18 March 2023

Erith and Belvedere          1          R Palmer pen 67

Whitstable Town                2          Aibangbee 35, Oliver pen 61

THE FOUR HORSE RACE IS ON

Erith and Belvedere suffered a second successive 2-1 home defeat and now have 1 win from 7 league games.  Matt Longhurst, back for his third spell at Deres, fielded three debutants and two returning players but the spark and finishing isn’t there in his first match.  Those four crucial home games in 18 days have yielded just four points, and the pack is closing – if Phoenix beat Erith Town on Wednesday the gap is down to four points with eight to play.

Longhurst introduced Jordan Perrin in goal, Jude Russell at right-back and Kie Douglas up front, and brought back two players with previous Deres experience in Ryan Khanye and Luke Rooney in an effort to shake up the team for the run-in.  The opening 20 minutes were promising, as a long-range shot by Monger cleared the bar, Lewis Chambers only just failed to reach a ball floated across by Nathan Palmer, and Danny Lear sent an overhead kick just wide, then Whitstable’s Ashley Sains saw red for a challenge on Lewis Chambers.

With a man advantage Deres should have been able to capitalise, but on 20 minutes they had a huge escape when Jeff Aibangbee somehow hit the bar from a yard out.  Four minutes later Perrin made a good block from Dean Grant, then ten minutes from half-time the visitors took the lead when Aibangbee escaped down the left and tucked the ball past Perrin.

Deres had a spell of pressure in the last five minutes of the half, Lear’s shot winning an unproductive corner, Douglas heading Russell’s cross just over the bar and Chambers not getting enough behind his shot to trouble Dan Eason; but they changed ends a goal down.

Whitstable began the second half on top territorially, and there were further warning signs when Aibangbie headed over from close range on 58 minutes.  Two minutes later they were awarded a penalty for Monger’s challenge on Josh Oliver, who calmly tucked home the spot-kick to put Whitstable two up.

Longhurst immediately brought on Rooney and Bradley Ryan for Kie Douglas and Nathan Palmer, and whether a direct effect or not, within minutes they had a penalty themselves for Tom Mills’ foul on Danny Lear.  Ryan Palmer placed it in the bottom left corner and Deres had a chance of a point. 

After an exchange of subs bringing Tunde Aderonmu into the game, the Deres pushed for an equaliser.  In the last ten minutes of the game Aderonmu was just wide, Lear headed over from close range and a fine move ended with a scissor kick by Ryan which Eason pushed around the post.  During seven minutes of stoppage time Ryan Palmer cut in from the right and warmed the keeper's hands, but Whitstable held out for the 2-1 win.

DERES: Jordan Perrin; Jude Russell (Tunde Aderonmu 79), Ryan Khanye (Ben Wilson 87), Lewis Chambers, Rob Strachan, Ryan Johnson, Ryan Palmer, George Monger (George Snelling 87), Danny Lear, Kie Douglas (Luke Rooney 61), Nathan Palmer (Bradley Ryan 61).

WHITSTABLE: Dan Eason, Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Will Thomas, Ashley Sains, Tom Mills (c), Josh Oliver, Liam Gillies, Dean Grant (Cameron Chamberlain 83), Harry Gamble, Jefferson Aibangbee (James Jeffrey 72).
Subs (unused): Gus Barnes, Caoilte Deakin, Victor Aiyelabola.