Quick double paves way for Town victory

Southern Counties East Lge

Two goals in five first-half minutes set-up Whitstable Town’s 3-0 win to complete a league double over early season Premier Division pace-setters AFC Croydon Athletic at Thornton Heath on Saturday.

Heavy traffic held up several Town players, delaying the start for 15 minutes, with both teams observing a minute’s silence in a tribute to the victims of the tram crash earlier this month.

Ashley Brown netted his second in successive games to put Town in front just before the half-hour and Craig Thompson added the second five minutes later before Charlie Smith wrapped things up with the third 20 minutes from time.

New signing, midfielder Jack Mahoney, made his debut after joining from Thamesmead, as Town bounced back from successive league defeats. They had won by the same score when the teams met at Belmont in the opening league game of the season.

Whitstable’s Macron SCEL Challenge Cup second round home tie against Kent Football United on Tuesday night was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Canterbury City slipped to their third home league defeat, losing 2-0 against Sevenoaks on Saturday.

Boss Ben Smith admitted his side were “dead on their feet” after last Wednesday’s 3-1 FA Vase extra-time defeat at Chichester but he was still disappointed to concede both goals from set-pieces.

He added: “We are struggling to win games at home in the league and were beaten by two scrappy goals.

“No teams are really opening us up and it is certainly something we need to work on.”

Ian Pulman went close early on, before the west Kent side took a grip on the game, albeit without being able to make the most of their dominance.

Keiron Mccann headed the visitors’ 62nd-minute opener, getting the vital touch as a corner eluded several other players.

City substitute Gary Mickelborough then fired against the bar after Josh Mccallum and Alfie Nunn had missed earlier chances.

Oaks’ Mccann then got his second, heading in again at the far post, following a quick free-kick.

Canterbury City exited the FA Vase at the second round stage last Wednesday in their re-arranged game at Chichester.

The now departed Ben Gorham put City in front four minutes after half-time and it stayed that way until they conceded a 97th-minute equaliser.

The West Sussex side went on to score twice more to go through 3-1, while Alex Taylor saw red for City 10 minutes before the end of extra-time.

Three injuries also hit City, with Smith admitting: “We knew as soon as the game was postponed on the Saturday that we would be struggling, losing our goalkeeper Daren Hawkes and several players.

“I was disappointed that the tie was re-arranged in midweek unlike other Vase ties, and it completely undercut our chances in what I thought was a winnable tie, if played on a Saturday.

“Everybody who played at Chichester were a credit to the club.”