WHITSTABLE TOWN 5 FISHER 1
GoCardless Kent Senior Trophy Quarter Final
Saturday January 31 2026 15.00

Losing finalists last season, Whitstable are now just one step away from returning to have another shot at winning the Kent Senior Trophy after a relatively comfortable win against Fisher. Despite a promising opening by the home team, Fisher stunned the large crowd by taking the lead when Michael Sarpong reacted the quickest as a free kick was swung into the Whitstable penalty area. Whitstable struck back to lead 2-1 at half time with goals by the returning Ronald Sithole and Javaun Splatt. A Bradley Schafer hat trick in the second half, including a penalty kick, eased Whitstable through to the semi-finals.

The previous Saturday, Fisher won their delayed FA Vase Fourth Round tie to join holders Whitstable in the last 16 of the competition and then enjoyed more cup success in midweek when they beat Wingate & Finchley in the London Senior Cup. Whitstable won a tight game 2-1 when the teams met in London earlier this season, while the return league game was moved to accommodate this Kent Senior Trophy Quarter Final. Following Nathan Jeche's departure to join Kettering Town, manager Jamie Coyle wasted no time in finding a replacement and Ronald Sithole, scorer of the winning goal at Wembley in May was back in a Whitstable shirt for this game after returning from Northern Premier League club FC United of Manchester. Still missing a couple of key players due to injury, plus the cup tied Isaac Currie and Jack Nelson, Fin Cotton returned to the Whitstable starting eleven and Malachai Belboda was named as a substitute having recovered sufficiently from his injury. Fisher were without their captain, and right back, Jack Gibbons. The sequence of very good home crowds at the Primcura Heathcare Stadium continued with an excellent 641 attendance, surely one of the best for this county cup competition outside of the finals.

The Fisher defence was given an early test with a number of balls delivered into their penalty area and Whitstable had the ball in the net inside three minutes when Sithole flicked Finn O'Mara's cross past goalkeeper Isaac Ogunseri from six yards, only to be denied by an offside flag. More pressure led to two Whitstable corners and then a cross from the right by Lewis Chambers was met by Javaun Splatt at the near post, but Ogunseri got down quickly to save. Against the run of play, Fisher took a surprise lead in the 14th minute, although the Whitstable bench were not happy when Rafael Garcia jumped into O'Mara and the referee allowed play to continue until Chambers brought down Festos Kamara. This time a free kick was awarded and Tom Jones curled a dangerous ball into the box where Michael Sarpong arrived in space to steer the ball past Dan Colmer. Chambers sent several long throws into the box and one was flicked on by O'Mara, but Ogunseri reacted quickly to save, then Bradley Schafer's free kick from the left corner was headed over by Chambers.

A rare Fisher break saw Garcia play a one-two with Kamara before Jayden Boulton slid in to block his attempted shot from outside the box. O'Mara sent a long ball forward for Splatt who chested it down before turning and volleying just wide. Whitstable finally found the equaliser in the 33rd minute when Cotton was instrumental in keeping possession around the edge of the area before delivering a deep cross from the right that was hooked back into the middle by Will Thomas and Sithole took a touch before firing a left footed shot past Ogunseri. Whitstable almost gifted the lead back to Fisher immediately when Colmer came out of his area to clear a bouncing ball, but hit it straight at Kamara and it rebounded fractionally wide of the unguarded net. Tyrone Mbuenimo was the first name into the referee's notebook for a high challenge on Ricardo Thompson. Whitstable got themselves in front with a 43rd minute goal when Thompson played the ball down the right for Sithole who did well to keep it in play and put over a first time cross to the far post for Splatt to head back across goal and in from close range. The score remained 2-1 when the teams left the pitch a few minutes later.

Fisher won two early free kicks when the teams returned, the second of which saw Colmer collect a low cross by Jones before Whitstable broke quickly and both Sithole and Splatt had shots blocked by defenders. A good low cross by Sithole then flashed across the goal with no Whitstable attacker able to apply the finish. Mbuenimo tried a shot from distance that Colmer saved, then Kamara's effort struck a Whitstable defender. In the 54th minute, Whitstable extended their advantage with a third goal that began with Colmer launching a free kick up to Splatt who headed the ball on and Schafer was first to react, taking a couple of touches before shooting past Ogunseri. Garcia then ran into the box and took a tumble, but failed to impress the referee who promptly showed him a yellow card. A flick on by Splatt gave Sithole the opportunity to outpace his marker, but the Fisher goalkeeper spread himself well to save at the near post. Fisher made a double substitution, but the game was effectively over when they conceded a fourth goal in the 68th minute from the penalty spot. Thomas sent the ball forward for Sithole who carried it into the box before being brought down by Nas Crespo and Schafer emphatically blasted the resulting penalty into the back of the net.

A throw in was headed by Splatt towards Schafer who held the ball up before finding Cotton, but his shot went over the bar. There was a brief scramble in the Whitstable penalty area before Cotton cleared the ball out to the left, Schafer and Sithole exchanged a couple of passes that gave Sithole the chance to cross to the back post where Schafer arrived to head in and complete a second half hat trick. Play stopped for exactly five minutes following an accidental collision between Colmer and Stephan Richard-Kingson, with the Fisher player eventually having to leave the pitch, although having already used three of their five named substitutes, they did not send on another replacement so ended the game one short. Thomas headed a Belboda cross just over the bar. The game as a contest had been over for a while, but there was a somewhat bizarre ending when the referee declined to add any time on after 90 minutes despite the lengthy delay in play a few minutes earlier. It had been a commanding performance by Whitstable who progressed to the semi-finals and extended their unbeaten run to sixteen matches.

Whitstable will now host Rusthall in the semi-final on February 21st, with Punjab United meeting FC Elmstead in the other. Next up however, on Saturday, both Whitstable and Fisher will be attempting to reach the Isuzu FA Vase Quarter Finals with Cockfosters visiting the Kent coast and Fisher travelling to the other remaining SCEFL team, Punjab United.

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Ricardo Thompson, Jayden Boulton, Fin Cotton, Finn O’Mara, Will Thomas (c), Ronald Sithole, Lewis Chambers, Javaun Splatt, Bradley Schafer, Theo Osinfolarin.
Sub (unused): Josh Robson
Goals: Ronald Sithole 33, Javaun Splatt 33, Bradley Schafer 54, 68 (pen), 73.

Fisher
Isaac Ogunseri, Michael Sarpong (Jacob Katonia 70), Lorenzo Duncan, Tyron Mbuenimo, Donald Macaulay, Stephan Richard-Kingson, Rafael Garcia (David Mata 61), Nas Crespo, Festos Kamara (c), Tom Jones, Esteban Salgado (Christopher Ojemen 61).
Subs (unused): Ajibola Ashanike, Ben Sangare.
Goal: Michael Sarpong 14
Yellow cards: Tyron Mbuenimo 39, Rafael Garcia 56, Festos Kamara 85.

Attendance: 641
Referee: Matthew Pollington
Assistants: Matthew Burchett & James Bonney