A Win For Dan

STANSFELD 1 WHITSTABLE TOWN 4
SCEFL Premier Division
Saturday April 13 2024 15:00

Whitstable won 4-1 at Stansfeld in a game that could easily have seen more goals for both teams, but it was a good start for Whitstable’s goalkeeping legend Dan Eason who took charge of the team for the first time following the surprise resignation of manager Marcel Nimani in midweek. The afternoon could hardly have started better with two Josh Oliver goals in the first eleven minutes, but Stansfeld gradually got themselves into the game and both teams missed chances until a deflected Reiss Skeen free kick halved the deficit in the second half. Jake Mackenzie headed in a corner to halt the fightback and a late Mikey Dalton goal gave the final score a more emphatic appearance.

Stansfeld have been towards the lower end of the table for most of the season and still needed a few points from their remaining games to ensure safety, but in January they did win the reverse fixture 3-1, in what was undoubtedly one of Whitstable’s poorest performances of the season. There was still a remote, mathematical chance for Whitstable to reach the last play-off spot if they could win their last three games, but they were without most of their management team following their sudden, unexpected departure a few days earlier. Dan Eason agreed to step up to lead the team, which was unchanged apart from the suspended James Jeffrey being replaced on the bench by Gus Barnes. Club captain Tom Mills, injured in the Deal game, has been ruled out for the season, but joined Eason and coach Tom Holmes in the dugout. It was a pleasant, sunny afternoon at the home of Glebe FC and a fair proportion of the crowd had travelled to support Whitstable.

The game was only in the 8th minute when Whitstable opened the scoring. Left back George Sheminant challenged for the ball on the half way line and it rebounded forward to Josh Oliver who took it into the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Charlie Cottrell at his near post. It became 2-0 in the 11th minute when Whitstable progressed down the right and Josh Williams found Oliver inside the box and he fired the ball across Cottrell into the far corner. Liam Gillies then tried a shot that was deflected into the hands of Cottrell as Whitstable threatened again, but Stansfeld started to create some openings of their own. Tommy Whitnell shot just past the far post, Reiss Skeen had a couple of attempts and Jordan Perrin saved a low shot from Red Jenkins and another by Whitnell, before tall defender Vanadiny Mendes headed a corner wide.

On 28 minutes, Oliver had a shot blocked following a Whitstable corner and a Mikey Dalton cross was headed over by Jake Mackenzie. Cottrell then pushed away a Dalton shot and Emmanuel Oloyede ran on to a long ball and lobbed Cottrell, but the ball bounced just wide. Stansfeld went close in the 39th minute when a long diagonal pass reached Chris Alhassan on the left and his shot struck the bar. The chances continued and Reece Gillies found Williams who was just unable to force the ball home. Oliver ran on to another Reece Gillies pass and tried, but failed, to beat Cottrell at the near post. Skeen shot narrowly wide from 25 yards, Liam Gillies just failed to convert a Tyler Anderson cross and a Mackenzie header was cleared off the line in a frantic end to the half which somehow ended with only the two early Oliver goals to show for all of the efforts of both teams.

The first half had been a mixture of good football, some misplaced passes and spurned opportunities on quite a hard, bumpy pitch and it always felt like there would be more goals in the second half. Whitstable almost extended their lead when Mackenzie, captain and playing as a central defender, rose to meet another corner, but his header was saved. Alhassan hit the post after twisting and turning on the edge of the area, then Williams shot over at the other end. Skeen pounced on a loose pass, but shot wide when he should have done better, although the home team were looking the more likely. An Ollie Andrews shot took a big deflection, leaving Perrin stranded, but the ball rolled just wide. Oliver went down in the box, but the referee wasn’t convinced and Oloyede’s shot was blocked, but Stansfeld were finally rewarded for their industry when they scored from a 67th minute free kick with Skeen’s shot taking a big deflection off the defensive wall, giving Perrin no chance.

An equaliser looked a possibility, but Whitstable managed to restore their two goal lead in the 75th minute when Oloyede’s shot was saved and from the resulting corner, Mackenzie was again first to meet Dalton’s delivery and headed in at the near post. The game continued end to end and Williams set up Oliver whose shot hit the underside of the bar and bounced into Cottrell’s hands. A long ball by Will Thomas sent substitute Harvey Smith clear, but Cottrell saved with his legs. Anderson lifted an effort over the bar and Cottrell did well to parry a fierce drive by Oliver. Whitstable scored a fourth just after the 90 minute mark when a short corner on the right didn’t quite go to plan, but Liam Gillies sent the ball back out to Dalton who lifted it into the middle and it went in off the far post. It might have been five, but a low Liam Gillies shot was saved just before the final whistle.

Two games now remain for Whitstable, who travel to Holmesdale on Saturday before entertaining Corinthian on the final day of the league season.

Stansfeld
Charlie Cottrell, Frank McCormack, Jack Mahon, Ollie Andrews (Ibrahim Barrie 90+1), Vanadiny Mendes, Sam Smith, Red Jenkins (Jamie Humphris 74), Louis Birch (c), Reiss Skeen, Tommy Whitnell, Chris Alhassan.
Subs (unused): Harrison English, Archie Panyi, Joe Minter.
Goal: Reiss Skeen 67

Whitstable Town
Jordan Perrin, Reece Gillies, George Sheminant, Mikey Dalton (Alfie Wood 90+4), Jake Mackenzie (c), Will Thomas, Tyler Anderson, Liam Gillies, Emmanuel Oloyede (Harvey Smith 81), Josh Oliver, Josh Williams (Manny Cuttress 88).
Subs (unused): Dan Eason, Gus Barnes.
Goals: Josh Oliver 8, 11, Jake Mackenzie 75, Mikey Dalton 90+1.

Attendance: 65
Referee: Ericsson Temu
Assistants: Silvester Aina & James Beadle