A Disappointing End To The Year

LYDD TOWN 4 WHITSTABLE TOWN 0
SCEFL Premier Division
Saturday December 30 2023 15.00

The final fixture of 2023 will not be fondly remembered by the Whitstable team or their supporters that made the journey to Lydd on a blustery afternoon. Missing their manager, a couple of players and losing another to injury were challenges, but no excuse for a very flat performance that led to a comfortable win for Lydd. Ronnie Dolan fired in the first to give his team a half time lead and Luke Burdon headed a second soon after the restart. The game was over as a contest once Sam Adams scored directly from a disputed free kick near to the corner flag, so when Whitstable gifted Adams another it made little difference. Whitstable created very little in response with perhaps their best opportunity coming when Tyler Anderson’s shot was tipped over the bar in the last minute of the match.

Lydd have assembled a very experienced squad for their first season at this level and have made a good start to their campaign, although have played fewer games than everyone else, so will have a busy second half of the season. The teams drew 1-1 at Whitstable in their first meeting back in November. The home team included a number of former Whitstable players, the most recent being Eri Akintimehin and Dean Grant. Whitstable were without manager Marcel Nimani who was serving a one game ban and two previously ever-present players were also ruled out – Josh Oliver was suspended and George Sheminant unwell. There was a return to the club for Harrison Carnegie who initially made his debut in 2022.

The game began with a very strong wind blowing from the end Whitstable were defending and a good proportion of the 125 crowd sheltering by the clubhouse behind the goal. There was little early action until Ronnie Dolan put a free kick wide and then Charlie Dickens had an effort blocked following the first corner of the game, conceded when Whitstable were caught trying to play out. Liam Gillies shot over from 25 yards in a rare Whitstable attack. Lydd scored their first in the 22nd minute after a build up down their right and when the ball was laid back by Grant to Dolan his shot from 18 yards beat Dan Eason, curling just inside the near post. Things got worse for Whitstable straight from the restart when a late challenge by Dickens left Josh Williams with a nasty gash on his ankle, forcing an early substitution, but fortunately X-rays later revealed no break. In the 30th minute, Jake Mackenzie robbed Akintimehin and sent over a dangerous cross that was just missed by Emmanuel Oloyede. A right wing cross at the other end was headed back into the middle, but the chance wasn’t taken and the ball was hacked to safety. Dolan lifted a free kick over the top, before the referee showed two yellow cards in added time, one for a high foot by Will Thomas and Dickens joined him in the book for another poor challenge, this time on Mackenzie. Lydd led 1-0 at the break and Whitstable would have been relieved they had been unable to take several chances to extend their advantage.

It took little time though for Lydd to score another when the second half got underway and a deep cross from the right by Dolan was met by Luke Burdon whose diving header at the back post made it 2-0 in the 47th minute. Whitstable almost replied shortly afterwards when a Tyler Anderson cross reached Liam Gillies at the far post and his close range shot was deflected just over by Elliott Moore, although the referee inexplicably awarded a goal kick. Moore was then booked for a late lunge on Mikey Dalton and Liam Gillies also saw yellow after a handball was deemed one too many infringements by Mr Cox. Former Hastings United midfielder Sam Adams shot over the bar, then an Oloyede cross was helped towards goal by Carnegie at the near post, but kept out by Dan Smith on his line. After the hour mark, both teams started making more changes with Harvey Smith the next to be introduced by Whitstable. Lydd were awarded a questionable free kick by the left corner flag and Adams curled it over everyone and straight into the far top corner to give Lydd a three goal cushion in the 64th minute. Adams was getting the taste for shooting and clipped the top of the bar from 25 yards, then had another effort saved by Eason, but in the 78th minute he was given a late Christmas present when Eason rolled the ball out to him and he gratefully returned it into the empty net from 30 yards to make it 4-0. Dickens was the next to try his luck from distance, but off target. Whitstable did eventually create a late chance for a consolation deep into added time when a Mackenzie cross was brought down by Oloyede for Anderson whose shot was pushed over the bar by Smith for what was actually Whitstable’s only corner, but the final whistle brought a merciful end to proceedings before they even got the ball into the box. Lydd are now twelve points below Whitstable with six games in hand.

Whitstable will start 2024 in sixth place, but still with much to play for, so will be hoping for a positive response when they host Stansfeld on Saturday.

Lydd Town
Dan Smith, Elliott Moore, Charlie Dickens, Jahmahl King, James Rogers, Luke Burdon (Billy Robbins 66), Troy Howard (Kenny Pogue 83), Ronnie Dolan (c), Dean Grant, Sam Adams (Reece Mortimer 79), Eri Akintimehin (Jordan Sarfo 73).
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Ronnie Dolan 22, Luke Burdon 47, Sam Adams 64, 78.
Yellow cards: Charlie Dickens 45+4, Elliott Moore 51.

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, Will Thomas, Mikey Dalton, Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, Tom Mills (c), Harrison Carnegie (Eniye Amgbaduba 75), Liam Gillies (Harvey Smith 61), Emmanuel Oloyede, Reece Gillies, Josh Williams (Tyler Anderson 27).
Sub (unused): Josh Robson
Yellow cards: Will Thomas 45+1, Liam Gillies 55.

Attendance: 125
Referee: Kieran Cox
Assistants: George Head & Ross Cooper