This latest Non-League Day was a busy day at the Belmont with a number of events around the ground which helped to attract another good crowd for the visit of Holmesdale. Whitstable got off to a great start when Josh Oliver fired them in front with just 88 seconds on the clock. An even better strike saw Oliver find the net again a few minutes later and the lead could have been extended on several occasions before half time, but Whitstable were unable to find the final touch despite creating some promising situations. Holmesdale regrouped in the second half, making full use of their substitutes, and with Whitstable by then offering little attacking threat, it became a different game. The visitors had the majority of the chances, but neither goalkeeper was really tested and the game drifted to the end with little excitement. The referee did manage to find enough action to issue a few yellow cards, two of which went to the unfortunate Harry Gamble, meaning Whitstable finished the game with ten men.

This was the first match between the two teams this season as the visit to Holmesdale has already been postponed three times for various reasons. Indeed, this was the first ever league fixture between Whitstable and Holmesdale, although they did meet in the SCEFL Challenge Cup during the 2017-18 season when Whitstable won 2-0 on their way to lifting the trophy. Whitstable have found some consistent home form after a terrible start to this campaign, but the visitors arrived having lost their last seven games, scoring just once during that run which has seen them slip into the bottom four. Whitstable were without the suspended Ashley Sains, while Victor Aiyelabola has joined Larkfield & New Hythe. Gus Barnes returned to the starting eleven and Jeffrey Oredein was back in the squad following a lengthy injury absence. There were 522 in attendance on a bright and breezy afternoon.

A number of people around the ground were unaware Whitstable had scored when Josh Oliver collected the ball and shot into the bottom left corner from outside the area as the ball struck the frame of the goal and rebounded out. The 2nd minute strike was one of the quickest goals at the ground, although no match for Gerry Allan’s 4 second effort in1989! It became 2-0 in the 7th minute when Jefferson Aibangbee did well on the left before passing to Liam Gillies who touched the ball into the path of Oliver and he beat goalkeeper James Boughtflower with a fierce shot from 25 yards. Oliver almost completed a hat trick inside 10 minutes when his initial shot was well blocked by Cian McCarthy and he put the rebound wide. Aibangbee then had an attempt blocked and his follow up struck the frame of the goal. Whitstable continued to attack and a well-worked move on the right saw Jake Mackenzie cross for Dean Grant who had just strayed offside. Barnes and Mackenzie again linked up to deliver a cross that just eluded Aibangbee. Dan Eason had watched on from the other end, but Muiz Alaka did lift an effort just over the bar from distance just before the half hour mark. A George Sheminant cross was initially spilled, but Harry Gamble was just unable to force the ball home. When Barnes was fouled on the right, Oliver’s free kick almost led to an own goal as the ball was put behind for a corner. Barnes continued to get into some good positions, but Whitstable were unable to add to their lead and would have been a little disappointed to be only two goals up at the break.

Holmesdale made a change, introducing Herve Mbongue for the second half, which turned out to be very different to the first. To their credit, the visitors played much better in a spirited performance and fashioned a number of opportunities without ever really convincing that they would take one of them. For their part, Whitstable mostly played as though their minds were already turning towards the summer break! The first incident was a clash of heads for which a dazed Gamble looked surprised to be cautioned when he eventually got back to his feet. Mbongue lobbed an effort over the bar after a shot had been blocked, then Luke Adams also shot over from 20 yards. There were plenty of delays in play, with both teams using all of their substitutions, but most of the action was in the Whitstable half and Clyde Semazzi’s effort was deflected for a corner. Oliver made a promising run before being somewhat harshly carded for going down when challenged on the edge of the area. Holmesdale substitute Kameiko Pope-Campbell shot wide, then Whitstable were reduced to ten in the 74th minute when Gamble conceded a free kick 25 yards out and was shown a second yellow card; Semazzi’s low free kick was straight at Eason. A good left wing cross picked out Semazzi beyond the far post, but he could only hit the side netting. The half chances kept coming for Holmesdale, but there was some wayward finishing and from fourteen second half attempts, Eason only had two routine saves to make. Boughtflower had nothing to do at the other end apart from collecting a low shot by Caoilte Deakin in stoppage time. After six added minutes, most in the ground were grateful that the referee called a halt to a game that Whitstable had begun so positively before disappointing in the second half, but it was another three points and moved them up to fifth in the table.

Whitstable travel to eighth placed Sutton Athletic on Saturday, with just six games remaining to play.

Whitstable	Data	Holmesdale
3	Shots on target	2
7	Shots off target	10
4	Shots blocked	4
5	Corners	3
11	Fouls conceded	9
1	Offside	0
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Harry Gamble, Will Thomas, Tom Mills (c), Gus Barnes (James Jeffrey 65), Liam Gillies (Cameron Chamberlain 90+3), Dean Grant (Zack Jennings 90), Josh Oliver (Caoilte Deakin 81), Jefferson Aibangbee (Jeffrey Oredein 82).
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Josh Oliver 2, 7.
Yellow cards: Josh Oliver 69, Liam Gillies 84, James Jeffrey 90+5.
Red card: Harry Gamble (two yellows 50, 74)

Holmesdale
James Boughtflower, Maxx Manktelow (Herve Mbongue 46), Muiz Alaka (Harry Main 64), Cian McCarthy (Kameiko Pope-Campbell 53), Ryan Styles, Jesse Airen (Siji Akinlusi 59), Ed Sata (Chima Eze 73), James Shield (c), Luke Adams, Fred Obasa, Clyde Semazzi.
Subs (unused): none

Attendance: 522
Referee: Jamie Turner
Assistants: Michael Corderoy & Kieran Williamson