Whitstable made it safely into the draw for the Isuzu FA Vase First Round Proper following a 1-0 home win against fellow SCEFL Premier Division team Hollands & Blair. The visitors created a few early chances before Whitstable eventually settled and took control, although they had to wait until just before interval to break the deadlock with a well taken goal by captain Mike West. Young Blair goalkeeper Jack Reeves kept his team in the game in the second half with several great saves, forcing the Whitstable supporters to endure a nervy last few minutes as their team appeared to lose their way a little, but Blair were unable to find a route past Dan Colmer.

It had only been three weeks since the teams met at Star Meadow in a league fixture that Whitstable had won 4-2, but both arrived for this cup tie after good wins in the previous round; Whitstable won 4-1 at Corinthian-Casuals and Blair beat AFC Varndeanians 3-0. Whitstable’s recent record in the FA Vase had been poor, falling at the first hurdle in each of the two previous seasons against Westside and Lingfield. Recent Whitstable signing Fin Dent was cup tied, but Mike West and Omotunmise Akanni returned to the starting eleven. The Blair squad contained plenty of former Oystermen: George Sheminant, Ashley Sains, Dean Grant, Liam Gillies, Rob Gillman and Gus Barnes, but another, George Monger, was ruled out shortly before the kick off. A crowd of 284 were there to watch on a fine afternoon.

Whitstable might have finished their last game at Holmesdale strongly, but that was not how they started this one as they rode their luck in the first few minutes with Blair threatening an early goal. A corner kick was cleared, then in the 6th minute a long ball into the penalty area picked out an unmarked Grant whose free header was close enough to Dan Colmer for him to push away for another corner. The ball then fell to Liam Gillies on the edge of the area who shot wide with the goal gaping. Chris Edwards then lifted an 11th minute free kick over the top as Whitstable struggled to get into the game.

Having survived the first quarter of an hour without conceding, the momentum began to swing and some good play between Akanni and West gave Jerald Aboagye the opportunity to deliver a cross from the right to the back post where Harvey Smith’s downward header was saved by Jack Reeves. A West pass sent Josh Oliver away on the left, but he shot wide of the far post, then Smith swept an Aboagye cross over the bar. When Oliver was brought down in a promising position just outside the box, his free kick went into the wall. Archie Hatcher, West and Smith were all unsuccessful with attempts to break through, but then in the 45th minute a well worked build up on the right saw Oliver slip the ball to West who expertly found the far corner to give Whitstable a half time lead.

Whitstable will feel they should have put the game to bed early in the second half when a succession of chances came and went, with Reeves making some good saves. A near post header from a Hatcher corner was blocked on the line by Edwards and Oliver curled a shot wide. The excellent Will Thomas made an interception, strode forward and hit a powerful shot that was heading for the top corner before being superbly turned away by Reeves. Thomas and Akanni set up Hatcher whose strike was also tipped over by Reeves and from the resulting corner, a Smith header was deflected wide off a defender. In the 56th minute, a long ball into the box by Hatcher was volleyed over the bar by West. Smith found Oliver whose firm strike was well blocked by Charlie Weston, then Reeves dived to his right to deny Oliver from 18 yards.

Both managers made changes, with West being replaced by Fin Cotton for Whitstable. There were no cards shown in the match, but Weston was perhaps fortunate to escape a yellow in the 80th minute when pulling down Oliver on the halfway line as he was breaking forward. Having failed to give themselves a more comfortable lead, the last ten minutes, plus the seven added, became more of a challenge for Whitstable as Blair pushed for an equalising goal that would have meant a penalty shootout. A loose pass was collected by Harvey Welford on the left and his cross was stabbed wide of the far post by a stretching Grant. The home defence then misjudged the bounce of a long ball, allowing Welford to test Colmer from 20 yards, but his low shot was well saved. Edwards had a shot deflected for a corner, then substitutes Preston Kedwell and Gus Barnes both had efforts blocked before Grant went over in the box with penalty claims waved away. Whitstable made two very late substitutions and saw out the last few minutes to progress to the next round on October 19th.

Whitstable have another home game on Tuesday when Larkfield & New Hythe are the visitors for a SCEFL Premier Division fixture.

Whitstable	Data	Hollands & Blair
8	Shots on target	2
9	Shots off target	5
2	Shots blocked	3
6	Corners	5
7	Fouls conceded	17
1	Offside	2
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Archie Johnson, Mike West (c) (Fin Cotton 70), Jake McIntyre, Will Thomas, Josh Oliver, Reece Gillies, Harvey Smith, Archie Hatcher (Finn O’Mara 90+3), Omotunmise Akanni (Jayden Boulton 90+3).
Subs (unused): Dan Eason, Tagan Kray
Goal: Mike West 45

Hollands & Blair
Jack Reeves, Chris Edwards (c), George Sheminant, Connor Tilley, Ashley Sains (Rob Gillman 70), Charlie Weston, Devonte West (Preston Kedwell 74), David Chandler (Harvey Welford 51), Dean Grant, Liam Gillies, Charlie Wright (Gus Barnes 64).
Sub (unused): George Monger

Attendance: 284
Referee: Liam Giles
Assistants: Sheridon Grant & Danny King