29 October 2022

Whitstable Town                2          Carnegie 26, Cham 90+7

Erith and Belvedere          2          Richardson-Brown 66, Strachan 90+3

DERES HELD IN LATE SUMMER CRACKER

The Deres got to within ten seconds of the perfect awayday.  In late October conditions that some might consider as alarming as the summer heatwave, travelling fans topped up their suntans and enjoyed seafood on the harbourside before watching a cracker with two goals in stoppage time.

Rob Strachan, along with all the Deres, thought he had scored the winner when he stooped to head in Danny Lear’s cross in the third minute of the allotted six extra minutes – but with nearly seven minutes gone, in time added on for the restart, Whitstable substitute Muhammed Cham tucked one into the far corner to earn a point the home side deserved for their part in a fine game.

Whitstable went into the game on the traditional new management bounce: following the appointment of Marcel Nimani they had had two convincing away wins at Stansfeld and K Sports and started with confidence.  Tyrell Richardson-Brown had a couple of sighters for Deres, sending the first clear chance of the day high and wide on 16 minutes and trying a sidefoot shot four minutes later which lacked the pace to trouble Dan Eason.  But Whitstable were putting some fine creative moves together and worrying the visitors, and on 26 minutes Harrison Carnegie got on the end of a cross from the left wing to put them ahead.

Deres had a few chances before half-time but were not snappy enough in front of goal.  Bradley Ryan set up Anthony Morrison who didn’t quite connect with his shot; Danny Lear drew the keeper and rounded him before setting up Jerome Wade who should have shot first time rather than letting a defender get in place; and Ryan palmer shot high and wide after a good cross-field run on the stroke of half-time.

Midway through the second half came a great moment for referee Ben Marshall as well as the Deres!  Jerome Wade was brought down heavily in the box for what certainly looked like a penalty, but Mr Marshall let the ball roll on towards Tyrell Richardson-Brown, who buried the chance from a few yards out to equalise.

Deres could have led on 77 minutes after perhaps the best bit of football all game – a superb cross by Nathan Palmer met with a volley by Bradley Ryan and very well saved by Dan Eason.

But after a closing period where both sides threatened to take the points, theh stoppage-time exchange produced the fairest result, and the bumper heatwave crowd of 507 (the second biggest crowd to watch a Deres game in the past decade after the 836 that saw Chatham’s promotion party last spring) had had great value for money.

WHITSTABLE: Dan Eason; Jake Mackenzie, George Sheminant, Joe Nelder (James Jeffrey 78), Will Thomas, Tom Mills, Steve Okoh (Muhammed Cham 73), Helge Orome, Dean Grant, Kyron Lightfoot (Jeff Oredein ht; Josh Oliver 65), Harrison Carnegie.

DERES: Adam Molloy; Ryan Palmer, Anthony Morrison, Ryan Johnson, Jack Miles (George Monger ht), Rob Strachan, Tyrell Richardson-Brown, Jerome Wade, Danny Lear, Nathan Palmer, Bradley Ryan.  Subs: Ben Wilson, Rory Ward, Tunde Aderonmu, George Purcell.