On the day Whitstable received the trophy for winning the league, they were made to battle for the three points by the already relegated Hythe Town whose young team produced a creditable performance. After getting the point needed at Rusthall to secure the title, the Oystermen had seen their long unbeaten run ended two days earlier in a rather lacklustre display against Fisher and for a long time this game followed a similar path, although Whitstable had created a number of chances without being able to convert any. The game eventually sprung to life in the last twenty minutes and Finn O'Mara headed Whitstable into the lead, only for Blu Husthwaite to pop up with an equaliser. Bradley Schafer scored his 25th of the season to put Whitstable back in front and they made sure with a late third when a combination of O'Mara and Dean Grant managed to divert a Fin Cotton corner into the net.

With four games still to be played, the fate of these teams was already decided - Whitstable promoted as league champions and Hythe, 57 points behind them, relegated. Whitstable had won 2-1 on a Sunday morning at Hythe back in early October and that was the start of the incredible sequence of results without defeat that lasted until the Easter weekend. Hythe however have since had several managerial changes and a huge turnover of players in a very disappointing campaign that has now brought a second successive relegation. Under new management again for this match, they fielded a very young team. Whitstable made four changes to their team, including Mikey Dalton and Ronald Sithole who were both starting for the first time in a while following injuries. Due to fixture rearrangements, Whitstable unusually had two scheduled Easter home games and although down on the Saturday fixture, the attendance for this afternoon, which would conclude with the trophy presentation, was still an excellent 772.

Whitstable created the first chance when a free kick swung in by Bradley Schafer was headed into the side netting by Finn O'Mara. The next few minutes offered a bit of hope for the young Hythe team as they managed to ask some questions of the home defence and won a couple of corners, which would prove to be their only two of the game. Whitstable then began to carve out some chances of their own and in the ninth minute Tyler Hatton played the ball forward to Javaun Splatt who laid it back to Schafer and he swept it quickly out to Sithole on the right, but he fired over after getting into the box. There was then almost a comedy moment when Dan Colmer, under no pressure, kicked his attempted clearance straight at Judah Hushie, but fortunately for the Whitstable number one, the ball rebounded high into the air and was safely caught.

Hatton then sent another great long pass through the Hythe defence for Splatt, but goalkeeper Ben Gamage was smartly out to the edge of this penalty area to deny him. Whitstable kept up the pressure before Joe Healy eventually sliced an effort off target. Sithole found himself in space on the right, but his low cross was cleared. In the 20th minute, Hatton threaded another clever ball through for Splatt who had made a good run and shot low past the advancing Gamage, but also just wide. It was then Healy's turn to split the Hythe defence and release Schafer whose initial effort from a tight angle was saved, but he retrieved the ball and delivered a cross that Splatt headed wide.

Hythe had perhaps their best opportunity of the half on 25 minutes when a left wing cross found Hushie in the middle, but his header from about ten yards went straight to Colmer. Gamage did well to save Hatton's back post header from a Schafer free kick. Healy went down in the box from Splatt's quickly taken free kick, but penalty appeals were waved away. Hythe collected two yellow cards in the space of a few minutes for fouls by Jerzy Krzyszka and Monty Saunders, then Healy shot wide. Hatton's timely challenge halted a promising Hythe break just before the half time interval, so the score remained goalless when the teams left the pitch. A spirited Hythe team had made it a largely frustrating half for Whitstable who had nevertheless created several opportunities, but failed to make them count.

Early in the second half a Schafer throw was partially cleared to Healy whose volley was blocked and Will Thomas lifted the rebound over the bar, but injured himself while doing so. Whitstable created another opportunity in the 52nd minute when Splatt fed Sithole on the right and his cross was set back by Healy for Wilkins who shot over from the edge of the penalty area. Blu Husthwaite curled a long range effort wide at the other end before Whitstable replaced the injured Thomas and Mikey Dalton with Sinnkaye Christie and Jack Peters. Whitstable continued to press without finding the elusive goal as Healy, Wilkins and Schafer were all off target.

Jayden Boulton delivered a goal bound cross from the left that was tipped over the bar by Gamage who then needed some treatment. When play resumed, Healy swung over the corner kick and Finn O'Mara arrived to power a header into the roof of the net to give Whitstable a 76th minute lead. Hythe though we're not done and responded with an equaliser just a few minutes later. Good work by Elijah Abatan on the left started the move, with Robbie Keil then combining with Saunders whose cross was met by Husthwaite who arrived to steer the ball past Colmer at the back post. For a short time, it appeared that Hythe might prevent a Whitstable win on the day they received the league trophy, but it was the champions that stepped up a gear and Theo Osinfolarin fired over before they retook the lead on 87 minutes. Peters did well to emerge with the ball under the challenge of several Hythe players and his delivery into the box rebounded off Folarin Awoleke to the 18 yard line where Schafer fired it straight into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1.

Christie then headed a free kick just wide and Healy had a couple of efforts, the second of which was a delicate chip over Gamage that hit the bar. Whitstable did add a third goal in added time when Cotton's corner dropped invitingly at the back post where O'Mara and Grant both slid in and the ball ended in the back of the net. It was really one for the "dubious goals panel" with both claiming it, but Whitstable had wrapped up another win. After the final whistle, the SCEFL championship trophy was presented on the pitch by league chair Denise Richmond and Ricky Adams.

Whitstable finished the Easter weekend 19 points clear at the league summit and now have just three league games left to play, with the next being a visit to Holmesdale on Saturday.

Whitstable	Data	Hythe
8	Shots on target	2
15	Shots off target	1
6	Shots blocked	1
4	Corners	2
7	Fouls conceded	10
3	Offside	0
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Finn O’Mara, Jayden Boulton, Mikey Dalton (Jack Peters 56), Will Thomas (c) (Sinnkaye Christie 56), Tyler Hatton, Ronald Sithole (Theo Osinfolarin 62), Connor Wilkins (Dean Grant 71), Javaun Splatt (Fin Cotton 79), Bradley Schafer, Joe Healy.
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Finn O’Mara 76, 90+2, Bradley Schafer 87.

Hythe Town
Ben Gamage, Folarin Awoleke (c), Blu Husthwaite, Olubiyi Shobowale, Jerzy Krzyszka (Alfie Williams 90+7), Robbie Keil (Zian Nanda 90+7), Elijah Abatan (Keaton Baverstock 90+7), Monty Saunders, Judah Hushie (Rotimi Johnson 62), Richie Keil, Ikye Dalton (Kacey Richards 69).
Subs (unused): none
Goal: Blu Husthwaite 81
Yellow cards: Jerzy Krzyszka 28, Monty Saunders 35.

Attendance: 772
Referee: Oliver Storey
Assistants: William Watton & Samuel Dixon