been applied.

Both the ref and Town can do better?

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Full Time: Whitstable Town 1 Corydon 0

Tony Rouse ? WTFC 2006