After two good wins to start the season, Whitstable never really looked like making it three as they struggled to match the intensity shown by the home team at Foxbury on Saturday. Glebe always carried the greater threat, although had their goalkeeper to thank for preventing Steadman Callender from giving Whitstable an early lead and there was one other moment in the first half when the ball rebounded just over their bar. Otherwise, Whitstable found it hard to create many opportunities and a goal in each half by Ali Fofanah secured a deserved three points.

With Glebe having beaten Larkfield & New Hythe 1-0 in the SCEFL Roy Vinter Respect Charity Shield on the opening day of this season before losing 1-0 to Kennington in the FA Cup, this was their first league fixture. It was a much changed Glebe team from the one that lost twice to Whitstable last season, 4-2 and 4-1. Whitstable kept faith with the eleven that started in the 5-0 FA Cup win at Haywards Heath, but there was a change on the bench with Harry Gamble returning from his break to replace Harry O’Donnell who has moved back to Canterbury City.

Glebe pressed Whitstable from the start and Ali Fofanah had two off target efforts in the first few minutes. In the 11th minute, Whitstable created perhaps their best chance of the game when a long throw out by Dan Eason reached Tyler Anderson on the left and he sent Steadman Callender through one-on-one with Nathan Edwards, but the Whitstable striker saw his low shot kept out by the goalkeeper’s foot. A few minutes later, Ben Cheklit had a curling shot caught by Edwards after a Josh Williams free kick was cleared to him just outside the penalty area. It was Glebe that opened the scoring though in the 25th minute when the impressive Darion Dowrich got forward on the left and found Malachi Morris who helped the ball on to Fofanah and although he was a little fortunate when the ball initially rebounded to him off a defender, he shot into the bottom left corner from 15 yards. Whitstable almost equalised when Liam Gillies found Cheklit on the right and his shot was pushed out by Edwards, only for the ball hit Jamal Abubakari and rebound just over the bar. In the 40th minute, Eason had to get down to push away a Tom Hever free kick that had been curled into the box from around 35 yards out, then Nathan Mampono headed a cross over the top and Glebe went in at half time leading 1-0.

Early in the second half, Gillies had a shot deflected for a corner after receiving the ball from Josh Williams, but generally Glebe did well to limit the threat out wide and consequently Whitstable had few opportunities to get back into the game. Morris got away from Gillies before forcing Eason into a low save and Mampono fired the follow up over the bar. When Glebe won the ball back again and Eason was unable to hold another Morris shot, Jake Mackenzie was in the right place to deny Fofanah, deflecting his shot wide. On 60 minutes, Cheklit carried the ball forward before sending Callender away, but he was halted by a very tight offside call. Whitstable then made their first two substitutions in an attempt to turn things around and they created a couple of half chances without testing Edwards. Glebe went close again when a Mampono shot was blocked and Jamie Philpot shot over, then Gamble got in the way of another fierce Fofanah strike before substitute Kelvin De Graft shot at Eason. The second goal finally arrived in the 79th minute when a near post header by Philpot was only partially cleared and Fofanah swept the ball inside the near post from the edge of the box. Eri Akintimehin sent over a cross that Dean Grant headed towards goal, but Edwards made a comfortable save. After six added minutes, referee Tom Nicholls called a halt and Glebe had played well to win their opening league fixture 2-0.

Whitstable will look to bounce back when they entertain Lordswood on Tuesday evening, before travelling to face VCD Athletic in the next round of the FA Cup.

Glebe	Data	Whitstable
7	Shots on target	4
6	Shots off target	4
2	Shots blocked	1
5	Corners	6
17	Fouls conceded	12
4	Offside	3
0	Penalties	0

Glebe
Nathan Edwards, Scott Jarvis, Darion Dowrich, Tom Hever (Michael Adepoju 75), Jamal Abubakari, Reece Barrett, Ali Fofanah, Parish Muirhead, Jamie Philpot (c), Malachi Morris (Kelvin De Graft 81), Nathan Mampono.
Subs (unused): Jonathan Erhabor, Eniola Hassan, Sheikh Ceesay.
Goals: Ali Fofanah 25, 79.

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Ben Cheklit (Jack Palmby 82), Will Thomas, Tom Mills (c), Tyler Anderson (Rodney Eruotor 61), Liam Gillies (Harry Gamble 61), Steadman Callender (Dean Grant 82), Josh Oliver (Eri Akintimehin 78), Josh Williams.
Subs (unused): none
Yellow cards: Liam Gillies 55, Jake Mackenzie 72.

Attendance: 121
Referee: Tom Nicholls
Assistants: Harley Webster & Ashley Barnes