Whitstable and Sevenoaks shared the points in the first game of 2020 at the Belmont. Sevenoaks took an early lead when new signing Liam King slid the ball past Dan Eason and although Whitstable then created most of the chances, they struggled to put the ball in the net. After a number of opportunities had come and gone and with Sevenoaks seemingly happy to sit on their one goal lead, it looked as though it would be another afternoon of frustration for Whitstable and the majority of the good 331 crowd. Then, with just over a minute of normal time remaining, the two substitutes combined as Tijan Jadama played the ball across for Marshall Wratten who shot past Patrick Lee to bring the scores level and earn a point, which was the least their team deserved.

These two teams were promoted together from the SCEFL Premier Division at the start of last season and both matches during that Isthmian League campaign finished 1-1. Steve Smith scored for Whitstable on each occasion, but Sevenoaks twice equalised during added time – in the 96th minute at the Belmont and the 91st minute at the Bourne Stadium. This season, the teams met in August at Sevenoaks when the home team eased to a 4-0 win, with all the goals coming in the second half. Whitstable made one change to their starting line up from the recent Herne Bay defeat, with Luke Girt returning and Tijan Jadama dropping to the bench. Sevenoaks included recent signings Liam King and Joey Taylor, whilst Jake Beecroft returned to the Belmont, having made 53 appearances for Whitstable between 2012 and 2013.

Whitstable started brightly with a Marcus Elliott header being comfortably held under the bar by the Sevenoaks goalkeeper and then a free kick dangerously sent in by Harry Stannard just failed to find a red shirt. As was the case in their previous game however, they conceded an early goal, this time in the 6th minute. The ball was helped on to Louis Collins down the left and he played it into the path of King, whose low shot beat Eason and rolled into the net despite the best efforts of James Brown on the line. Liam Gillies had a couple of unsuccessful efforts as Whitstable tried to get back on terms, before the game was paused whilst the referee spoke to the vocal Sevenoaks bench. Whitstable almost levelled on 20 minutes when a good John Ufuah cross from the right reached Stannard at the back post, but he was unable to get enough power in his shot and it was cleared off the line as Elliott tried to force the ball in.

The home side were beginning to pass the ball around well and got into the box several times without being able to test Lee. In the 29th minute, Beecroft collected a clearance on the edge of the area and tried a shot that was well held by Eason. Most of the pressure was at the other end and there were some penalty appeals for a push on Elliott as the ball was nodded across the box. From the next Whitstable corner, a Connor Sanders header was blocked on the line and as the ball dropped to Luke Girt, he lifted his shot over the bar from close range. After Lee had saved a Stannard free kick, Sevenoaks had perhaps their best chance to increase their lead when a corner was headed out to Beecroft who shot over the top. It was then the turn of Sevenoaks to ask for a penalty as King went over in the box when challenged, but once again the referee was unmoved. Sevenoaks did have the ball in the net in the 40th minute, but only after the offside flag had been raised and the score at the break remained 0-1.

Whitstable came out to generally dominate the second half and they thought they had an early reward when a Sanders throw was headed across goal by a defender and Elliott rose to head the ball against the bar, with those closest to the action feeling that it had crossed the line as it bounced down, but the assistant thought not. A couple of minutes later, Aaron Millbank had a header from a corner cleared off the line and then saw his follow up effort blocked. The only serious Sevenoaks attempt of the half arrived on 55 minutes as Kyle De Silva lifted the ball well over the bar when it had been pulled back to him just outside the box. Both teams made changes, with Wratten coming on for Whitstable and former Oysterman Frankie Sawyer replaced King for Sevenoaks. The visitors bench were up again as Millbank, already on a yellow card, committed a foul just in front of them, but he was just given a final warning by the referee.

Jadama came on for Gillies in midfield as Whitstable continued to push forward, having a number of opportunities to threaten from free kicks, corners and long throws. When Girt was fouled just outside the box on 73 minutes, Stannard curled the free kick towards the right corner, but Lee got across well to push the ball around the post. Tom Bryant had a shot blocked, with the ball rebounding to Ufuah whose shot was saved by Lee. Brown was cautioned for a late challenge as the game entered the closing minutes, but then in the 89th minutes after Sevenoaks had cleared a long throw, Whitstable regained possession on the right and Jadama played a great cross field pass that reached Wratten on the left of the penalty area and he did well to roll the ball first time past Lee and into the far corner. Whitstable had a couple of attacks in stoppage time, but the closest they came to a late winner was when Bryant hooked another Sanders throw over the top and the game ended 1-1.

Whitstable will be happy to have ended a two game losing run, although may feel they had enough chances to have taken all three points against a Sevenoaks team that defended well, but offered little attacking threat in the second half. It was a good, battling display though on a heavy pitch and they can now look forward to two away trips – Welling United in the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday and Chichester City on Saturday.

Whitstable	Data	Sevenoaks
9	Shots on target	2
7	Shots off target	3
4	Shots blocked	1
8	Corners	4
12	Fouls conceded	14
5	Offside	6
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, James Brown, Luke Girt, Connor Sanders, Tom Bryant (c), John Ufuah, Liam Gillies (Tijan Jadama 67), Aaron Millbank, Marcus Elliott (Marshall Wratten 57), Harry Stannard.
Subs (unused): Leo Mazzone, Josh Spencer, Charles Etumnu.
Goal: Marshall Wratten 89
Yellow cards: Aaron Millbank 51, James Brown 83.

Sevenoaks Town
Patrick Lee, Fraser Walker, Joseph Taylor, Dan Parkinson (Tommy Whitnell 87), Tom Ripley (c), Ben Gorham, Louis Collins, Jake Beecroft, Kyle De Silva (Tyrell Richardson-Brown 90+1), Liam King (Frankie Sawyer 56), Alec Fiddes.
Subs (unused): Adrian Stone, Renford Tenyue.
Goal: Liam King 6
Yellow cards: Liam King 52, Louis Collins 68.

Attendance: 331
Referee: Peter Conn
Assistants: Bo Wang & Piotr Zachwieja