Lordswood’s unbeaten home record ended abruptly as Whitstable scored four goals without reply on a very cold Saturday afternoon. Harvey Smith wasted no time in firing Whitstable ahead following an early corner and that was the only goal in a competitive first half. Josh Oliver added a second soon after the break and the result was never really in doubt afterwards. Two good finishes by Josh Williams completed the scoring and although several chances to add to the score were missed in the latter stages, Whitstable can be satisfied with a good afternoon’s work against a team that have proved difficult to beat in recent times.

Last season, Whitstable earned just a single point from their two fixtures against Lordswood and hand to settle for a draw early in the current campaign after letting a 3-1 lead slip in a league game at the Belmont. When the teams met again at the end of October in the SCEFL Challenge Cup however, the tie ended in a 5-2 home win for Whitstable. Lordswood were unbeaten at home this season, remarkably only conceding two goals in eight league games at their own ground, and also recently knocked Faversham out of the Kent Senior Trophy. Their manager Matt Barman surprisingly quit in the week and they were without several regulars for this game, but top scorer and former Oysterman James Jeffrey was in the team. Whitstable are themselves enjoying a good run and came into this game after ten wins and a draw in their past twelve games. A few players are feeling the effects of a busy schedule, but only Tyler Anderson was ruled out completely. Jake Mackenzie returned after missing the last two games. 150 brave souls were in attendance on an afternoon when the temperatures barely rose above freezing.

For the second game running, Whitstable made a great start. Josh Williams earned a corner following a good run down the left, Josh Oliver swung the ball in and with Jahmal Howlett-Mundle causing problems for the defence, the ball was only cleared as far as Harvey Smith who crashed it straight back past Ivor Williams from about 8 yards in the 2nd minute. The closest Lordswood came to equalising was just a few minutes later when David Ajao did well on the right and sent over a good cross that Dan Eason just managed to push away from the waiting Callum Peck at the back post and the loose ball was collected by Jeffrey whose shot struck Mackenzie, sparking loud handball appeals, but the referee was unmoved. There was plenty of endeavour from both teams, but few clear cut chances for the remainder of the half. Jeffrey drove a free kick tamely wide and Oliver did the same at the other end. Lordswood won two corners, but the delivery failed to clear the defenders at the near post. There was a scare for Whitstable just before the break when they lost possession and a cross into the box was headed down by Jeffrey and although Eason did well to push away Peck’s shot, it would not have counted as an offside flag had been raised. The Whitstable team were puzzled by the final action of the half when Emmanuel Oloyede sent Williams through one on one with the goalkeeper, only for play to be stopped by the referee to check an injured player, then when play restarted the ball was given straight back to Lordswood, much to the frustration of the Whitstable management who had to be content with a 1-0 half time lead.

Whitstable were almost gifted a goal at the start of the second half when a loose pass by Artem Kuchkov sent Williams clear, but his shot went over the bar. They did not have long to wait though and it was 2-0 in the 48th minute when George Sheminant and Josh Williams combined on the left and the ball was crossed to Oloyede who controlled it before finding Oliver in space to shoot into the right corner of the net for his eighteenth goal of the season. The contest was over when Whitstable added a third in the 53rd minute, as a poor goal kick went straight to Smith who found Williams on the left and he took the ball around a defender before hitting a left footed shot into the far corner. Jack Peters sent a shot well wide for Lordswood before Williams scored his thirteenth Whitstable goal in the 67th minute. Eason’s long kick was headed on by Oloyede for Smith who flicked the ball out to Williams and he dribbled around four defenders before finding the net with a right footed shot to make it 4-0.

Jeffrey managed to get past two Whitstable defenders on the left, but his low shot from the angle was pushed across goal and away by Eason. A number of substitutions were made by both teams as the game entered the last twenty minutes. In the 82nd minute, Oloyede played a good one-two with Liam Gillies, leaving the goalkeeper on the floor, but his shot was deflected over the bar by YJ Ogundipe. Liam Gillies then had a shot from the edge of the box saved by Williams and Reece Gillies shot over after some good approach play. Eason was out quickly to save from Ajao who had been played through by a clever Jeffrey pass. Whitstable had a couple more chances in added time. Will Thomas headed a corner wide following a good run by Oloyede and then Liam Gillies gave Steadman Callender the opportunity to shoot from 18 yards, but he shot just past the far post. Whitstable had done enough to earn a valuable win, adapting their game to suit the conditions, and leaving everyone to head home to thaw out.

The next game for Whitstable is on Saturday when Holmesdale visit for another league fixture. It will be a return to the Belmont for former Whitstable striker Andy Constable who now manages the Bromley based club, who made it through to the fourth round of the FA Vase on penalties and join fellow SCEFL teams Deal Town and Erith Town in the last 32.

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

Lordswood
Ivor Williams, Donell Sama (Euan Sallis 73), Callum Emptage, Quadri Green, Joel Odeniran (c), YJ Ogundipe, David Ajao (Conor Miller 90+1), Artem Kuchkov (David Odusanya 82), James Jeffrey, Jack Peters, Callum Peck.
Subs (unused): Lucas Mvongo, Lewis Mingle.
Yellow card: Artem Kuchkov 52

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason (Josh Robson 90+1), Jake Mackenzie (Ed May 87), George Sheminant (Will Thomas 77), Mikey Dalton, Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, Tom Mills (c), Josh Oliver (Steadman Callender 82), Reece Gillies, Emmanuel Oloyede, Harvey Smith (Liam Gillies 73), Josh Williams.
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Harvey Smith 2, Josh Oliver 48, Josh Williams 53, 67.
Yellow card: Mikey Dalton 85

Attendance: 150
Referee: Kieran Williamson
Assistants: Alex Gordon & Daniel Payton