Two teams riding high in the current form table met at the YMS Stadium on Saturday and it was Whitstable that ran out the impressive 4-0 winners against Steyning Town to continue their climb up the league table. After missing several early chances, they took the lead when Mikey Berry opened his account for the club and Kane Rowland added a second just before half time. Whitstable lost both their centre backs through injury, but second half goals from Kenny Aileru and Dean Grant, together with some determined defending by Dan Colmer and those in front of him, ensured another win for the Oystermen.

For the second Saturday in a row, Whitstable faced new opponents, having won at Broadbridge Heath the previous weekend. Sandwiched in between, their good form was maintained with the midweek defeat of Croydon Athletic. Steyning Town, known also as the Barrowmen, had beaten Herne Bay and Faversham in their last two league outings. In addition to their long term injured players, Whitstable were also without Ryan Bernal and Nathan Green who were both unavailable for this game. Kane Rowland was fit to return and Dean Grant, in the squad for his second game on dual registration from Hollands & Blair, started on the bench, while Mikey Berry came in for his first start in a league game. The attendance for this game was 695.

Whitstable began confidently and caused a number of problems for the Steyning defence. The first big chance came in the fifth minute as Seb Amatai passed forward to Rowland who flicked the ball on to Tijan Jadama and he in turn found Berry free on the right of the penalty area, but he shot over the bar. Rowland then headed Henry Young's cross wide and Jadama was just unable to get a clean header at the back post when Corey Panter's long throw bounced dangerously across the box. Under pressure from Jadama, Max Blencowe headed Mason Hunter's long diagonal ball towards his own goal and Alfie Mansell had to get across to save. Panter picked out Young who drove into the penalty area, but shot into the side netting. Rowland then headed another Young cross over the bar as Whitstable continued to press for the opening goal. Amatai won the ball in his own half and skipped past several challenges to get into the box where he caused enough panic to earn a corner that was flicked past the near post. The goal that had long been threatened arrived in the 21st minute when Panter's ball forward wasn't cleared and Kenny Aileru slid in Jadama on the left and he pulled the ball across for Berry to beat Mansell from 12 yards.

Whitstable might well have had a penalty three minutes later when Aileru appeared to be pulled over just inside the area by Blencowe as he cut in from the left, but the referee thought otherwise. Mansell punched a clearance straight to Berry who gave Aileru the chance to shoot, but his effort flew over the bar. Towards the end of the half, Steyning did begin to offer some threat and a Marcus Allen cross from the left was headed straight at Dan Colmer by Alex Brewer on 37 minutes. Whitstable were soon back pressing for a second goal and Young set up Jadama whose shot was saved, then in the 43rd minute they did manage to extend their lead when Rowland met a deep cross and headed the ball out to Berry who took a couple of touches before his low shot was spilt by Mansell and Rowland was there to poke the rebound into the net. Whitstable would have felt that a 2-0 advantage at the break was the least they deserved for a dominant first half performance.

There was a reshuffle needed at half time when Hunter was unable to return for the second half, so Tom Hanfrey took his place in central defence. Adam Adam had an early opportunity when he intercepted a short pass and tried a shot that went straight into Colmer's hands. Koby Yeboah then found Rowland who hit a defender with his shot before the visitors made a double substitution. Whitstable's injury curse struck again when they lost another central defender as Panter had to go off, so Dean Grant was introduced up front, with Rowland dropping back into the defence where he did a good job alongside Hanfrey. Robbie Rees replaced Berry in the 63rd minute. Steyning then had their best chance of the afternoon when Brewer hooked the ball on for substitute Jesse Sentamu who had just Colmer to beat, but couldn't as the Whitstable keeper stood up to save, although the ball hit him in the head. Rees made a good run into the box from the right and his cross bobbled around in the goalmouth before being scrambled away.

Whitstable made it 3-0 in the 79th minute when Hanfrey launched the ball forward and Grant rose with Henry Yorke-Johnson whose header dropped for Aileru and he raced clear to slot past Mansell. Grant ran on to a pass from Yeboah and put the ball into the net, but was denied by an offside flag. Steyning almost got a consolation goal in the 87th minute from a corner when Sentamu's header was kept out by a combination of Colmer and Hanfrey, then his follow up shot was also blocked to preserve Whitstable's clean sheet. After Bright Kuntu-Blankson curled a shot wide, Grant nodded on Colmer's goal kick for Aileru whose shot was pushed just past the post by Mansell. Whitstable did score their fourth from Hanfrey's corner that followed when Jadama won two headers to find Aileru and his cross was bundled over the line with Grant claiming the final touch. Mansell prevented a fifth Whitstable goal as he parried a shot from Rees after Asamoah had played him in.

Despite the injury setbacks, this was ultimately a comfortable 4-0 win against a team in good form themselves, Their fifth successive win - fourth in the league - lifted Whitstable into a playoff position at this very early stage of the season.

Having never met before this weekend, the teams now quickly meet again on Tuesday evening at Steyning, when a place in the third round of the Velocity Cup is at stake.

Whitstable	Data	Steyning
9	Shots on target	4
6	Shots off target	2
4	Shots blocked	1
6	Corners	4
13	Fouls conceded	5
3	Offside	0
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Matty Holness, Sebastian Amatai, Mason Hunter (Tom Hanfrey 46), Corey Panter (Dean Grant 56), Koby Yeboah, Kenny Aileru, Henry Young (Derek Asamoah 85), Kane Rowland, Tijan Jadama (c), Mikey Berry (Robbie Rees 63).
Sub (unused): Zach Keeble
Goals: Mikey Berry 21, Kane Rowland 43, Kenny Aileru 79, Dean Grant 90+2.

Steyning Town
Alfie Mansell, Max Blencowe (Bright Kuntu-Blankson 84), Dan Cadman (Jared Rance 73), Harvey Woollard (Jesse Sentamu 53), Henry Yorke-Johnson, Marcus Allen, Charlie Pitcher (Conrad Honore 53), Ryan Worrall (c), Alex Brewer, Finn Daniels-Yeomans, Adam Adam (Billie Clark 73).
Subs (unused): none

Attendance: 695
Referee: Michael Butcher
Assistants: Piotr Zachwieja & Guy Touko