Whitstable booked their spot in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup with a good win at fellow SCEFL Premier Division club VCD Athletic. They got off to the perfect start when Josh Oliver gave them a very early lead and with few further chances being created at either end, Whitstable maintained their slender advantage to half time without many alarms. VCD were much improved at the start of the second half, putting Whitstable under pressure and George Whitelock crashed a shot off the bar, but Whitstable generally defended well and any nerves were settled when Liam Gillies crashed in a second a few minutes before the end. The margin of victory might have been greater, but Daniel Colmer saved a Harry Gamble penalty in added time.

Whitstable have enjoyed little success in the FA Cup in recent years, not helped by some tricky early round draws and their passage through the preliminary rounds this season also appeared challenging with away trips to the two clubs relegated by way of the play offs from the Isthmian South East Division last season. Having comfortably seen off Haywards Heath Town 5-0, they travelled to Crayford hoping to return to winning ways following a loss and draw in their two recent league games. There were some team changes with Tyler Anderson and Ben Cheklit ruled out, so Josh Oliver and Jack Palmby returned to the starting eleven, as did goalkeeper Dan Eason who missed the previous game. There were a few former Oystermen in the home team, with Reece Gillies, George Whitelock and Marcus Elliott all named in their squad. VCD had beaten Sandhurst Town 2-1 in the previous round and had collected three points out of nine in their league games.

Whitstable kicked off the game in warm sunshine with their travelling supporters forming a significant proportion of the 139 crowd. They did not have long to wait to celebrate the first goal, which was scored with just 130 seconds on the clock. Jake Mackenzie won the ball on the right before Palmby and Steadman Callender combined to find Liam Gillies who slipped a clever pass through for Oliver on the left of the area and he found the far corner with a low shot. A few minutes later, Oliver was almost in again when played through by Rodney Eruotor, but he was just offside. VCD gradually got themselves into the game and Kweku Ansah volleyed a right wing cross wide in the 15th minute. Whitstable then won a couple of corners and from the second, a Will Thomas header was tipped over the bar by Daniel Colmer, but to the frustration of the Whitstable bench, another player was adjudged to be in an offside position near the goalkeeper, so a VCD free kick was the result. Oliver sent Callender racing towards goal, but Ben Fitchett got back quickly to make a timely interception at the expense of another corner. VCD were playing quite a few long balls forward that were mainly dealt with well by the Whitstable defence. There was a caution for Mackenzie just before the interval, but mostly it was a relatively comfortable first half for the visitors who left the pitch leading 1-0.

A determined VCD team were much better in the opening period of the second half and they came close to equalising in the 46th minute. The ball was worked across from right to left where Reece Gillies played in Whitelock and his shot hit the bar then rebounded back out off the foot of the far post to Jeff Duah-Kessie who was unable to divert the ball towards goal and the danger was cleared. Palmby managed a block an attempt by Ansah and Josh Leach shot over the top. Whitstable brought on Harry Gamble for Eruotor who had been another injury doubt prior to the game. Palmby shot just over the bar after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the box, then Dean Grant also came on, in place of Oliver. Bethel Gboda dragged a shot just wide before Elliott was introduced from the home bench. Whitstable had begun to look more threatening on the break and a good Callender cross was headed just wide from close range by a stretching Gamble. A Josh Williams shot was saved just before he was replaced by Eri Akintimehin. Whitelock then had a shot blocked and Nathan Palmer fired just wide.

Whitstable doubled their lead in the 84th minute when Akintimehin and Gamble released George Sheminant on the left and Leach could only head his cross out as far as Gillies who blasted the ball back into the net from about 10 yards. There was one more great opportunity for VCD to hit the target when a Harry Lawrence cross was met by the head of a diving Duah-Kessie, but the ball flew just past the post. In the first added minute Akintimehin was fouled in the box by Lawrence, but Colmer dived to his left to save Gamble’s spot kick. The final piece of action saw Grant run on to a long punt up field by Eason and nod the ball over the stranded Colmer, but although it went just wide, Whitstable were safely in the hat for Monday’s draw.

Next up for Whitstable in the league is a Saturday home game against Kennington followed by a Bank Holiday Monday trip to Faversham Town.

VCD Athletic	Data	Whitstable
0	Shots on target	4
6	Shots off target	3
5	Shots blocked	1
3	Corners	5
16	Fouls conceded	8
5	Offside	4
0	Penalties	1

VCD Athletic
Daniel Colmer, Harry Lawrence, Josh Leach, Ben Fitchett, George Paskins (Olaleken Osideko 80), Reece Gillies (c), Kweku Ansah (Marcus Elliott 70, Bethel Gboda (Jimmy Shepherd 90+3), Jeff Duah-Kessie, Nathan Palmer, George Whitelock.
Subs (unused): Harry Sargent, Hugo Webb.
Yellow cards: Jeff Duah-Kessie 52, George Whitelock 83, Harry Lawrence 90+2.

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Jack Palmby, Will Thomas, Tom Mills (c), Josh Oliver (Dean Grant 65), Liam Gillies, Steadman Callender, Rodney Eruotor (Harry Gamble 57), Josh Williams (Eri Akintimehin 78).
Sub (unused): Josh Robson
Goals: Josh Oliver 3, Liam Gillies 84.
Yellow cards: Jake Mackenzie 45+4, Dean Grant 70, Will Thomas 82.

Attendance: 139
Referee: Declan Wyatt
Assistants: Matthew Flowers & Simeon Joseph