Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Rare blank as Town’s winning run is ended
Southern Counties
Whitstable saw their run of four wins and 15 goals scored in four games come to an end with a 1- 0 defeat at Tunbridge Wells on Saturday.
After a bright start from the home side, Whitstable had the better of the first half of the Southern Counties East League, Premier Division clash, although chances were at a premium with Dane Luchford seeing a shot blocked and Kane Rowland narrowly missing a Charlie Smith cross.
Dan Eason saved a Charlie Cornford shot at the other end but five minutes after half-time Darren Marsden was forced off with injury.
Luchford headed a Connor Hood cross against the bar just after the hour, with substitute Harris Rodgers seeing his follow up deflected wide.
Paul Butler headed one chance off target and also shot over after a cross from Luke Carpenter, while Hood was called on to clear another chance off the Town line.
Rodgers raced clear on 69 minutes but saw his effort hooked off the line by Kieron Tarbie with keeper Steve Lawrence gathering the loose ball. Rodgers then fired wide when played through again soon after.
The deadlock was broken eight minutes from time when Josh Biddlecombe was played in by Cornford and raced through to beat Eason, despite appeals that he was offside when the ball was played.
The Oystermen were unable to mount a comeback and only Eason prevented it being 2- 0 in stoppage-time with the hosts clean through on the break following a Town corner.
Canterbury City’s unbeaten run came to a halt with a 2- 0 defeat away to Cray Valley at The Badgers Ground.
The visitors never got to grips with a lively home side for whom Denzel Gayle was a constant threat, a bumpy playing surface or a referee whose decisions at times baffled the spectators and ensured City ended with 10 after Taser Hassan’s sending-off 10 minutes into the second-half.
Skipper Dan Lawrence (broken toe) was replaced by his brother Rob while Ian Pulman was handed his first start and Sam Staunton was named on the City bench.
Aaron Jeffrey dragged a shot across the face of Daren Hawkes’ goal inside five minutes while Pulman saw a shot blocked and Gary Clarke was denied by keeper Jordan Carey at the other end.
Hassan was booked for dissent after protesting two rough challenges before City wasted a great chance when Hawkes’ long clearance ran through for Pulman who slid the ball past Carey but narrowly wide.
They were made to pay for the miss on 20 minutes when Taylor Mcdonagh eased past Hassan’s challenge and crossed for Aaron Jeffrey to head past Hawkes and into the corner.
Pulman fired over while Pat Nzuzi cleared the ball off his own line and Clarke somehow denied Jeffery a second just after the half hour.
Dave Pilcher cracked a free-kick over and Lawrence saw a shot blocked before Cray scored the crucial second on the stroke of half-time when Chris Webber conceded a penalty which Jeffrey fired past Hawkes.
After the break, only a superb Nzuzi block denied Jeffrey another while Hawkes thwarted Williams before Hassan was shown a second yellow for a controversial foul on halfway.
Matt Martin beat three players but saw his shot blocked while Cray were denied a late penalty as City’s 10-match unbeaten run came to an end.