WHITSTABLE TOWN 2 PHOENIX SPORTS 1
BetVictor Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 7 December 2019 15.00

Whitstable secured a useful three points with a 2-1 win against Phoenix Sports at the Belmont Ground. Aaron Millbank gave his team an early lead as Whitstable had the better of the early exchanges. Phoenix Sports saw more of the ball as the first half progressed, but rarely threatened Dan Eason in the home goal, but did find an equaliser from a well taken free kick by Jack Hopkins early in the second half. Millbank scored his second with another good finish towards the end and Whitstable held on fairly comfortably for the win their overall performance deserved.

Whitstable did the double over their Bexleyheath based opponents last season, winning 2-0 away and 2-1 at the Belmont in an April fixture at the Belmont. Only four of Scott Porter’s Whitstable squad from that game were in the side named by manager Lloyd Blackman for this game: Dan Eason, Tom Bryant, Connor Sanders and Harry Stannard. Phoenix Sports, who arrived at the seaside three points ahead of Whitstable, fielded twelve members of their sixteen man playing squad that featured last season. Whitstable made one change from the team that lost to leaders Hastings on Tuesday, with Marshall Wratten replacing Liam Gillies in the starting eleven. Charles Etumnu was serving the last of his three game ban. Steve Nolan made a return to the Belmont as first team coach, having last been at Whitstable as assistant to Nicky Southall in 2014.

Wratten and John Ufuah both had early attempts as Whitstable began the better and they went ahead on 11 minutes when they broke quickly after clearing the first Phoenix corner. Wratten headed the ball forward down the left for Millbank and he carried it into the box before hitting a low, left footed shot past Steve Phillips just inside the near post. George Whitelock became the first of six players to receive a yellow card and the free kick eventually led to Millbank having a looping header from a Ufuah cross saved by Phillips. Phoenix had a better spell around the 20 minute mark, without troubling the Whitstable goalkeeper, as Jeff Duah-Kessie blazed a shot well wide and Kenny Aileru had an effort blocked.

Whitstable continued to look the more threatening team and Jake Mackenzie and Bryant had efforts comfortably saved by Phillips. There was a big scramble in the Whitstable penalty area though in the 30th minute, but the home defence did well to prevent any shooting opportunities. Lauris Chin then had a shot blocked and Duah-Kessie put the rebound into the side netting from a tight angle. Just before the break, Whitstable had a couple of corners and Lewis Clark sliced an attempted clearance into the hands of his own goalkeeper, but the score remained 1-0 at the half time whistle.

Shortly after the restart, Whitelock was given a final warning after appearing to kick Ufuah on the ground after the whistle had been blown for a foul, but following a discussion with his assistant, the referee decided against showing him a second yellow card. Wratten swung over the free kick and Phillips saved a Sanders header. Stannard then shot over the bar after being played in by Millbank. The game suddenly changed on 57 minutes, when Bryant was booked for halting a dangerous run just outside the box and Phoenix were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position. Two players stood over the ball, before Hopkins stepped up to strike a perfect shot over the wall, out of the reach of Eason and the ball went in off the left post to bring the scores level from his team’s first shot on target of the afternoon.

Stannard whipped in a corner that was just missed by Bryant and then Ufuah was unable to connect with another cross as Whitstable went in search of a second goal. Gillies came on for Wratten, but the visitors broke quickly and had a shot deflected for a corner, but when the ball fell to Danny Young, his shot sailed high over the bar. Duah-Kessie tried a low shot that Eason saved easily and it began to look as though the game was drifting towards a draw. Then, in the 80th minute, a good Whitstable attack led to Ufuah having a shot saved with the ball coming out to Stannard, whose attempt was also blocked, but when it fell to Millbank, he powered a shot into the roof of the net. Phoenix never really looked like finding a second equaliser and it was Whitstable who went the closest to adding another goal when Stannard and Gillies were both had late efforts kept out, but they had done enough to collect maximum points.

Whitstable moved level on points with their opponents and now sit in 11th place ahead of an unwelcome midweek trip to Guernsey for a rearranged game. They then visit Ramsgate on Saturday, before having a break from the action until Ashford United come to the Belmont on Boxing Day.

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, James Brown, Luke Girt, Connor Sanders, Tom Bryant (c), John Ufuah, Tijan Jadama, Aaron Millbank (Marcus Elliott 90+4), Harry Stannard, Marshall Wratten (Liam Gillies 67).
Subs (unused): Liam Dickson, Leo Mazzone, Josh Spencer.
Goals: Aaron Millbank 11, 80.
Yellow cards: Tijan Jadama 25, Tom Bryant 56, Aaron Millbank 60.

Phoenix Sports
Steve Phillips, Ryan Andrews, Lewis Clark, Jack Hopkins (c), Danny Young, Lee Bird, George Whitelock, Lauris Chin, Jeff Duah-Kessie, Ryan Solan (James Dyer 81) , Kenny Aileru.
Subs (unused): Ashley Probets, Mahmoud Juma, Andrew Dythe, Elliot Slee.
Goal: Jack Hopkins 57
Yellow cards: George Whitelock 16, Jeff Duah-Kessie 62, Jack Hopkins 90+1.

Attendance: 157
Referee: Valentine Anekwe
Assistants: Adrian Tranter & Michael Butcher