Whitstable Town FC

  "Whitstable Town 3 Fleet Town 3"

Whitstable Town 3 Fleet Town 3
A tale of two Town?s?.
If ex England International, Andy Sinton?s Fleet Town won the honours for the first forty-five minutes, Whitstable player/manager Marc Seager certainly had the better of the second, in this enthralling F.A. Cup tie at Whitstable?s Belmont Ground. However the script did not run entirely true to form, Whitstable had pegged the visitors back into their own half for the first fifteen minutes, Seager going close with a long range shot which just missed the upright with the keeper stranded. Whitstable had two other chances to put their name on the score sheet in the first fifteen minutes, Sam Prett just missing a superb Stuart Harrison cross by a whisker. Andy Constable also went close as Seager?s side, a touch unlucky not to score; pressed the visitors hard.

?We just seemed to go to sleep,? Seager said after the game; ?the first time they venture into our half and we concede from a free kick, blow me we then we let in another despite having a couple of chances to clear the ball inside our box, and no-one takes responsibility, I was not very happy.?

Picture: Steve Marshall with the fans after scoring..

Whitstable conceding the first goal in the 19th minute when the lively Nathan Smart nipped in front of Whitstable?s static defence to slide the ball past Mark Brown, from a free kick. Four minutes later Whitstable went two down when Phillip John capitalized after Seager?s men dithered in a packed penalty area when a big boot should have cleared the danger, John?s profiting from a rebound off a Whitstable player to prod the ball past Brown. Then; just as it looked as if Whitstable were getting their act together and back into the tie, James Roe put the visitor three up with three minutes remaining of the first half, and seemingly in control, after yet more poor defending.

Half Time Whitstable Town 0 Fleet Town 3
Whitstable came out with real purpose from the restart, going with three up front, they were at the visitors from the first minute, less than ten minutes later, Sam Prett scored with a neat header unchallenged in the box in the 53rd minute to start Whitstable?s fight-back. With Steve Marshall, replacing Tom Parker, and a reshuffled midfield Seager?s side upped the pace and started to play the ball around on the floor. Visible growing in confidence, Whitstable closed down Fleets defenders every time they lost procession, something they had failed to do in the first half.
Seager won the ball in midfield slid the ball through to Marshall who passed to Constable, his return pass spilt the visitors defence, Marshall bustling into the opposition box, drawing the keeper, before slotting the ball into the net.

Picture: Whitstable press Fleet in the 2nd half.....

Whitstable bristled at this point as they sensed the visitors were off the pace and ready for the taking, they were saved by the woodwork after Whitstable?s captain Andy Keir, up for a corner was quickest to react, his powerful shot cannoning off the crossbar. Minutes later Whitstable were level, Constable kept his cool after Marshall drew defenders and keeper wide before calmly sliding the ball into Constable?s stride, his simple side footed shot sent the Whitstable supporters wild.
?At 3-3 we knew that we had the chance of the replay, sure we?d have liked to have won it, but? said Marshall, ?you would not normally see me back in our own area by the corner post defending, it would have been foolish to press for the winners at all cost after we?d clawed ourselves back into the game. Forty-five minutes earlier at the break, they were already celebrating going into the next round, we know what to expect from them now, on Tuesday at their place in the replay. We will not play as poorly as we did he first half mark my words.?
Whitstable Town 3 Fleet Town 3
WTFC ?