Whitstable Town 1st Team
Matches
Sat 08 Apr 2023  ·  Premier Division
Whitstable Town Football Club
Whitstable Town 1st Team
J Jeffrey (58')
1
2
Fisher
I Thompson (75'), (82' Pen)
The Fish Enjoy A Day By The Seaside

The Fish Enjoy A Day By The Seaside

Ron Martin10 Apr 2023 - 02:11
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https://www.whitstabletownfc.c

Late penalty miss sees Whitstable suffer home defeat at Easter

WHITSTABLE TOWN 1 FISHER 2
SCEFL Premier Division
Saturday April 8 2023 15.00

Whitstable’s recent good run of results ended on Easter Saturday when a much changed team were beaten by Fisher. The Bermondsey based team shaded a tight first half in terms of goal attempts, but the score remained goalless at the break. A good move saw James Jeffrey put Whitstable ahead in the second half, but they conceded two disappointing goals in the space of a few minutes, both scored by Isaac Thompson, the second a penalty. There was late drama when Jefferson Aibangbee won, but then missed, a penalty that could have seen the points shared.

Whitstable travelled to Fisher for the opening fixture of this season back in July and returned with a 1-0 win, having missed one penalty before scoring another, awarded coincidentally by the same referee in charge for this return clash. Five Whitstable and six Fisher players that featured in July were named in the squads for this match. With just a few games remaining and little at stake, manager Marcel Nimani had a number of player absences to negotiate, with Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Ashley Sains, Liam Gillies and Josh Oliver all unavailable for a variety of reasons. Will Thomas moved to an unfamiliar right back position and Harry O’Donnell came in at left back. There were starts for Cameron Chamberlain, Caoilte Deakin and Gus Barnes in a very young matchday squad. A bumper holiday crowd of 525, including a good number supporting Fisher, were at the Belmont on a mainly cloudy afternoon.

Following a relatively quiet opening, Fisher almost took the lead in the 8th minute when Isaac Thompson laid the ball back to Michael Sarpong on the edge of the box, but his shot cannoned off the left post. There was then the unusual sight of Dan Eason coming out of his area and having to make two headers to clear. Some good work by Barnes of the right wing saw him send over a cross that reached Jefferson Aibangbee on the left of the penalty area, but his effort went wide. Both teams had a few glimpses of goal in the next few minutes, but Eason was called into action three times around the half hour mark. A cross from the right was deflected into the path of Thompson whose shot was saved, then Thompson had another low shot kept out after being played in by Sarpong. Eason then denied Thompson for a third time after he had played a one-two with Lewis Duberry. James Jeffrey was fouled after a clever run and O’Donnell’s free kick was deflected behind. In the 42nd minute, Thompson delivered Fisher’s first corner from the left and Manny Shoderu arrived late to plant a header just over from close range. A challenge by Sarpong on Aibangbee brought the game’s only yellow card just before the teams went in 0-0 at the break.

Fisher made a bright start to the second half and Darnelle Bailey-King had a couple of shots blocked firstly by Chamberlain and then Tom Mills. The game was delayed when Harry Gamble and Shoderu received treatment following a clash of heads, then Aibangbee curled in a shot that was pushed away by Justice Owusu. A Clyde Semazzi cross from the right corner grazed the bar before going behind. Whitstable broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Aibangbee drove forward before passing to Gamble on the left and his first time ball to the back post was collected by Jeffrey who had time to control the ball and tuck it into the net. Fisher thought there may have been an offside in the build-up, but the officials consulted and the goal stood. Jeffrey then released Barnes as Whitstable looked to extend their lead, but he struck the ball over the top from the right. Aibangbee went down in the box bringing – not for the first time – Whitstable penalty appeals, but in vain.

Both managers made changes, including the introduction of Ollie Milton who would play a key part in the Fisher comeback. The equaliser came in the 75th minute, although it looked as though O’Donnell was fouled by Bailey-King near the right corner, but as the Whitstable player appealed, play continued and Bailey-King’s low cross was helped across goal by Milton to the back post where Thompson arrived to score. Eason then got down to gather a low Sarpong free kick through the crowded box from the left, but things got worse for the home team when Mills was uncharacteristically caught in possession by Bailey-King, the loose ball was collected by Milton who then went down between two players in the box and Fisher were given a penalty; Sarpong made no mistake and Fisher led 2-1 in the 82nd minute. A couple more half chances were not taken by Fisher as Whitstable struggled to regroup, but they had the perfect opportunity to earn a point when Aibangbee did well to win the ball by the left corner and raced into the box where he was tripped by Tyron Mbuenimo. Aibangbee stepped up, but side footed the spot kick wide of the left post. A Deakin free kick in added time was helped on by Thomas, but Chamberlain could only send an attempted overhead kick over the top and Fisher held on for an away win that was just about deserved given the chances created.

Whitstable remain in fifth place with just three games to play, starting with an Easter Monday trip to face former manager Scott Porter’s Hollands and Blair. Fisher will return to the Belmont to face Hollands and Blair in the SCEFL Challenge Cup final in May.

WhitstableDataFisher
2Shots on target7
5Shots off target4
0Shots blocked2
2Corners2
10Fouls conceded11
2Offside4
1Penalties1


Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Will Thomas, Harry O’Donnell (Neil Spencer 86), Caoilte Deakin, Cameron Chamberlain, Tom Mills (c), Gus Barnes (Jeffrey Oredein 73), Harry Gamble, Dean Grant, James Jeffrey (Zack Jennings 86), Jefferson Aibangbee.
Subs (unused): Alfie Giles, Charlie Himbury.
Goal: James Jeffrey 58

Fisher
Justice Owusu, Tyron Mbuenimo, Conor Darwish, Joseph Adewunmi, Luke Thomas (c) (Prince Imoru 67), Lewis Duberry, Darnelle Bailey-King (Kaylam Burgess 90+2), Michael Sarpong, Isaac Thompson, Emmanuel Shoderu (Darnel Bromfield 70), Clyde Semazzi (Ollie Milton 73).
Sub (unused): George Taylor
Goals: Isaac Thompson 75, (pen) 82.
Yellow card: Michael Sarpong 44

Attendance: 525
Referee: Stephen Ryan
Assistants: Bradley Godden & Darren Wilson

Match details

Match date

Sat 08 Apr 2023

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

525

Competition

Premier Division

League position

5
Whitstable Town
12
Fisher
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

First Team Sponsor - FibreTech UK Ltd
Management Sponsor - The Tony Rouse Mispronunciation Society
Management Sponsor - The Tony Rouse Mispronunciation Society
Management Sponsor - Stuart Kingston