DEAL TOWN 1 WHITSTABLE TOWN 1
Pre-season friendly
Tuesday July 13 2021 19.45

This was the first Whitstable game since the end of October, following the enforced break due to COVID, so it was perhaps not surprising that Deal looked the sharper side in the first half. The home team were already three games into their pre-season campaign, having achieved some impressive results to date, scoring plenty of goals without reply in wins against Hythe Town, New Romney and Hawkinge Town. Whitstable improved in the second half and the game ended in a draw.

Whitstable had several players unavailable, but still used nineteen on the night. There was little early action for either goalkeeper, although a cross by Simon Kabamba was headed wide by Aaron Millbank. In the 19th minute, Deal won a free kick on the right and the ball into the box was helped across to Connor Coyne who finished from close range to open the scoring. Shortly afterwards, Tom Carlton had an opportunity at the other end, but his shot was saved. Ryan Flack shot just wide, but Deal threatened to extend their lead late in the half. Jake Mackenzie did well to block a goal bound shot and then Dan Eason saved a header from a corner before a low cross from the Deal right was ballooned over the bar and the teams went into the break with the score still 1-0.

Manager Lloyd Blackman made his first two changes at the start of the second half, with Liam Gillies and Will Thomas replacing Harry Stannard and Ollie Gray. Gillies and Flack both had efforts just off target as Whitstable started to play with more intensity and they equalised in the 57th minute when Gillies slipped the ball to Millbank who shot low past the home goalkeeper. Millbank then had a header saved, before Deal won a couple of corners and saw one cross flash across the Whitstable goal. More substitutions were made by both managers. A Whitstable trialist shot over from the edge of the box, then Muhammed Cham won the ball and found fellow substitute Reece Gillies who passed to his brother, but his shot went wide. The two trialists almost combined to produce a late Whitstable winner, but there were to be no further goals and a competitive game ended 1-1.

Whitstable finished the game with a very young eleven on the pitch and now move on to home friendlies against Hawkinge Town and Kennington as pre-season continues.

Deal Town
N/A
Goal: Connor Coyne 11

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason (Alex Hardman 84), Simon Kabamba, Jake Mackenzie, Jack Miles (Aidan Chrascina 84), Ollie Gray (Will Thomas 46), Leo Mazzone, George McIlroy (Trialist 1 58), Tom Carlton (Muhammed Cham 58), Aaron Millbank (Trialist 2 65), Ryan Flack (Reece Gillies 65), Harry Stannard (Liam Gillies 46).
Goal: Aaron Millbank 57
Yellow card: Simon Kabamba 87

Attendance: N/A
Referee: Chris Cannon
Assistants: Kieran Cox & George Head