A memorable cup tie watched by Whitstable’s biggest home crowd for a number of years saw them progress to the quarter finals of the Isuzu FA Vase for the first time with a 2-1 win against Fleet Town. A goalless first half, during which Whitstable had the better chances that they failed to convert, left everything to play for after the break. Whitstable soon established a two goal lead, with great strikes by Jayden Boulton and Mikey Dalton, but when Ross Stepney headed in a corner to make it 2-1, Fleet gave themselves a chance of turning things in their favour. Set pieces always looked likely to be their main threat and another Ross Stepney header hit the bar. Whitstable had several good opportunities to kill the game on the break, which they were unable to take and this led to a nervy period of added time. Kai Tanner was sent off for the visitors, but there were still a couple of goalmouth scrambles for Whitstable to survive before they could celebrate a hard earned, but deserved win.

Whitstable were looking to progress beyond the Fifth Round of this competition for the first time having lost to North Ferriby United at this stage on the only other occasion they got this far in 1996-97. While Whitstable were winning on penalties at Walsham le Willows, their opponents from Hampshire, Fleet Town, enjoyed a 2-1 win at Crawley Down Gatwick to set up this tie. Fleet are challenging towards the top of the Combined Counties League Premier Division South table. Whitstable had already beaten two teams from that division, having got past Corinthian-Casuals and Jersey Bulls earlier in this cup run. Whitstable were without a number of players for this game as Will Thomas, Kai Jeffrey and Nico Grierson were all added to the injury list during the week, Dean Grant and Liam Gillies are cup tied, whilst Josh Oliver and Adem Ramadan were both suspended for this game. Ashdon Day was fit to return from injury however and Robbie Rees, Alfawaz Dada, Luke Mandry and Brandon Day were added to the squad. The crowd of 1,121 enjoyed a sunny afternoon on the Kent coast and included a good number from Fleet. It was the largest of the eight FA Vase matches played across the country.

It was the visitors that created some early pressure, winning three corners, the first two of which were pushed behind by Dan Colmer and the third cleared away safely. Set pieces were to prove the main threat from Fleet Town as the game progressed. There was an early yellow card for Ross Stepney for a foul on Ashdon Day as the referee gave a hint of things to come. Ronald Sithole tried a low shot after cutting in from the right, but it was an easy save for goalkeeper Finley Purcell. Sithole then delivered a cross towards Day at the near post who turned and shot as Liam Pestle slid in to block, with the ball possibly hitting his arm at close range but the penalty shouts failed to impress the referee. Day was the next to be cautioned for running into Ross Stepney. Whitstable were winning the midfield battle, with Mikey Dalton, Fin Cotton and Robbie Rees all working hard, and the chances continued. Rees sent Sithole away down the right and he pulled the ball back to the penalty spot where Harvey Smith arrived in space, only to lift his shot over the bar. It was then the turn of Rees to send over a left footed cross from the right corner, which was fractionally ahead of a stretching Day who was just unable to make contact.

Fleet went very close in the 25th minute when Nick Medcraft challenged for the ball in the box and it was partially cleared, but only as far as Tane Caubo who curled a shot just past the left post from 20 yards. A high Jack Dean cross was met by the head of Dean Rule but his effort was off target, then a long clearance from Ross Stepney picked out Caubo who despite looking offside was allowed to continue, but elected to cross when probably a shot would have been the better option and the chance was gone. In the 32nd minute, the Fleet defence failed to deal with a long ball over the top allowing Smith to try a chipped shot from 18 yards that cleared the goalkeeper but struck the post and Smith chased after the ball to deliver a cross that Rees stabbed towards goal, but it was safely held by Purcell. It was a relatively quiet ending to the half although Fleet won three more corners that Whitstable safely negotiated and then on the stroke of half time Whitstable should have scored. Smith crossed from the left and Sithole collected the ball on the far side of the box and sent over a cross/shot that beat everyone in the box and Smith arrived at the far post, but was just unable to force the ball over the line. The home supporters probably felt their team had created enough chances to have led at the break, but the teams were still level at 0-0.

