WHITSTABLE TOWN 3 SNODLAND TOWN 1
SCEFL Premier Division
Tuesday February 11 2025 19.45

Whitstable made it nine points in eight days when they got the better of Snodland Town in a scrappy affair on a cold evening in north Kent. Bradley Schafer scored early and late in the first half, although Whitstable also needed a couple of vital saves by Dan Colmer to ensure they led 2-0 at the break. Snodland were always competitive however and narrowed the deficit early in the second half through substitute Bailee Cain. The visitors enjoyed plenty of possession, but few clear chances and Jake McIntyre blasted in a free kick to settle things near the end and ensure Whitstable extended their winning run.

This was the first meeting between the two teams this season as their previously scheduled fixtures had suffered disruption due to cup runs. Whitstable were hoping to build on their recent good form to climb from 10th and get closer to the playoff positions. Snodland were sitting in 17th place, having replaced manager Byron Walker with former Hollands and Blair boss Luke Jessup in December. Their last game saw them reach the semi-finals of the SCEFL Challenge Cup with a good 3-2 win against a strong Faversham team. Whitstable made two changes from the team that beat Tunbridge Wells on Saturday, with Finn O'Mara and Connor Wilkins replacing Jamie Coyle and Fin Cotton. Ashdon Day returned to the squad with a place on the bench. The crowd of 227 was the second lowest of the season at home on a cold Tuesday evening.

Whitstable could have fallen behind within the opening minute when a ball forward was knocked down by Rob Denness and Kayden Turner's low shot from outside the box was turned around the post by Dan Colmer. Having survived the early scare, Whitstable were gifted an opportunity in the 3rd minute when Tyler Hatton passed straight to Bradley Schafer 25 yards from goal and he went past the covering defender before finishing clinically from 12 yards. Another poor clearance by Snodland sent the ball across their own box where Wilkins helped the ball on to Schafer, but this time his shot was deflected on its way to goal and easily gathered by goalkeeper Shaun Wicks. In the 17th minute, Snodland were awarded a free kick for a foul on the left edge of the penalty area and although the initial delivery was cleared, the ball was kept alive and eventually reached Turner on the 18 yard line and his shot through the crowd was well saved by a diving Colmer. Wilkins and Schafer combined to find Ronald Sithole who controlled the ball before going down when challenged in the box, but the referee was unimpressed and issued a yellow card to the Whitstable player. Wilkins was next into the referee's notebook for a challenge on the touchline and the resulting free kick was headed towards goal but easily saved by Colmer. The Snodland bench called for further action against Wilkins when he pulled back Turner, but he escaped to help Schafer release Smith who shot over. A run by Wilkins then won a free kick that was taken by Smith and deflected wide for a corner. The Whitstable bench appeared a little concerned about the possibility of Wilkins collecting a second yellow card on his first start, so made an early change in the 28th minute, bringing on Robbie Rees.

A diagonal ball out of defence by Schafer reached Dean Grant on the left and his low cross was flicked towards goal by Sithole who was unfortunate to see the ball hit the far post and rebound into the goalkeeper's hands. Rees collected a pass down the right by Finn O'Mara, but his shot from the angle was comfortably saved. A dipping shot from the left by Sithole was gathered at the second attempt by Wicks. The referee awarded Snodland a free kick in their own penalty area and then paused play to issue a lecture. When play restarted, the clearance by Wicks was headed down by Rees to Smith in the centre circle and he passed the ball to Schafer who ran forward before firing into the net from just inside the box to give Whitstable a 2-0 lead on the stroke of half time.

Snodland made two substitutions before play restarted, introducing Erick Kenko and Bailee Cain, who had scored a very late winner in the cup tie against Faversham the previous Tuesday. It was Cain that got his team back in the game on 55 minutes after a spell of Snodland possession led to Whitstable only clearing the ball as far as Turner just outside the box and he did well to run through several defenders on the right to deliver a low cross that Cain put into the net to make it 2-1. Snodland almost equalised a few minutes later when Cain broke down the right before crossing for Jack Low who found himself in space about eight yards from goal, but shot just wide of the near post. Snodland would not get a better chance. A promising run down the left by Jayden Boulton did not have the required end product as he shot wide from 20 yards. At the other end Turner tried a shot from distance that sailed into the trees behind the goal.

The remainder of the game became somewhat scrappy with Snodland trying their best to find the goal required to level the scores, while Whitstable at times lacked composure on the ball with some hurried clearances and there were few chances at either end until a moment of quality settled the game in the 81st minute. Schafer did well to control the ball before being fouled just outside the penalty area and the home captain Jake McIntyre stepped forward to bend an unstoppable left footed shot into the top corner to restore his team's two goal cushion. The game then drifted to its conclusion with some late substitutions, a yellow card for Josh Oliver and in added time Rees and O'Mara blocked shots from Kieran King and Cain in a packed penalty area, but Whitstable had done enough to secure another valuable three points, without being at their best.

On Saturday, Whitstable will travel to the home of Cray Valley PM FC to play Stansfeld in the semi-final of the Kent Senior Trophy.

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Jayden Boulton, Mikey Dalton, Finn O’Mara, Jake McIntyre (c), Ronald Sithole (Ashdon Day 70), Connor Wilkins (Robbie Rees 28), Dean Grant (Josh Oliver 82), Bradley Schafer (Liam Gillies 90+5), Harvey Smith.
Sub (unused): Jamie Coyle
Goals: Bradley Schafer 3, 45+4, Jake McIntyre 81.
Yellow cards: Ronald Sithole 19, Connor Wilkins 23, Josh Oliver 89.

Snodland Town
Shaun Wicks (c), Alfie Wincott, Charlie Wright (Kaylam Burgess 57), Aidan Clark (Erick Kenko 46), Tyler Hatton, Sonny Jackson, Jack Low, Liam Parle (Kieran King 85), Kayden Turner, Ryan Thompson (Bailee Cain 46), Rob Denness (Kane Phillip 66).
Subs (unused): none
Goal: Bailee Cain 55
Yellow cards: Charlie Wright 45+2, Erick Kenko 79.

Attendance: 227
Referee: Nicholas Bone
Assistants: Tyler Diminieux & Jeffrey Davis