The first home game of the 2024-25 season failed to inspire Whitstable who slumped to a 3-1 defeat against Rusthall. There were a number of early opportunities for the home team, with a Harvey Smith header against the bar the closest they came, but it was Rusthall that scored when Tarik Ibrahim shot past the exposed Dan Colmer. It got worse shortly before the interval when Rusthall broke quickly from a Whitstable corner and Daniel Blunn made no mistake after finding himself with just Colmer to beat. Whitstable carved out plenty of chances to get themselves back in the game during the second half, but more poor defending gave Charlie Clover the chance to seal the points near the end. Josh Oliver did eventually get a consolation goal in added time, but too late to make any difference to another disappointing result.

Whitstable returned to the Belmont on a warm afternoon for their first competitive home game of the season following two below par away performances when they conceded two late goals to draw at Sutton Athletic before making an early FA Cup exit at Sevenoaks. There was a debut in midfield for new signing Fin Cotton, while Reece Gillies and Omotunmise Akanni returned to the starting eleven. Former Whitstable striker Steadman Callender, fresh from an FA Cup hat trick in midweek was in the Rusthall team.

The game began, in front of a crowd of 377, with a degree of promise for Whitstable as they created several good chances and perhaps if any had been taken, the game may have taken a different course. Jerson Dos Santos played the ball across from the left and Akanni shot over from 18 yards, then it was the turn of Akanni to be the provider, winning the ball on the right and finding Harvey Smith at the near post with a low cross, but he put his first time shot wide when he probably had more time than he realised with no defenders nearby. Whitstable went even closer in the 8th minute when Dos Santos won a free kick on the left and Smith rose to meet Cotton’s delivery at the near post, but his header hit the underside of the bar with the ball bouncing down before being grabbed by Serine Sanneh. A rare Rusthall break saw Charlie Clover’s cross deflected safely back to Dan Colmer, but it should have been a warning for the home defence. A chip into the box by Cotton picked out the run of Karn Miller-Neave, but Sanneh was out quickly to save. Rusthall scored in the 17th minute when Clover crossed from the right to the edge of the area where Callender did well to hold the ball up before playing in Tarik Ibrahim to his left and he was able to shoot past Colmer unchallenged.

Whitstable continued to press forward, without finding a way through and Dos Santos fired over after receiving the ball from Mitch Chapman. Following a pause for drinks, Colmer managed to parry a fierce, swerving shot by Jeffrey Njuguna, then after Whitstable had won a couple of corners, a quick break from the second of them led to another Rusthall goal in the 40th minute. Ibrahim won the ball just outside his own penalty area and Daniel Blunn carried it forward, exchanged passes with Jack Kirby on the left and continued his run into the box where he had the space to roll the ball into the far corner. Smith did put the ball in the net for Whitstable in added time after running onto a Dos Santos pass, but the flag had been raised for a very tight offside, so Rusthall led 2-0 at half time.

Jayden Boulton was introduced on the left wing for Whitstable at the start of the second half and they could have got the early goal they were seeking, but Sanneh denied Dos Santos and then saved a Smith shot following a good cross by Jerald Aboagye. Smith was soon in action at the other end, blocking a Kirby shot. Miller-Neave curled a free kick just wide before Clover sent a shot past the far post for Rusthall. Kirby then got free in the box, but the ball was kept out by Colmer’s foot, as the game opened up a little more. A great Boulton cross was met by Chapman, but his header went straight to the goalkeeper.

Both managers made changes and Whitstable substitutes Mike West and Josh Oliver each put shots just wide. The game looked over when Rusthall scored their third in the 85th minute, as an attempted long pass from the Whitstable defence found a green shirt and after several passes, Ibrahim set up Clover who turned into the box and fired the ball past Colmer. There was a late Whitstable consolation in stoppage time when a deep Will Thomas cross reached Oliver who shot into the bottom corner. Whitstable almost scored again with the last kick of the match when Smith crossed to the back post and West volleyed over, but the points had already gone and they will need to improve quickly at both ends of the pitch if they want to turn their results around.

Whitstable travel to Lydd Town on Wednesday evening as they try once more to get their league campaign up and running.

Whitstable	Data	Rusthall
5	Shots on target	6
16	Shots off target	1
1	Shots blocked	1
7	Corners	2
11	Fouls conceded	7
4	Offside	2
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Daniel Colmer, Jerald Aboagye (Will Thomas 74), Karn Miller-Neave, Mitch Chapman (Mike West 64), Finn O’Mara, Jake McIntyre (c), Fin Cotton, Reece Gillies, Harvey Smith, Jerson Dos Santos (Josh Oliver 63), Omotunmise Akanni (Jayden Boulton 46).
Sub (unused): Josh Robson
Goal: Josh Oliver 90+2.
Yellow card: Harvey Smith 75

Rusthall
Serine Sanneh, Jeffrey Njuguna, Mustafa Hashemi (Matthias Rose 87), Daniel Blunn, Rob Bissett (c), Ben Branch, Jack Lyons (Kalani Barton 63), Jack Kirby, Charlie Clover, Tarik Ibrahim (Josh Oluwafola 90), Steadman Callender.
Subs (unused): Frank Little, Ant Mepham.
Goals: Tarik Ibrahim 17, Daniel Blunn 40, Charlie Clover 85.
Yellow card: Jeffrey Njuguna 55

Attendance: 377
Referee: Jack Packman
Assistants: Will Sanderson & Ryan Cole