LARKFIELD & NEW HYTHE 1 WHITSTABLE TOWN 2
SCEFL Premier Division
Saturday March 22 2025 15.00

The impressive run of form continues for Whitstable after they came from behind to earn maximum points at Larkfield & New Hythe. This game however will probably be more remembered for how it was officiated rather than the quality of the football. Some baffling decisions, far too many cards and frequent lengthy interruptions made it a difficult watch. A questionable penalty, confidently converted by Matt Day, gave the home team a half time lead. Ashdon Day fired in the equaliser from close range just after the hour mark and when Whitstable were generously awarded a free kick with just a few minutes remaining, Nathan Jeche found the net with the help of a big deflection to complete the turnaround.

This was Whitstable's last game before their two legged FA Vase semi-final and they were determined to maintain their recent momentum that had brought thirteen wins and two draws from their last fifteen games. At the start, Whitstable were just outside the play-off positions in sixth place, with a nine point gap to seventh placed Larkfield & New Hythe who had also played one game more. When they met a Whitstable in September, it was the Larks that took the points with a 4-1 away win. There were two changes to the Whitstable team that had beaten Holmesdale 6-1 on Tuesday, as Robbie Rees and Ashdon Day replaced Fin Cotton and Dean Grant. Will Thomas was able to return to the squad following his ban, but Jake McIntyre remained suspended. The 202 spectators present on "Non-League Day" included a good representation of Whitstable supporters.

Several early free kicks awarded by referee Ericsson Temu gave a hint of things to come and from one, Ronald Sithole struck the wall and tried again from the rebound, but goalkeeper Carter Sullivan got down to collect comfortably. After Whitstable had survived a couple of Larkfield corners, Kieron McCann tried to find the net when Dan Colmer's clearance went straight to him in the centre circle, but Rees got in the way. The Larks were then awarded a penalty for a challenge by Mikey Dalton on Tyler Ibe. It looked soft and Whitstable also felt there had been another foul before the ball rolled into the box and their protests led to a sin bin exit for Jamie Coyle. When play eventually restarted, Matt Day struck the penalty kick past Dan Colmer to give his team the lead in the 22nd minute. A good build up almost gave Ibe the chance to double the lead, but Finn O'Mara put in a timely challenge.

Play then halted for two minutes before Dalton released Day whose shot was saved, then a Rees free kick was headed into the side netting by O'Mara. There was more controversy when Coyle was preparing to return from his ten minutes in the sin bin and the officials decided there had been a rule breach in the technical area that resulted in a yellow card for Matt Longhurst and another delay. After Harvey Smith had also been cautioned, a reckless challenge by Nathan Gordon on Jerald Aboagye brought another card and a further two minute delay in proceedings. A quick break by the Larks gave Ben Davisson a chance to line up a shot that was blocked. Another foul and card led to Bradley Schafer delivering a free kick that was headed wide by Coyle. Strangely, after only three added minutes, the whistle ended a frustrating first half with the Larks leading 1-0.

After the events of the first half, the Whitstable manager decided it would be prudent to take himself off, so Will Thomas took his place when play restarted. Harvey Welford tried a lob when the ball was cleared to him with several bodies on the floor in the box, but his effort went wide. Colmer then caught a speculative long range shot by the same player. A Whitstable attack down the right saw the cross cleared to Dalton whose shot was closed down before Aboagye sent the ball back across to Sithole who shot over. The Larks were then given a very soft free kick on the edge of the box that Welford fired into the defensive wall. In the 62nd minute, Whitstable managed to level the scores when a Schafer throw was flicked on by O'Mara towards Smith who tried an overhead kick that didn't really connect, but Day was the quickest to react and fired the ball into the roof of the net. Sullivan went into the book for protesting about the award of an earlier throw in and another two minutes elapsed before play began again and then Dean Grant replaced Smith.

Nathan Jeche was introduced for Day a few minutes later by Whitstable. Davisson swung over a dangerous free kick without anyone being able to get a touch, then a substitution by the home team led to another odd incident when a Larks official was shown a red card, apparently for trying to enter the substitution into footballwebpages on his phone from a position too close to the technical area and another yellow for the Larks bench soon followed before play resumed three minutes later. Whitstable were then gifted a free kick just outside the box and after a two more cautions and a long wait to get the wall correctly set up, Jeche was eventually able to take the free kick, which deflected off the wall and into the net past a stranded Sullivan in the 87th minute. Grant almost got through on goal, but was tackled just before he was able to shoot. Just four minutes were added before the referee blew for time as a cross was heading towards the Whitstable box, which did not go down too well with Davisson who was quickly shown two yellow cards to complete an unusual afternoon's football. Whitstable though had extended their unbeaten run to sixteen matches and move up to fourth place, so are now able to prepare for their FA Vase games in good heart. Larkfield and Whitstable will meet again in a few weeks in the Kent Senior Trophy final.

The much anticipated FA Vase semi-final against Hartpury University is next for Whitstable, whose busy league campaign takes a break while the two legs are played on the next two Saturdays, starting with the home leg on March 29th, when another new record home crowd is expected.

Larkfield & New Hythe
Carter Sullivan, Clark Woodcock (Tyrell Richardson-Brown 90+3), Nathan Gordon, Jahmahl King, Nathan Daly (c), Ben Davisson, Jay Wade (Jack Sammoutis 79), Kieron McCann, Matt Day, Harvey Welford (Harrison Carnegie 88), Tyler Ibe.
Subs (unused): Luke Russell, Kwasi Amoah.
Goal: Matt Day (pen) 22
Yellow cards: Nathan Gordon 38, Clark Woodcock 41, Carter Sullivan 62, Nathan Daly 85.
Red card: Ben Davisson (two yellows, both 90+5)

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Adedapo Olugbodi, Mikey Dalton, Jamie Coyle (Will Thomas 46), Finn O’Mara (c), Ronald Sithole, Robbie Rees, Ashdon Day (Nathan Jeche 67), Bradley Schafer, Harvey Smith (Dean Grant 63).
Subs (unused): Albie O’Mara-Knapp, Fin Cotton.
Goals: Ashdon Day 62, Nathan Jeche 87.
Yellow cards: Jamie Coyle (sin bin) 20, Harvey Smith 35, Jerald Aboagye 66, Bradley Schafer 86, Nathan Jeche 90.

Attendance: 202
Referee: Ericsson Temu
Assistants: Jeff Davis & Katie Allen