Points Shared As A New Year Begins

PUNJAB UNITED 0 WHITSTABLE TOWN 0
SCEFL Premier Division
Monday January 2 2023 15.00

Punjab United and Whitstable Town had to settle for a point each in their first fixture of 2023. It was a game that both sides will feel they might have won, with Punjab shading a quiet first half and Whitstable having the better chances after the break, but neither could find the net. Whitstable had to play out the last part of the match with ten men after Victor Aiyelabola was sent off for something said to the referee, but although the game opened up a little, there were to be no goals for the holiday crowd of 168 to celebrate.

Whitstable travelled to Gravesend hoping to build on their Christmas success against Canterbury and add to their seven away wins in the league. Punjab started the game eight points behind Whitstable, although they had played three fewer games and already won 2-1 at the Belmont when the teams met previously, on Guy Fawkes Day. The home team included some familiar names to the large number of Oyster supporters that had made the journey, with Marcus Elliott starting and among the substitutes, returning from a lengthy injury break, was Marvin Okundalaiye who played for Whitstable some eleven seasons ago. There were two changes to the Whitstable team that started against Canterbury, with Josh Oliver and Dean Grant returning in place of Joe Nelder and Victor Aiyelabola.

The grassy pitch looked a little different to the Belmont 3G, but the recent heavy rainfall had not prevented the match from going ahead. In truth, the first half was not the most exciting 45 minutes seen this season and the main discussion points at half time concerned some puzzling decisions by the referee. Whitstable passed the ball around neatly at times and defended well, but created nothing to trouble Rilwan Anibaba in the Punjab goal. Their half was summed up when Jamie Watson, under pressure from Ronald Sithole, put the ball behind for a corner, but the referee awarded a goal kick! Punjab did manage to threaten a little more, with Chris Edwards, Elliott and Joe Vines all putting half chances wide and Lea Dawson was off target with a header from the only corner of the half. Dan Eason was called upon to make a save in the 32nd minute when he pushed away a rising shot from Will Johnson-Cole at his near post. The same players were involved again as the interval approached, but this time a weaker effort from the left was gathered easily by the Whitstable goalkeeper. Edwards failed to make the most of two free kicks in promising positions during the time added and both teams left the field hoping for better in the second half.

Whitstable had a great opportunity to take the lead in the 47th minute when a good cross from the left by Rodney Eruotor found an unmarked Harry Gamble in the middle, six yards out, but his header went over the bar. The chances continued for Whitstable and Gamble sent Eruotor through and he worked a shooting position in the box, but was denied by a good save from Anibaba. In the 68th minute, Whitstable played their way into the box on the right where Aiyelabola went down under a challenge, but play continued with the ball being deflected behind and from the resulting corner the ball came off the head of a defender and looped onto the bar and behind. A good tackle by Will Thomas gave Gamble to chance to find Sithole, but he lifted his shot over from a narrow angle. There was another moment of controversy in the 70th minute when Gamble went down with a head injury, but play was allowed to continue despite appeals and an assistant’s flag. Aiyelabola’s protests eventually saw play halted, but he was shown a straight red card for his comments.

The reduction in numbers did not prevent Whitstable threatening and a good move led to Jake Mackenzie sending Sithole racing through again, but his chipped attempt was caught by Anibaba. The game became stretched and Eason saved from Johnson-Cole after he cut in from the left. A great long ball by Thomas allowed Sithole to use his pace again, but Watson just managed to make a challenge and deflect the ball gently to Anibaba. Johnson-Cole tried his luck again, shooting wide after turning in the box. Edwards then created a chance for Arun Suman, one of numerous substitutes used, but his shot was easily saved. Another Sithole shot was kept out, with the rebound put behind and then Sammi Takaloo was almost presented an opportunity when an attempted clearance rebounded to him, only for Watson to clear. The last chance went to Punjab in the final minute of added time, but Thomas did well to block a shot by Vines.

In the end, a draw was probably fair enough, and the second half had produced more entertainment than the first for the spectators on a chilly January afternoon. Next up for Whitstable is a home fixture on Saturday against Glebe.

Punjab United
Rilwan Anibaba, Theo McKenzie (Marvin Okundalaiye 52), Ashley Probets, Jamie Watson, Stephen Ratcliff, Jordan Campbell (Emiliano Hysi 83), Chris Edwards, Lea Dawson (c), Paul Vines, Marcus Elliott (Arun Suman 70), William Johnson-Cole.
Subs (unused): Chandler Kasai, Dylan Gilbert.
Yellow card: Lea Dawson 89

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Josh Oliver (Sammi Takaloo 76), Will Thomas, Tom Mills (c), Rodney Eruotor (James Jeffrey 88), Liam Gillies, Ronald Sithole, Harry Gamble (Caoilte Deakin 84), Dean Grant (Victor Aiyelabola 59).
Sub (unused): Sam FitzGerald
Yellow card: Will Thomas 27
Red card: Victor Aiyelabola 70

Attendance: 168
Referee: Nicholas Monkman
Assistants: Amarachi Okamgba & Mark Fitzpatrick