Whitstable were made to work hard by an energetic Lordswood team that were in front twice during this cup tie, but they eventually came out on top, scoring five, to maintain their recent run of successes. Archie Risdon gave the visitors an early lead, but Tyler Anderson waltzed through to level things up before half time. Lordswood soon regained the lead when play restarted as David Falako bundled in a low cross, but Whitstable made some changes and gradually turned things around. Harvey Smith won and converted a penalty, then found the net again with a deflected free kick. Whitstable finished strongly and added two late goals when Emmanuel Oloyede fired home and Jake Mackenzie capped his 250th appearance with a stunning late strike.

For both clubs, this second round tie was their first game in the SCEFL Challenge Cup this season. Recent good form had seen Whitstable rise to eighth in the league table with Lordswood seven points behind, having played two fewer games. Lordswood are proving hard to beat, having lost just one of their ten league games, conceding only nine goals. Former Whitstable striker James Jeffrey has enjoyed a good start to the season and sits at the top of the goal scoring charts. There are now a few players with Whitstable connections at Lordswood and Whitstable failed to beat them last season or in the latest league meeting at the Belmont in August that finished 3-3. Marcel Nimani changed his team around a little for this game, with Mikey Dalton, Jack Palmby and Tyler Anderson coming into the starting eleven in place of Liam and Reece Gillies and Harvey Smith. The lowest home crowd of the season, 172, braved the unsettled weather forecast on this Halloween night.

Lordswood pressed forward from the kick off and might have scored in the 2nd minute, after Jeffrey set up Jack Peters who was too slow get his shot away and Dan Eason was able to gather the ball. Their early efforts were rewarded in the 6th minute however when Josh Reid won the ball and Jeffrey took it forward before bending a shot towards goal. It bounced awkwardly in front of Eason who could only push it away and Archie Risdon arrived on the left of the penalty area to drill the ball into the far corner. George Sheminant found Josh Oliver whose low shot from 22 yards was saved by Ivor Williams as Whitstable threatened for the first time. Lordswood still looked dangerous with Jeffrey having another shot blocked before Peters curled the ball just past the far post.

As the game settled a little, Whitstable began to create more opportunities and Josh Williams tested the Lordswood goalkeeper with a low shot. Jeffrey then had two efforts well blocked in quick succession by Will Thomas and Jake Mackenzie. Williams won possession on the right and went past several challenges, only to shoot just wide. Whitstable equalised in the 28th minute when Dalton found Anderson who played a one-two with Emmanuel Oloyede, skipped around a couple of defenders and shot into the bottom left corner from 18 yards. Williams tested his namesake again with a high, curling effort that was pushed away, then he intercepted a loose back pass by Risdon, but shot just the wrong side of the post. Added time brought a couple more chances for Whitstable, firstly an Oloyede header was not dealt with by two defenders, allowing Williams the chance to shoot and although his effort was partially saved, the ball looped up towards goal, but Rahman Kareem somehow managed to get back to hook it off the line. Oloyede then headed a Willams cross over as an eventful half ended 1-1.

Whitstable had finished the first half on top, but conceded a poor goal in the 47th minute to fall behind again. Jeffrey made the space on the left to give Harvey Broad the chance to send over a low cross and David Falako was on hand to finish from close range. Palmby tried a shot that was comfortably saved, then Eason got down to turn away a shot by Falako and saved another from Reid as Whitstable struggled to regain control. Harvey Smith and Liam Gillies were sent on with about one third of the game remaining and the two created an opening, but Smith’s shot lacked power. Gillies then shot wide after a promising move before Eri Akintimehin was also introduced and he was also soon in the action, having a shot cleared off the line by Joel-Michael Odeniran. Whitstable drew level with a 71st minute penalty. Thomas had a shot blocked following a corner and as Smith controlled the rebound, he went down when challenged by Ryan Neal who was adjudged by the well-positioned referee to have caught him and then sent to the sin bin for his protests, while Smith got up to beat Williams from the spot.

A handball just outside the box by Kareem gave Smith the chance to put Whitstable ahead for the first time and his free kick was deflected past a stranded Williams in the 79th minute. Shortly afterwards, Smith had another shot saved, as Whitstable went looking for further goals. Lordswood almost replied when Broad whipped a cross in from the left, Jeffrey arrived in front of Eason, but neither appeared to make contact and the ball bounced just over the bar. More substitutions followed and eight added minutes were signalled. Good play on the left by Akintimehin and Smith gave Oloyede the chance to take the ball past two close defenders and power a shot inside the right post. In the last minute, a misplaced clearance was collected by Mackenzie, who despite being pushed as he strode forward, crashed a great shot past Williams into the far corner from about 22 yards to make the final score 5-2. It was his 10th goal for the club and a fitting way to celebrate his 250th appearance.

Whitstable play Welling Town at home on Saturday as they seek to extend their recent run of wins to seven.

Whitstable	Data	Lordswood
13	Shots on target	5
6	Shots off target	5
3	Shots blocked	3
4	Corners	1
8	Fouls conceded	18
1	Offside	1
1	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Mikey Dalton, Will Thomas, Tom Mills (c), Tyler Anderson (Ed May 89), Jack Palmby (Liam Gillies 58), Emmanuel Oloyede (James Brown 90+6), Josh Oliver (Harvey Smith 59), Josh Williams (Eri Akintimehin 65).
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Tyler Anderson 28, Harvey Smith (pen) 71, 79, Emmanuel Oloyede 90+3, Jake Mackenzie 90+8.
Yellow card: Eri Akintimehin 74

Lordswood
Ivor Williams, Rahman Kareem (Lewis Mingle 85), Harvey Broad, Ryan Neal (Donell Sama 89), Joel-Michael Odeniran, Archie Risdon (c), Josh Reid, Quadri Green, James Jeffrey, Jack Peters (Callum Peck 65), David Falako (David Ajao 72).
Sub (unused): Euan Sallis
Goals: Archie Risdon 6, David Falako 47.
Yellow cards: Jack Peters 53, Archie Risdon 90+9.
Sin bin: Ryan Neal 70

Attendance: 172
Referee: Matthew Charles
Assistants: Mark Takacs & Mark Roberts