Whitstable came out for the second half and took the initiative from the start. A period of patient possession eventually saw Colmer send the ball out to Jayden Boulton on the left touchline and he strode forward before unleashing a great swerving shot from just outside the box that beat Purcell to put Whitstable ahead in the 48th minute. There were two further yellow cards for Fleet players during a spell when Smith had a free kick deflected just wide and a chipped effort by Dalton was easily caught by Purcell. Josh Stepney tried a 25 yard shot that was deflected just past the post off Jake McIntyre with Colmer wrong footed. The ground erupted in the 56th minute when a chip forward by Jamie Coyle appeared to be heading out for a goal kick by the right corner but Sithole did well to retrieve the ball for Cotton whose cross towards Day at the near post was set back for Dalton to fire a left footed shot into the net off the post from just inside the box to make it 2-0. Smith then had a couple of efforts blocked before Ryan Case curled a free kick wide from distance after McIntyre had been booked for a foul.

Fleet had by this stage made three substitutions and they found a way back into the match in the 73rd minute. A corner on the left was swung in by Josh Stepney and Ross Stepney rose above everyone to head towards goal and the ball found its way into the net despite the best efforts of Jerald Aboagye to clear off the line. In the 83rd minute there was another chance for Fleet when they worked the ball in from the right and it fell kindly for Ross Stepney about 16 yards from goal, but as two Whitstable players put him under pressure he shot over the top. The first home substitution was then made with Dada replacing young striker Day. The closing minutes of the match were similar to the opening few with a succession of Fleet corners. Ross Stepney headed one off the bar and when the ball came down to Chike Kandi at the far post, Dalton did well to block his follow up shot. From the next corner, Ross Stepney was first to the ball again, leading to a goalmouth scramble that ended with a free kick for Whitstable and another yellow card for Fleet.

Things got worse for the visitors in the 90th minute when substitute Kai Tanner received a straight red for a challenge on Sithole. Smith curled the resulting free kick into the side netting, although a number of people around the ground initially thought he'd scored. The announcement of eight added minutes did nothing to settle the nerves around the ground for the home fans. Another Fleet corner led to a goalmouth scramble before the ball was cleared. Whitstable had several promising breaks, the best of which left Dada and Cotton with just the goalkeeper to beat, but Cotton steered his shot just wide to groans around the ground. It nearly proved costly when Fleet had a final opportunity to force a penalty shootout in the tenth added minute. A bit of head tennis gave Rule the chance to deliver a low cross from the left and Dan Bone missed his kick on the six yard line before Whitstable managed to scramble the ball away at the back post and the referee finally called a halt. It was an exciting, and very tense ending, but over the whole game Whitstable probably deserved to reach the last eight for the first time.

Whitstable are soon back in action, with a trip to London to play in-form Fisher for a SCEFL Premier Division fixture on Tuesday evening.

Whitstable	Data	Fleet
6	Shots on target	1
6	Shots off target	6
3	Shots blocked	3
3	Corners	12
11	Fouls conceded	10
0	Offside	0
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Jayden Boulton, Mikey Dalton, Jamie Coyle, Jake McIntyre (c), Ronald Sithole, Robbie Rees (Albie O’Mara-Knapp 90+8), Ashdon Day (Alfawaz Dada 85), Fin Cotton, Harvey Smith.
Subs (unused): Josh Robson, Brandon Day, Luke Mandry.
Goals: Jayden Boulton 48, Mikey Dalton 56.
Yellow cards: Ashdon Day 15, Jake McIntyre 64.

Fleet Town
Finley Purcell, Nick Medcraft (Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb 54), Tom Smith, Josh Stepney, Liam Pestle (c), Ross Stepney, Tane Caubo (Dan Bone 63), Dean Rule, Ryan Case (Kai Tanner 66), Chike Kandi, Jack Dean.
Subs (unused): Matt Surmon, Josh Pound.
Goal: Ross Stepney 73
Yellow cards: Ross Stepney 4, Liam Pestle 49, Ryan Case 52, Jack Dean 88.
Red card: Kai Tanner 90

Attendance: 1,121
Referee: Jack Willmore
Assistants: Ryan Chantrill-Smith & Daniel Doyle
Fourth official: Sam Wigington