Whitstable put in a much improved performance at a wet and windy East Grinstead and were unfortunate not to return home with all three points. Luke Medley scored in the first half to give Whitstable a deserved lead at the break and they started well again in the second, but Sean Clohessy brought the home team level when his powerful shot was deflected past Dan Eason. Aaron Millbank restored the lead towards the end, but in the 92nd minute a high cross was sent into the Whitstable box and as Eason appeared to be prevented from collecting the ball cleanly, it eventually dropped to substitute Seidou Sawogo who steered the ball into the net to earn his team a point.

East Grinstead are a very different team to last season when they managed only one league win in twenty six games and were bottom at the time the campaign was brought to an early end. Their manager Leigh Dynan has since recruited a number of experienced players from higher leagues and this time around they are expected to challenge at the top of the table. They came into this fixture following three comfortable league wins against Haywards Heath, Ramsgate and Ashford United, scoring eleven goals in those matches, although they were surprisingly beaten by Sittingbourne in the FA Trophy. After a run of three wins themselves, Whitstable came down to earth with a big home defeat to Hythe before also departing the FA Trophy early. Manager Lloyd Blackman was still without a number of players, with Leo Mazzone the latest to join the injury list. New signing Will Thomas was named among the substitutes alongside Jay Hards, returning after four weeks out.

Louie Theophanous, the much travelled East Grinstead leading goal scorer, had a shot blocked in the opening minutes, but then went on to have a quiet afternoon. It was the visitors that began to look the more threatening, to the surprise of many in the 295 crowd, with Cameron Reardon doing well to block a Millbank shot in the 6th minute. A good run by Tijan Jadama set up Ryan Flack whose shot was deflected behind for a corner, then Millbank was just unable to divert a dangerous Flack cross towards goal. Some good Whitstable pressure led to Flack shooting just past the post in the 15th minute. Whitstable continued to prevent their opponents getting any kind of meaningful possession, moving the ball around well on a good playing surface despite some breezy and occasionally very wet weather, and Jacob Adams had to react quickly to deny Millbank as he almost latched on to a through ball by Liam Gillies.

Simon Kabamba had a good game for Whitstable on the right, but collected the team’s only yellow card when halting a possible break with a foul. The opening goal came in the 36th minute when a long clearance by Eason was missed by the home defenders and reached Medley who collected the ball before firing it past Adams. The best opportunities for the Wasps came just afterwards when the former Bromley and Welling United player Danny Waldren had a low shot turned behind by Eason and he then directed a header from the resulting corner straight at Eason. Whitstable continued to cause problems at the other end though and after another promising build up, Medley turned and shot over the bar. The half came to an end with Medley sending a free kick wide and Whitstable were good value for their 1-0 lead.

After an early East Grinstead corner was cleared, Whitstable broke quickly and Jadama had an effort blocked and then following a corner, tried a low shot that was easily held by Adams. Whitstable almost got Jadama in on goal again after a clever build up, but then had to defend well when the home team broke quickly. Gillies tried a long shot that flew just wide before East Grinstead levelled in the 55th minute when the ball was sent across the box from the left by Michael Uwezu to the right back Clohessy, whose former clubs include Gillingham, Southend and Kilmarnock, and his firm strike was deflected past Eason. Whitstable almost struck back immediately when a fine move ended with Medley curling a shot just wide. Jerome Beckles went into the book for a foul before Gillies had a shot blocked. Millbank was next to have a go, aiming for the far, top corner from the right of the box, but the ball was pushed out for a corner.

Millbank did get his fourth goal of the season in the 81st minute after receiving the ball from Flack on the left. Adams and Jay Gasson slid in to try to block his shot, but were only able to divert the ball into the net. Changes were made by both managers, with Hards and Reece Gillies coming on for Whitstable, whilst East Grinstead used three substitutes. The Wasps won a corner in added time that was initially headed out, but the ball was lobbed back into the box. Eason seemed to be fouled and was only able to push the ball out as far as Sawogo on the six yard line and he managed to find the corner of the net through the crowd and just out of reach of the stretching Kabamba on the line. The Whitstable players appealed in vain to the referee to rule it out for a foul on the goalkeeper, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw as the final whistle blew a minute later.

Most of those that travelled from Whitstable would have been satisfied with a point before the game, but to concede a late equaliser in such circumstances after a fine, hard working display against a good team was very disappointing. Another tough test follows on Tuesday evening when Cray Valley visit the Belmont having just reached the first round proper of the FA Cup following a great win at Maidenhead.

East Grinstead	Data	Whitstable
5	Shots on target	4
1	Shots off target	7
6	Shots blocked	4
4	Corners	4
13	Fouls conceded	11
1	Offside	1
0	Penalties	0

East Grinstead Town
Jacob Adams, Sean Clohessy, Ben Harrison, Jerome Beckles (Seidou Sawogo 66), Jay Gasson, Cameron Reardon, Peter Wedgeworth (Chima Uchechi 60), Danny Waldren (c), Louie Theophanous, Michael Uwezu (Jedd Smith 87), Jerry Amoo.
Subs (unused): Emmanuel Omrore, Gil Carvalho.
Goals: Sean Clohessy 55, Seidou Sawogo 90+2.
Yellow card: Jerome Beckles 61

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Simon Kabamba, Tom Mills, Luke Girt (c), Jack Miles, James Brown, Ryan Flack (Jay Hards 90), Liam Gillies, Aaron Millbank, Tijan Jadama, Luke Medley (Reece Gillies 90).
Subs (unused): Victor Aiyelabola, Will Thomas, Tom Bryant.
Goals: Luke Medley 36, Aaron Millbank 81.
Yellow card: Simon Kabamba 34

Attendance: 295
Referee: Stephen Hawkes
Assistants: Daniel Cooper & Oliver Westgate