As expected, there was a great attendance for this Bank Holiday derby fixture, but it turned out to be a disappointing display for the home supporters. There were a few bright moments at the start of each half, but otherwise the game was dominated by the experienced Faversham team who, after a quarter of an hour, were gifted a chance to score the opening goal, which was gratefully accepted by Tashi-Jay Kwayie. It was soon two, when Callum Davies was given the space to flick in a free kick at the near post. A Harvey Smith header hit the bar just after half time, but that was the closest Whitstable came to a goal and just before the hour mark Sam Hasler completed the scoring before the game drifted to its inevitable conclusion.

These two well supported teams were among the pre-season favourites to be challenging for promotion, although both had dropped points in their early fixtures, but each progressed in the FA Vase on Saturday. Whitstable decided to make some changes to their team and, more surprisingly its shape, with Finn O’Mara, Will Thomas and Jake McIntyre all in the starting eleven for the first time this season. Recent signing Zack Jobe was also included in the line-up, with Josh Oliver and Jerson Dos Santos dropping to the bench. There were plenty of familiar faces in the Faversham team, which was unchanged from their Vase win at Fisher. The August Bank Holiday attendance was 868 on a warm afternoon.

Whitstable started positively and an early corner was headed over at the near post by Harvey Smith who was looking to build on his Vase hat trick. Dan Colmer safely gathered a speculative effort by Tashi-Jay Kwayie, then Smith headed a Mike West free kick over the bar after Kieran Campbell became the first of seven players to be booked by the inconsistent referee. Faversham scored in the 15th minute when Whitstable were caught trying to play out from the back and the ball was fed across to Campbell on the left who sent it back across the box where it was diverted into the goal by Kwayie. It was a poor goal to concede and things got worse in the 20th minute, although the award of a free kick by the left corner flag was questionable, but the defending from the set piece was bad and Frannie Collin’s delivery was flicked in at the near post by the visitors’ captain Callum Davies.

A fierce shot by Campbell was defected wide by one of his teammates, then Thomas did well to block a Billy Bennett shot following a quick break. The Whitstable management had seen enough and decided to make a formation change with forward Dos Santos replacing defender O’Mara on 27 minutes. Just before the interval, a Sam Hasler free kick struck the defensive wall, before a couple of mystifying moments when firstly the referee missed Fin Cotton being pulled back just outside the area, then penalised and booked Jerald Aboagye when Bradley Simms ran into him. Faversham though deservedly led 2-0 at half time.

The next goal was crucial if Whitstable were to get themselves back into the game and they almost got it when a Dos Santos cross from the left was headed against the bar by Smith immediately after the restart. They weren’t able to build on that moment of promise, although after a couple of Faversham corners, Do Santos and West both had efforts blocked by defenders. Colmer turned away a good strike from the edge of the area, but Faversham scored from the resulting corner in the 59th minute. Hasler’s initial delivery was cleared back to him out on the right and he was given the space to work a shooting position on his left foot about 25 yards out before firing the ball through the crowded area into the net. That was effectively game over for Whitstable who did not manage a single shot on target all afternoon.

Faversham might have added to their score as a cross reached Kwayie who shot wide when he might have done better. More substitutions were made by both managers and Jayden Boulton sent over several dangerous left wing crosses that Whitstable were unable to make count. Davies and Kwayie put chances wide and Colmer saved a Johan Caney-Bryan header. Thomas almost pulled a goal back in the 85th minute when he met an Archie Hatcher corner at the back post, but the ball went just wide. A few minutes later, Faversham were able to celebrate a 3-0 away win with their travelling fans, while Whitstable find themselves in 15th place after four league games and needing considerable improvement if they wish to climb the table.

Whitstable travel to play Hollands and Blair on Saturday in a rearranged league fixture due to the continuing FA Cup commitments of their original opponents Lordswood.

Whitstable	Data	Faversham
0	Shots on target	7
4	Shots off target	8
3	Shots blocked	2
4	Corners	6
15	Fouls conceded	15
1	Offside	2
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Daniel Colmer, Jerald Aboagye (Jayden Boulton 64), Karn Miller-Neave, Fin Cotton, Finn O’Mara (Jerson Dos Santos 27), Will Thomas, Jake McIntyre, Mike West (c) (Mitch Chapman 71), Harvey Smith, Archie Hatcher, Zack Jobe (Josh Oliver 60).
Sub (unused): Josh Robson
Yellow cards: Jerald Aboagye 45+3, Will Thomas 73, Karn Miller-Neave 78, Jerson Dos Santos 82.

Faversham Town
Jacob Russell, Tariq Ossai (Henry Muggeridge 72), Bradley Simms, Sam Hasler (Johan Caney-Bryan 68), Callum Davies (c), Ben Gorham, Nathan Wood, Tashi-Jay Kwayie, Frannie Collin, Billy Bennett (Luke Rooney 83), Kieron Campbell (Matt Newman 77).
Sub (unused): Daniel Thompson
Goals: Tashi-Jay Kwayie 15, Callum Davies 20, Sam Hasler 59.
Yellow cards: Kieron Campbell 12, Sam Hasler 50, Ben Gorham 53.

Attendance: 868
Referee: Krystian Kaczala
Assistants: Ben Wright & Ross Cooper