Whitstable extended their unbeaten run to fourteen games after collecting another three points at Erith & Belvedere, although they left it late to score the decisive goal. There was little to choose between the teams in the first half, with just a couple of decent chances at each end. Whitstable took the initiative in the second half, playing with much greater purpose, but as the minutes ticked away, it appeared that a determined, defensive display by the Deres would earn them a point. The breakthrough finally came with just a couple of minutes remaining as Harvey Smith converted a late chance at the second attempt, to the delight of the many Oyster supporters in the ground.

With the season entering its last few weeks, both teams still had ambitions of reaching the top five to secure a play-off spot, although sixth placed Whitstable were in the better position. Erith and Belvedere were several places lower in the table, with five fewer points, having played two more games. When the teams met previously at Whitstable in November, the result was a 3-0 home win. The FA Vase has also created some special moments for each, with Erith and Belvedere reaching the quarter finals before losing 2-1 at Hartpury University, who Whitstable will play in the semi-final. The last time Whitstable visited Erith & Belvedere, towards the end of the 2022-23 season, they won 2-1 when coincidentally the hosts were managed by Matt Longhurst and did go on to win promotion. For this game, Whitstable started with a new left back, Adedapo Olugbodi, while Connor Wilkins and Harvey Smith returned to the starting eleven. Jake McIntyre and Will Thomas missed out through suspension and Jayden Boulton continues his break following concussion. Plenty of Oyster supporters helped to swell the crowd to 180 on a sunny, but chilly afternoon. The worn grass surface did not appear the easiest to play on, but the ball certainly spent less time in the air than at Snodland the previous week.

In the 3rd minute, Bradley Schafer released Dean Grant on the right and his ball into the middle clipped the top of the bar and went behind. Whitstable had to make an early change when Wilkins was unable to continue, so Robbie Rees came on in the 9th minute to take his place in midfield. There was a lucky escape for Whitstable a couple of minutes later when a long, high ball forward by Rob Strachan found Tunde Aderonmu free in the penalty area, but he failed to make the most of the opportunity and as the ball dropped from the sky, he steered it wide from a couple of yards out. Schafer then slipped the ball to Smith whose initial shot was blocked by Billy French and he lifted the rebound over the bar. Mikey Dalton won possession and played a neat one-two with Nathan Jeche, but goalkeeper Charlie Cottrell was quickly off his line to grab the ball. Whitstable kept the pressure on and a promising run by Jeche gave him a chance to shoot, but his effort from 18 yards was straight at Cottrell. A good move between Schafer and Smith almost brought some reward, but the ball was scrambled away.

A Deres throw was helped on by the heads of Aderonmu and Joe Chalker for Danny Lear whose rising shot from the right was tipped over by Dan Colmer in the 24th minute. A corner was then headed back by French for Aderonmu who tried an overhead kick that flew over the bar. Whitstable conceded a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the box and Chalker's low shot went through the wall, but proved a simple save for Colmer. Rees, who had an impressive game in the middle, won the ball, skipped forward and tried a shot from the left that was saved. There were few chances in the last third of the half, but a couple of yellow cards were shown for fouls, the second giving Chalker another dead ball opportunity, but again he failed to test Colmer and the half ended goalless.

If the first half was relatively even, Whitstable certainly stepped up a gear in the second, although there was an early scare when a free kick was launched into the Whitstable box and a bit of a mix up at the back saw the ball run towards goal, but Jamie Coyle was on hand to clear the danger. Coyle was then in action at the other end when he got his head to a Schafer corner at the back post but the deflected off Ali Mansaray before being headed out from under the bar. A Smith cross reached Jeche who had a couple of shots blocked by defenders and Coyle headed another corner wide, as Whitstable kept the pressure on. With just over an hour played, Smith went past a couple of defenders and tried a low shot that was collected by Cottrell. The referee played an advantage when Finn O'Mara was caught late and Grant got himself into the box where his shot was saved by Cottrell's legs at the near post with Jeche waiting for the ball in the middle.

Substitutions were made by both teams. Colmer remained largely untroubled in the second half, although a bit of skill from substitute Harry Day won the Deres a free kick just outside the box, which Freddy Cray put wide. A Schafer long throw caused some panic in the Deres box before the ball was cleared by a tangle of legs on the line. Coyle's header down for Sithole saw the Whitstable substitute's shot deflected away. In the 88th minute, Whitstable finally got the goal their second half performance deserved when Smith won the ball in midfield, found Sithole on the right and continued his run into the box to meet Sithole's cross and although Cottrell parried his initial shot, he fired the rebound into the roof of the net. The away fans could celebrate and subsequently had very few anxious moments until the final whistle confirmed another three points to maintain their team's playoff hopes.

The busy schedule continues for Whitstable on Tuesday evening when they entertain Holmesdale.

E&B	Data	Whitstable
2	Shots on target	7
4	Shots off target	4
0	Shots blocked	7
5	Corners	5
8	Fouls conceded	14
2	Offside	0
0	Penalties	0

Erith & Belvedere
Charlie Cottrell, Billy French, AJ Morrison (Freddie Baker 90+1), Ryan Fowler (Harry Day 67), Rob Strachan (c), Ali Mansaray, Joe Chalker, Freddie Cray, Tunde Aderonmu, Danny Lear, Ronnie McClean (Tyller Davis-Whitlock 73).
Subs (unused): Luca Sanford, Rohan Pinto.
Yellow cards: Freddie Cray 41, Billy French 58, Tyller Davis-Whitlock 85.

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Adedapo Olugbodi, Mikey Dalton, Jamie Coyle, Finn O’Mara (c), Nathan Jeche (Ronald Sithole 73), Connor Wilkins (Robbie Rees 9), Dean Grant (Ashdon Day 90+1), Bradley Schafer (Albie O’Mara-Knapp 90+4), Harvey Smith.
Sub (unused): Fin Cotton
Goal: Harvey Smith 88
Yellow card: Jerald Aboagye 45

Attendance: 180
Referee: Mitchell Jukes
Assistants: Steven Tunnicliffe & Paul Westlake