WHITSTABLE TOWN 1 MAIDSTONE UNITED 3
Pre-season friendly
Saturday July 4 2026 15.00

National League South team Maidstone United proved too strong in this first game for a new look Whitstable team, running out 3-1 winners on a very warm afternoon by the Kent coast. With twelve of last season’s double winning players opting to follow the management team to Isthmian South East rivals Margate, a very different Whitstable team will kick off this season. Recruitment is progressing well, but the squad for this game was not helped by the unavailability of a number of players, including Ian Gayle, Tom Hanfrey, Robbie Rees, Perri Iandolo, Charlie Thomson and Kweku Lucan, but that did give new manager Lee Martin the opportunity to include some trialists, together with several under 23 and academy players. The performance did give plenty of encouragement however against a team that play two leagues above, with results at this point of no great importance. Maidstone are also under new management this season, with Craig Fagan taking charge, and their travelling support helped to swell the attendance to 735.

Following a relatively quiet start, Dan Colmer made a couple of good saves during a spell of Maidstone pressure, but the Whitstable goalkeeper could do nothing when two trialists combined to give the Stones the lead in the 23rd minute as a left wing cross was fired in from close range. Shortly afterwards, a medical emergency in the crowd saw the game suspended for 41 minutes as a supporter was attended to by the Maidstone medics and club officials while awaiting the arrival of an ambulance. When the game restarted, a Whitstable corner was swung in by Tom Beere and the ball looped up from the first contact to the back post where Jeremiah Gyebi arrived to head the equaliser in the 28th minute. Colmer managed to help keep the scores level until the 43rd minute when a couple of efforts were blocked before the ball rebounded off the post and was sent back across goal for Ken Charles to give the visitors a 2-1 lead at the break.

A different Maidstone eleven returned for the second half and Whitstable also made a few changes, one of which was in goal and Josh Robson was soon in action, tipping a long range effort by Jayden Davis over the bar. The resulting corner led to a third Maidstone goal however, when the ball was hooked back across the goal for Frankie Hvid to head in, with the home defenders appealing in vain for offside. There was some late action at the other end when a Whitstable trialist was brought down by the Maidstone goalkeeper as he took the ball around him just outside the box, earning the goalkeeper a yellow card and Whitstable a free kick. The fouled player stepped up and curled a good shot off the bar. Whitstable did put the ball in the net again just before the final whistle when a corner was nodded back into the middle and forced over the line, but it was ruled out for a handball.

Whitstable return to action on Tuesday evening with an away friendly, at home, when they play their ground sharing friends Faversham Strike Force. There should be a few extra options for the manager in this game as some of the missing players should be available for selection.

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Matty Holness, Thiago Ferreira, Jeremiah Gyebi, Liam Boxall, Tom Beere (c), Harrison Pont, Henry Young, Alex Wall, Tom Derry, Trialist.
Subs: Josh Robson, Jack Nelson, Oliver Martin, Daniel Kushaba, Giel Lieth, Alfie Mantle, Trialists.
Goal: Jeremiah Gyebi 28

Maidstone United
Lenny Holden, Dermi Lusala, Taylor Foran, Alfie Tuck, Ken Charles, Riley Court (c), Leone Gravata, Trialists.
Subs: Frankie Hvid, George Fowler, Jayden Davis, Leo Hamblin, Mark Boruk, Ryan Hanson, Tom Leahy, Trialists.
Goals: Trialist 23, Ken Charles 43, Frankie Hvid 50.

Attendance: 735
Referee: Rhys Jeffery
Assistants: George Lowe & Freddie Waldron