A fast, entertaining game on a good surface, that contained some high quality goals ended in disappointment for a Whitstable team that took the lead on three occasions, but the home side fought back each time, before finding a very late winner. John Ufuah put Whitstable ahead, but Matthew Warren equalised a few minutes later. Whitstable were soon back in front, as Tijan Jadama fired home a low Ufuah cross and Ufuah himself was then denied by Andy Walker, before Warren made it 2-2 with a stoppage time header. Aaron Millbank put Whitstable back in control in the second half with another well taken goal and that looked like being enough until substitute Ryan King-Elliott turned the game around in the final minutes. Dan Eason could only push his low strike into the path of Gavin Tomlin, who brought the scores level again and then the former Herne Bay player cut inside and fired an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net to give his team the win.

The teams were meeting for the third time this season, with the league encounter at the Belmont finishing 1-1 thanks to a 95th minute Whitstable equaliser in a closely fought game. Whitstable came out on top in the Kent Senior Cup, surviving some late pressure to win 2-1 in south east London. The Millers started this game in 4th place, following three impressive results, beating Ashford 3-1, VCD 5-0 and Whyteleafe 4-0. They made one change to the team that beat Whyteleafe, as Ashley Sains returned at the back in place of Emiliano Hysi. Whitstable were also in good form, winning their last three games and remaining unbeaten since New Year’s Day. Luke Girt returned from illness, with Charles Etumnu dropping to the bench.

The game started relatively quietly, with neither goalkeeper being called upon to make a serious save until Whitstable scored in the 15th minute and it was a cleverly worked goal, with the ball being played forward to Harry Stannard, who controlled it and immediately flicked it on for Ufuah to race through, hold off the last defender and find the bottom right corner, past the diving Walker, as the offside appeals were ignored. Tomlin and Francis Babalola both shot wide as the Millers tried to respond and they did find an equaliser in the 22nd minute. A throw in on the left reached Tomlin in the box and he slipped the ball to Warren, who shot past Eason into the far corner from a tight angle. Just a minute later, Marshall Wratten swung the ball right across the field to Ufuah on the left and his good, low cross was met by Jadama, who shot past Walker to make it 2-1.

The rest of the half was fairly even. Cem Tumkaya headed a corner over the bar and Babalola and Ryan Flack both tried their luck from distance. In the 38th minute, Whitstable almost got a third goal when Wratten battled for the ball on the edge of the box and it eventually found its way across to Ufuah on the right, but his shot was well saved by Walker. The Whitstable bench were frustrated that the half continued long enough after the announced two added minutes for Cray to win a corner and the mood was certainly not improved when Warren was allowed to run and thump a free header past Eason to send the teams in level at the break.

As the game restarted, a Ufuah cross was laid back for Jadama to shoot, but his sweetly struck effort was blocked. At the other end, Babalola made a threatening run before seeing his shot closed down by the Whitstable defence. Denzel Gayle had a shot deflected into the hands of Eason, who then got down to push a long range Flack shot past the post. Gayle’s last action was to try a shot that curled out for a throw in on the other side of the pitch. He and Danny Smith were then both substituted after a lengthy injury delay, to be replaced by King-Elliott and Kweku Ansah. Flack and Tomlin both skied attempts and Warren shot wide when trying for his hat trick. A Walker goal kick was met by Ollie Rowe just inside his own half and he headed the ball forward into a perfect area for Millbank to burst through into the right of the penalty area and send a powerful shot past Walker to restore Whitstable’s lead in the 72nd minute.

Both teams made substitutions and there were yellow cards for Girt and King-Elliott. Ufuah sent the ball just wide of the far post for in a rare Whitstable opportunity, but despite having plenty of possession, Cray were struggling to find a way through. Then, on 87 minutes, the ball was worked across to King-Elliott on the left and he cut inside and shot low through the crowd towards the far post, where Eason could only push the ball to Tomlin, who tucked away the rebound. Things were to get worse for the visitors when King-Elliott received the ball in a similar position in the 90th minute and this time stepped into the box before powering a right footed shot into the roof of the net. There were six additional minutes played, but no more chances of note and Cray Valley held on for a 4-3 win.

The game was a good advert for Isthmian League football and kept the rather small crowd of 95, including a good number from Whitstable, entertained throughout. It was a disappointing end to the evening for Lloyd Blackman’s improving team, but they can take a lot of confidence from the way they played against useful opposition and look forward to the matches ahead, starting with a home game against Ramsgate on Saturday.

Cray Valley	Data	Whitstable
7	Shots on target	6
9	Shots off target	1
2	Shots blocked	2
8	Corners	2
14	Fouls conceded	6
1	Offside	2
0	Penalties	0

Cray Valley (PM)
Andy Walker (c), Paul Semakula, Danny Smith (Kweku Ansah 62), Ashley Sains, Cem Tumkaya (Lewis Cotter 80), Denzel Gayle (Ryan King-Elliott 60), Francis Babalola, Gavin Tomlin, Ryan Flack, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Matthew Warren.
Subs (unused): Charles Nicholas, Tommy Osborne.
Goals: Matthew Warren 22, 45+3, Gavin Tomlin 87, Ryan King-Elliott 90.
Yellow card: Ryan King-Elliott 84

Whitstable Town
Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, James Brown, Luke Girt (Josh Spencer 90+2), Ollie Rowe, Tom Bryant (c), John Ufuah, Tijan Jadama, Aaron Millbank, Harry Stannard (Leo Mazzone 81), Marshall Wratten.
Subs (unused): Jay Hards, Charles Etumnu.
Goals: John Ufuah 15, Tijan Jadama 23, Aaron Millbank 72.
Yellow card: Luke Girt 76

Attendance: 95
Referee: Jonathan Creswick
Assistants: Michele Gallo & Neil Keirs