This could be described as a “game of two halves” with Whitstable playing well and generally the more effective team in the first half, but they were unable to make it count as the score remained goalless. VCD were much better in the second half and it was no great surprise when Charlie Heatley arrived to steer a right wing cross into the net to score what proved to be the decisive goal. Whitstable rarely threatened an equaliser, so lost their third home game out of the four played this season.

VCD Athletic arrived in Whitstable as the early season front runners with five wins and a draw from their first six league matches. Whitstable themselves had won four of their last five matches in all competitions, although were still to find any consistency at home. With several players struggling for fitness, two new signings were in the home squad: Archie Johnson started at left back in place of the injured Karn Miller-Neave and new midfielder Maliq Morris, who has joined from Lewes, was on the bench. Goalkeeper Dan Colmer was able to return to the team after missing two games with a hand injury. The visitors had one former Oysterman in their team, striker Charlie Heatley, who was named as a substitute, having just returned from holiday; he scored two goals in eleven appearances for Whitstable at the end of the 2021-22 season.

The game started positively for Whitstable and Harvey Smith flicked a header on for Jerson Dos Santos who got into the penalty area, but went down when challenged as he was about to shoot, but penalty appeals for a push were waved away and he was instead penalised for a handball when on the ground. In the 18th minute, Dos Santos found himself in the box again and a bit of clever footwork gave him the chance to test Andy Walker at his near post, but the veteran keeper managed to push it behind for a corner, which was headed wide by Smith. On 28 minutes, Jake McIntyre slid in with a heavy challenge on Ollie Freeman by the halfway line that earned the Whitstable captain a yellow card. Shortly afterwards, Lee Bird made a run from midfield before trying his luck from 25 yards, but Colmer saved.

A great cross field pass by Smith released Dos Santos on the right, but there was nobody in the box to meet his low cross, then Smith outmuscled a defender only to put his shot just wide of the far post. The chances continued for Whitstable as Josh Oliver struck a free kick into the wall before a cross from Jerald Aboagye was volleyed over by Archie Hatcher from beyond the far post. Another long range effort by Oliver was saved, then Walker did even better to deny Hatcher after he met a cross by Fin Cotton. Smith sent another attempt wide just before half time, when Whitstable would have been disappointed that they had nothing to show for their hard working, dominant display.

VCD made a change at the start of the second half, bringing on Heatley for Richard Jimoh. In the 53rd minute, Oliver did well to work himself a promising position in the box, but sliced a left footed shot well wide. Whitstable almost got caught out from their corner kick a few minutes later when a quick break saw VCD with four against one on the halfway line and the ball was played through to Bird, who was adjudged just onside, but Colmer managed to get down to save his shot and the VCD midfielder was only able to scoop the rebound over the bar. The visitors were now in the ascendancy and a deflected shot was just touched over the bar by Colmer. Reece Gillies, who narrowly passed a fitness test prior to the game was replaced by Morris on the hour.

The referee turned down a strong penalty shout when Bethel Gboda went down under a challenge by McIntyre in the box, then Bird curled a shot well over the top. The only goal was scored in the 74th minute when Bird sent over a low cross from the right and Heatley arrived just ahead of Cotton to bundle the ball into the net from a couple of yards out. Further substitutions were made by both managers and there were yellow cards for Whitstable defenders Will Thomas and Johnson, but apart from a corner at each end and a couple of blocked shots, it always seemed that the one goal would be enough. Smith glanced a late header wide, but VCD held on relatively comfortably to maintain their good start to the campaign. Whitstable, after more than matching their opponents in the first half, seemed to run out of energy and ideas later in the game and will need to regroup for two away games this week as this very busy early season fixture list continues.

Whitstable travel to Ashford on Tuesday to play Kennington then high flying Holmesdale are the next opponents on Saturday.

Whitstable	Data	VCD
3	Shots on target	5
6	Shots off target	5
3	Shots blocked	3
6	Corners	3
12	Fouls conceded	8
3	Offside	4
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Archie Johnson (Finn O’Mara 90+3), Fin Cotton (Jayden Boulton 82), Jake McIntyre (c), Will Thomas, Josh Oliver, Reece Gillies (Maliq Morris 60), Harvey Smith, Jerson Dos Santos, Archie Hatcher (Omotunmise Akanni 90+4).
Sub (unused): Dan Eason
Yellow cards: Jake McIntyre 28, Will Thomas 79, Archie Johnson 90+1.

VCD Athletic
Andy Walker, Harry Lawrence, Tom Cousins, Zak Byron, Ben Fitchett (c), Michael Fenn, Nathaniel Olawole (Jimmy Shepherd 74), Lee Bied, Ollie Freeman (Kwasi Amoah 89, Bethel Gboda, Richard Jimoh (Charlie Heatley 46).
Sub (unused): Lewis Clark
Goal: Charlie Heatley 74
Yellow card: Kwasi Amoah 74

Attendance: 391
Referee: Richard Myers
Assistants: Michael Marsh & Adam Aylward