KENNINGTON 1 WHITSTABLE TOWN 6
SCEFL Premier Division
Saturday February 4 2023 15.00

The recent improvement in form continued for Whitstable as they comfortably beat a Kennington team that had won 1-0 at the Belmont back in October. The first quarter of an hour offered few clues of what was to follow with the home team pushing forward and they went close when Tom Scorer struck the post. The momentum changed dramatically when Jefferson Aibangbee headed in a free kick before Dean Grant and Josh Oliver both finished good moves to extend the lead. A second goal on the stroke of half time by Aibangbee effectively settled the contest. After the break, Jordan Wells added a fifth and although James Haylock-Ashdown smashed in a consolation, Whitstable had the final say when Rodney Eruotor tucked away a penalty after Victor Aiyelabola had been brought down. A bad day for Kennington got worse with a late red card for Jordan Griffin.

Whitstable arrived at Ashford United’s ground for this fixture in good heart, having won three and drawn two of their previous five league games. Hosts Kennington sat in lower mid table after suffering three consecutive league defeats, although their most recent game saw them easily progress to the SCEFL Challenge Cup semi-finals with a 5-1 win against Staplehurst Monarchs. There were two changes to the Whitstable starting eleven, with Grant and Aibangbee replacing Gus Barnes and Sammi Takaloo, who took their places on the bench. Former Whitstable player Muhammed Cham was named in the Kennington team, whilst two others who were briefly Oystermen earlier in the season, Tommy Penfold and Dominic Wynter-Stephens, were among the substitutes. Both teams and the attendance of 132 observed a minute’s silence in memory of Whitstable’s Under 15 player Miles Stockwell prior to the kick off.

Whitstable began this match slowly, often conceding possession too easily on the uneven surface, as Kennington drove forward confidently. Dan Eason held an early shot by Rajan Sahni and there were several threatening crosses put into the box, but the closest Kennington came to scoring was in the 15th minute when Cham, on the right, laid the ball back for Scorer who took it forward before smacking a shot against the outside of the near post from around 10 yards. Whitstable eventually managed to achieve some control and began to pass the ball around more effectively and opened the scoring in the 18th minute after winning a free kick on the right. It was swung in left footed by Eruotor and Aibangbee threw himself forward to head the ball past Joe Mant. Whitstable were now enjoying the bulk of the possession, but Eason was required to save a low, deflected Sahni shot on the half hour mark.

The second goal was scored in the 31st minute when Tom Mills brought the ball forward before playing a great pass inside the full back to Aibangbee on the left and he delivered a cross that was headed in by Grant at the near post. Just a couple of minutes later, Aibangbee was involved again, sending Oliver away from the halfway line and he outpaced the last defender to shoot past Mant. Liam Gillies then lifted a shot over the bar after another Aibangbee run. A well struck 25 yard free kick by Scorer was parried by Eason who safely caught the cross that followed. Whitstable put the game beyond the reach of Kennington in added time following a patient build up. Mills passed to Grant, who took a touch before cleverly releasing Eruotor. His right foot shot was touched onto the post by Mant, but Aibangbee was on hand to put away the rebound and send his team in 4-0 up at half time. After the sluggish start, Whitstable had been particularly clinical, taking their chances well, as the home defence struggled with the pace of some of the attacks.

Kennington rang the changes, sending on three substitutes for the second half. Grant put a shot wide, but Whitstable added a fifth in the 58th minute. Another period of possession led to Wells crossing low from the left for Aibangbee whose hat trick attempt was blocked on the line, but Whitstable retrieved the ball and worked it to George Sheminant who squared it for Wells to find the bottom right corner of the net from 18 yards. Kennington kept going and won a couple of promising free kicks without testing Eason, but did pull a goal back on 66 minutes when Whitstable failed to clear the ball properly and Haylock-Ashdown fired a first time shot into the net from just inside the box. The five goal cushion was soon restored when Aiyelabola ran on to an Eruotor pass and was brought down by Mant for a penalty that was calmly dispatched by Eruotor. Substitutes Liam Middleton and Gus Barnes both had efforts easily saved at each end as the two managers made multiple changes, including Cameron Chamberlain who slotted in confidently into the Whitstable defence for the closing minutes. Griffin inexplicably kicked Sheminant off the ball and was sent off in the 88th minute to add to Kennington’s woes, but there was no late change to the 6-1 score line and Whitstable eased to their biggest win of recent years.

Whitstable face another away trip next weekend when they travel to Lordswood for a rearranged fixture and will look to extend their promising run of results.

Kennington
Joe Mant, Luke Hughes (Jordan Griffin 46), Max Sutton, Adam Phillips, Matt Kirby, Kundai Munyama, Muhammed Cham (Liam Middleton 46), Tom Scorer (c) (Tommy Penfold 46), Mitchell Harman (Liam Whiting 72), Rajan Sahni, James Haylock-Ashdown (Dominic Wynter-Stephens 72).
Subs (unused): none
Goal: James Haylock-Ashdown 66
Red card: Jordan Griffin 88

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Jordan Wells, Will Thomas (Cameron Chamberlain 80), Tom Mills (c), Josh Oliver, Liam Gillies, Dean Grant (Gus Barnes 68), Rodney Eruotor (Sammi Takaloo 76), Jefferson Aibangbee (Victor Aiyelabola 62).
Sub (unused): Harry Gamble
Goals: Jefferson Aibangbee 18, 45+3, Dean Grant 31, Josh Oliver 33, Jordan Wells 58, Rodney Eruotor (pen) 71.
Yellow card: Jake Mackenzie 90+5

Attendance: 132
Referee: Christopher Cannon
Assistants: Graham Smart & Mark Roberts