The latest pre-season action, and the first of three home games for Whitstable, saw a young Gillingham squad visit for some Friday evening football. The Gills started brightly and opened the scoring with a well taken early goal by Louie Dayal. Whitstable equalised following a long throw as Will Thomas headed in at the back post and Bradley Schafer added another just before half time. Lots of changes were made by both teams for the second half, during which Javaun Splatt and Ashdon Day both found the net to make the final score of an entertaining game 4-1.

A crowd of over 500 came to watch Whitstable take on a youthful Gillingham team, but before the game kicked off, there was a minute’s applause to remember supporter Michael Fenn. It was the visitors that started on the front foot, causing the Whitstble defence some problems with their pace and some neat attacking football. An early move down the left ended with the ball flying over the Whitstable bar, but Gillingham were rewarded for their bright start in the 5th minute when a trialist made a good run down the left before his threaded pass took out three defenders and Dayal arrived to find the top corner from 12 yards. Another cross from the left wing was met by Nayan Grant whose shot was deflected over the top. Whitstable began to settle and Javaun Splatt ran through, but his shot was pushed around the post by goalkeeper Fletcher Hegarty. The scores were level in the 15th minute as a long throw by Schafer was flicked on at the near post and Will Thomas arrived to head in at the back post. Gillingham almost regained the lead a few minutes later when a great move gave their trialist on the left another opportunity to cross the ball and it was slid into the net by Stan Sargent, but he was just offside. Thomas was substituted in the 26th minute with what appeared to be a reoccurrence of an injury. Hegarty then saved from Finn O’Mara before a low cross from the right by Grant to Sargent looked certain to bring another goal for the Gills, but the shot was blocked and gathered by Colmer from close range. Whitstable took a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute when Schafer collected the ball from a trialist and drilled a shot into the bottom right corner from 25 yards.

Whitstable academy player Jake Abrahams had shown plenty of promise before being replaced by Ashdon Day for the second half, which began with a much changed Gillingham team. Another Schafer shot was saved before Whitstable increased their lead in the 58th minute. A deep Schafer corner reached Jake McIntyre beyond the far post and his looping header back across goal was nodded in at the far post by Splatt. Numerous substitutions were made by both managers, including the introduction of two more Whitstable trialists and young goalkeeper Zach Keeble replaced Dan Colmer. The score became 4-1 in the 73rd minute when Reece Gillies sent the ball out to the lively Jayden Boulton on the left and he twisted and turned before crossing low to the near post where Day turned and shot in from a tight angle. Sullivan Booth tried a shot that went just wide as Gillingham looked to reply and their best chance for a consolation came in the final moments of the game from a free kick that was curled into the box only for an unmarked Joshua Stone to head over with the goal at his mercy. The final whistle soon followed to bring an end to an entertaining game that included a number of young players on both sides who showed lots of promise for the future.

Whitstable complete their pre-season programme this week with two more home games, against Margate on Tuesday and Redhill on Saturday.

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Ricardo Thompson, Jayden Boulton, Finn O’Mara, Will Thomas, Jake McIntyre (c), Callum Peck, Fin Cotton, Javaun Splatt, Bradley Schafer, Jake Abrahams.
Subs: Reece Gillies, Ashdon Day, Zach Keeble, Luke Mandry, Tagan Kray, Thiago Ferreira, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C.
Goals: Will Thomas 15, Bradley Schafer 45, Javaun Splatt 58, Ashdon Day 73.

Gillingham XI
Fletcher Hegarty, Raif Jones, Kelly Adams, Thomas Silva, Teddy James, Michael Luxton (c), Nayan Grant, Cruz Beszant, Stan Sargent, Louie Dayal, Trialist.
Subs: Zack Broadbent, Alfie Cross, Arthur Mhlanga, Trialist, Freddie Carruthers, Sullivan Booth, Evan Surrey, Jack Kingston, Freddie Francis, Luca Procopi, Henry Broster, Trialist, Joshua Stone.
Goal: Louie Dayal 5

Attendance: 506
Referee: Nick Dunn
Assistants: Chris Cannon & Henry Saxton