Whitstable kept up their recent impressive goal scoring form with a 5-0 win against Holmesdale. In their first home game for four weeks, they made a fast start and could have scored several times before Joe Healy gave them an early lead. Holmesdale gradually got themselves into the game, but a defensive mistake just before half time allowed Healy to finish coolly and give Whitstable a two goal cushion at the break. Holmesdale did create some chances early in the second half before Whitstable finished strongly, with two goals from Dean Grant and another for Javaun Splatt ensuring they finished comfortable winners.

The teams had met just ten days earlier at Holmesdale in the Kent Senior Trophy and it was Whitstable that progressed with a 4-0 win. Since then, good away wins at Erith and Belvedere then Snodland Town had helped Whitstable climb to second in the league table and they were hoping to extend the winning run against their sixth placed opponents. The visitors had begun the season promisingly, but have also suffered several heavy defeats, including their last league outing, a 5-0 loss at Larkfield. Whitstable made two changes to their team, with the two Bradleys, Schafer and Walledge replacing Fin Cotton and Dean Grant. Ricardo Thompson was back in the squad after recovering from injury. Holmesdale made some changes to their team and also included new signings Enoch Muwonge and Mecca Samuels. Whitstable's first home league game for over a month drew a good attendance of 587 on a cold afternoon.

Whitstable started the game really well and might have scored after a minute when Finn O'Mara's header forward was headed on by Schafer to Javaun Splatt who was in space in the box, but goalkeeper Charlie Wealands was out quickly to save at the near post. Splatt then got free on the right and his low cross looped up off a defender to the back post where Walledge arrived to head past Wealands only for Will Bell to clear off the line. Mikey Dalton's shot following a corner was blocked, but Whitstable kept up the pressure and when the ball dropped to Walledge on the 18 yard line, his volley was parried by Wealands and Joe Healy was on hand to slot in the rebound to give his team a 6th minute lead. Whitstable almost added another three minutes later when Healy collected the ball on the right and picked out the run of Schafer who volleyed over the bar from six yards.

Dan Colmer had a bit of good fortune when he miscontrolled a back pass and his attempted clearance rebounded off Nathan Palmer, but went wide. Holmesdale survived two corners and then on 20 minutes a long range Palmer effort was saved by Colmer. Jayden Boulton and Will Bell were both cautioned in the 21st minute before Healy won possession and passed to Schafer on the 18 yard line, but his shot whistled just past the left post. Alfie Clark was shown a yellow card for bringing down Splatt and Schafer's free kick curled dangerously across the box with nobody able to get a touch. Whitstable presented their visitors with probably their best chance of the half in the 29th minute when they messed up their own free kick on the halfway line, lost the ball and Clark got into a shooting position on the edge of the box, but his low shot wasn't good enough to beat Colmer.

Whitstable decided to make a change after half an hour, replacing the already carded Boulton with Fin Cotton and moving Theo Osinfolarin from the right to the left and he then released Splatt who rolled a shot across goal and inches wide of the far post. The game went through a quieter phase before Walledge made room for a shot that was blocked by a defender. A ball in from the left by Splatt was missed by everyone and curled past the far post. Palmer tried his luck from distance, but the ball sailed wide. In the 44th minute, Holmesdale gifted Whitstable a second goal, although it still needed a good finish by Healy. Jude Jeffery passed the ball back towards his own goal, but straight to Healy who expertly lobbed it over the advancing Wealands into the net from 20 yards for his tenth goal of the season to give Whitstable a more comfortable 2-0 lead at half time.

Holmesdale almost reduced the deficit just after play restarted, as Palmer found Lewis Heywood in the box and he turned before shooting past Colmer, but Jake McIntyre was on the line to head away. Schafer then shot wide after Cotton and Healy had forced an error in the Holmesdale defence. Muwonge cut in from the left but was unable to beat Colmer at the near post and the ball was cleared. After both managers had made substitutions, a Grant cross zipped dangerously across the box with nobody able to get on the end of it, but Whitstable did score their third to put the result beyond doubt in the 65th minute. The Holmesdale defence were unable to clear the ball and Splatt took it forward before squaring it for Grant who flicked it past Wealands at the near post. Three soon became four a couple of minutes later when Dalton put Grant away on the right and his cross was converted by Splatt at the back post.

In the 76th minute, Whitstable scored a fifth goal for the second consecutive game when a left wing Splatt cross was headed back across goal by Osinfolarin and put in by Grant. The remaining time produced little action of note, although Will Thomas headed a late Whitstable corner wide and when the home defence failed to get the ball away in added time, Kayden Turner had a sight of goal, but blazed over the top. Holmesdale will feel they had a few periods during the game when they caused Whitstable some problems, but overall it was a convincing 5-0 win that kept Whitstable in second place with one third of the season now completed.

It is back to knockout football on Tuesday evening when current league leaders Bearsted visit for a Second Round tie in the SCEFL Challenge Cup.

Whitstable	Data	Holmesdale
9	Shots on target	4
7	Shots off target	6
2	Shots blocked	1
5	Corners	4
7	Fouls conceded	6
2	Offside	0
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Daniel Colmer, Finn O’Mara, Jayden Boulton (Fin Cotton 30), Mikey Dalton, Will Thomas, Jake McIntyre (c), Joe Healy (Dean Grant 56), Bradley Walledge (Ricardo Thompson 63), Javaun Splatt, Bradley Schafer (Connor Wilkins 82), Theo Osinfolarin (Ashdon Day 77).
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Joe Healy 6, 44, Dean Grant 65, 76, Javaun Splatt 67.
Yellow card: Jayden Boulton 21

Holmesdale
Charlie Wealands, Jude Jeffery, Ayo Lugboso, Tony Musoke, Will Bell (Micquelle Murray 51), Ali Mansaray, Enoch Muwonge (Mecca Maxime-Samuels 60), Alfie Clark (Callum Keeble 60), Lewis Heywood (Marcus Elliott 73), Nathan Palmer (c) (Kevin Dance 74), Kayden Turner-Bernard.
Subs (unused): none
Yellow cards: Will Bell 21, Alfie Clark 26.

Attendance: 587
Referee: Tom Amber
Assistants: Adam Mortimer & Danny Geary