HYTHE TOWN 2 WHITSTABLE TOWN 2 (after 90 minutes – no extra time)
Hythe Town won 6-5 on penalties
Velocity Trophy Group Seven
Tuesday 10 September 2019 19.45

Whitstable opened their campaign in the new style Velocity Trophy in an entertaining game at Hythe Town that ended in a draw. The new rules meant that the two teams were each awarded one point and a penalty shootout then determined the destination of an additional point. The home side were deservedly ahead at half time, thanks to a Tom Carlton penalty and a Rhys Bartlett shot that beat Dan Eason at his near post. Whitstable, without several regulars, also lost Aaron Millbank and Liam Dickson to head injuries, but fought back with two late goals from Marcus Elliott. Hythe went on to win 6-5 on penalties, with Ryan Nicholls making two good saves.

Whitstable had already visited Hythe in a league match that resulted in a 2-0 home win, which remained the only game that Hythe had not lost so far this season – a poor run that ended in the departure of manager Sam Denly. Their newly appointed replacement is Steve Watt, who was in the dugout for the first time. He played for a number of clubs, notably Chelsea, where he made one Premier League appearance against Newcastle. He also had spells at other clubs including Ross County, Grimsby Town, Dover Athletic, Maidstone United and Hastings United, before becoming the manager of Margate. He has now added Nathan Elder and Paul Booth to his management team. Ten Hythe players that appeared in the earlier league match were also involved in this Velocity Trophy game. Whitstable were without the injured Tom Bryant, TJ Jadama and John Walker, with Marcus Evans and Marcus Elliott starting on the bench. This competition allows the use of five substitutes, although Whitstable only named three.

Hythe started brightly when in the 2nd minute Tom Walmsley chased a long ball down the right before crossing for Stephen Okoh, whose low shot went just wide of the far post. Alex Anderson then did well to win a corner following a strong run down the left and Josh Spencer, making his first start, caused a few problems in the box, before the ball was eventually cleared for another corner that was wasted. In the 10th minute, a throw in led to Aaron Millbank breaking through on goal, but despite chipping the advancing goalkeeper, the ball landed on top of the net. A few minutes later, a dangerous Ryan Cooper cross was well cut out by Jake Mackenzie, then as Hythe started to increase the pressure, an attempted clearance by Dan Eason was deflected into the path of Carlton, whose shot was blocked. The opening goal arrived in the 23rd minute after Spencer had brought down Carlton in the box and the Hythe midfielder got up to find the bottom left corner as Eason went the other way.

Osman Proni sent a free kick into the box, where Spencer had an effort blocked at the back post and from the resulting corner, Spencer was again first to the ball, only for Nicholls to make a good stop on the line. Thomas Bramble, Carlton again and Bartlett all tried to increase the lead, whilst a Millbank effort was easily saved at the other end. In the 32nd minute, Bramble found Bartlett, who had begun to look a threat on the left and his firm shot from a narrow angle somehow beat Eason at his near post and the ball was deflected into the net with a number of people in the ground slow to realise that it had actually gone in. A Whitstable free kick in the 40th minute led to an opportunity for Proni when the ball came back to him just outside the box, but his left footed shot went narrowly wide. There was some controversy in added time when Millbank sustained a nasty head injury and came off with a blood covered face, but as Whitstable were bringing on their substitute Elliott, the referee went into the dugout to show Millbank a yellow card for leaving the pitch, which led to an exchange of words and some delay before the final moments of the half could be completed. Whitstable had created several good chances, but Hythe were worth their lead and went in 2-0 ahead.

The first chance after the break fell to the home team in the 54th minute when Okoh set up Carlton whose shot went wide. Dickson then also had to come off, to be replaced by Evans, but a good stop by Nicholls kept Whitstable out when James Brown found Anderson in space on the left and his cross was met by Elliott whose close range attempt was well saved. Whitstable were gradually improving and having more of the possession, but were still prone to the odd lapse, giving the ball away in their own half at times and in the 67th minute Walmsley was gifted a chance to break clear, but Eason saved his shot from the edge of the box. A couple of minutes later, Whitstable again had Eason to thank when he made a great double save, as firstly Carlton was allowed to run through unchallenged before Eason parried his shot and then Okoh saw the goalkeeper recover in time to push his powerful follow up shot behind for a corner.

Elliott had the ball in the net in the 73rd minute, but it was ruled out for offside. Both teams made further changes, but Whitstable were now asking more questions and Nicholls made another good block as the ball was headed towards goal following a free kick. A Proni corner eventually led to Whitstable’s first goal in the 86th minute, when Girt knocked the ball back across goal and Elliott forced it home from close range. The equaliser soon followed when a long Connor Sanders throw was only cleared as far as Liam Gillies who sent the ball back into the box and Elliott turned and fired in his second. There was still time for a couple more chances at both ends as Frannie Collin shot wide from distance and Elliott had a shot blocked on the edge of the area as he tried for his hat-trick. Spencer got on the end of another long throw but his effort looped up for Nicholls to catch safely. Hythe had a great chance in the final added minute when they broke three on one from the halfway line, but failed to make the most of the opportunity and allowed a couple of defenders to get back to clear and the game finished 2-2.

Penalties followed to see which team would receive a “bonus” point and after Collin had scored the opener, Evans saw his shot well saved. Eason saved the third Hythe effort by Charlie Webster to level things up and nobody else missed until Mackenzie stepped up to take the seventh Whitstable penalty, which was well saved by Nicholls to his right to secure a 6-5 win for his team.

The Whitstable manager will have been encouraged by the way his depleted team finished the game, but will know there is still work to be done as they now prepare to face a good Haywards Heath team in a league match at the Belmont on Saturday.

Hythe Town
Ryan Nicholls, Ryan Cooper, Elliott Capel, Thomas Bramble, Ollie Rowe, Liam Quinn, Stephen Okoh (Frannie Collin 87), Charlie Webster (c), Tom Walmsley (Ross Ibbertson 79), Tom Carlton (Arthur Pickering 81), Rhys Bartlett (Adam Woollcott 74).
Sub (unused): Alistair Carney
Goals: Tom Carlton pen 23, Rhys Bartlett 32.
Yellow card: Elliott Capel 66

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, James Brown, Connor Sanders, Liam Dickson (c) (Marcus Evans 57), Josh Spencer, Luke Girt, Liam Gillies, Aaron Millbank (Marcus Elliott 45+2), Osman Proni, Alex Anderson (Taylor Fisher 81).
Subs (unused): none
Goals: Marcus Elliott 86, 88.
Yellow card: Aaron Millbank 45+2

Attendance: 157
Referee: Kirsty Dowle
Assistants: Ross Mortimer & Ryan Chantrill-Smith