Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Town open up with win
Pre-season round-up
Whitstable won their first pre-season game, beating Faversham 2-1 at the Belmont on Saturday.
The Oystermen started with 10 players on the bench while the Lilywhites had just four substitutes.
An early through-ball just evaded new Whitstable frontman Harry Goodger while at the other end, Kyron Lightfoot saw an 18-yard shot blocked.
Louis Sprosen headed off-target after a Goodger flick while Dan Eason saved well as Sam Lawford was first to a cross by Macca Murray.
Tom Bryant headed an Aaron Quain corner just over on the half-hour before Charley Robertson had a shot deflected behind at the other end.
Five minutes before the break, a long ball sent Danny Williams clear and Matt Bourne was adjudged to have fouled him in the box, allowing Goodger to fire past Simon Overland from the spot.
Williams then did well to get past Bourne on the right but curled just wide, however there was still time for a second before the break when a good ball in from the left by one-time Faversham man Quain was volleyed superbly past Overland by Sprosen.
Five minutes after half-time, Ricky Freeman’s cross was glanced just wide by Williams but a swathe of substitutions interrupted the game’s flow and shortly after the hour the visitors were awarded a penalty after a Carl Harrold hand ball.
Former Oysterman Sam Bewick stepped up to send Eason the wrong way and halve the deficit.
Charlie Smith headed a Harrold cross over and then fired a low free-kick just wide as Whitstable tried to restore their two-goal advantage but at the other end, Liam King had a good shot parried by Eason and Lawford could only put the rebound wide.
Faversham tried to find an equaliser but despite changing every outfield player, Whitstable started their preseason campaign with a win. Whitstable: Eason, Savage (Harrold 51mins), Quain (Brown 51mins), S West (H Brown 51mins), Cloke (Gillman 51mins), Bryant (Mahoney 51mins), Sprosen (S Brown 56), Morrish (Lee 56mins), Freeman (Sedenu 81mins), Goodger (Smith 61mins), Williams (J West 71mins). Faversham: Overland, Cooper, Mcfarlane, Carrington (Rogers 56), Bourne (Cheek 56mins), Bewick, Robertson, Murray (Griffiths 56mins), King, Lawford, Lightfoot (Casey 56mins). Attendance: 132.
Before the game the players joined fans and club officials in a minute’s silence in memory of the late Whitstable legend Bruce Smith.
The stalwart’s funeral will take place at 2.40pm on Friday, July 28, at Barham Crematorium while a gettogether will follow at the Belmont.
Family flowers only but donations may be given to the Stroke Association or Diabetes UK.
Faversham put up a good fight against Margate before going down 2- 0 in their latest friendly on Tuesday night.
The visitors – newly relegated from National League South but eager to get back there at the first attempt – bossed much of the opening 45 minutes at the Shepherd Neame Stadium.
However, Town created the first chance as Jordan Casey was denied by keeper Lenny Pidgeley when through.
Bola Dawodu and Matt Bourne were also denied by the keeper in the opening half-hour before, at the other end, Frannie Collin released Harry Stannard who fired wide.
The deadlock was broken 10 minutes before the break as Alex Flisher showed strength down the left to shrug off a challenge before squaring the ball along the six-yard line for Matt Bodkin to tap home.
The visitors doubled their lead in the dying seconds of the first half after a backpass to Simon Overland saw the keeper slam his kick straight into the back of Flisher and loop under the bar.
The only real chance of the second half fell to the hosts as Kyron Lightfoot’s 25-yard effort forced Pidgeley into an incredible save.
Whitstable beat Sittingbourne 2-1 at the Belmont on Tuesday night.
Ricky Freeman broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes with a header glanced past Daren Hawkes in the Bourne goal.
It was 2- 0 on the half-hour thanks to another header from a free-kick from Tom Bryant.
The nearest Sittingbourne came to scoring in the first half was when George Blake sent in great effort that went just over.
But the Brickies did pull one back 10 minutes into the second half when Chris Elliot’s long throw was fired home by Ben Gorham and although Town hit the woodwork and had a shot cleared off the line, only some good work from keeper Dan Eason denied the visitors a second.
Canterbury City play their first pre-season friendly at their new home tomorrow night (Friday).
They host Bostik Premier Leatherhead at the Charles Ground, after agreeing a new groundshare with their Southern Counties East League Premier Division rivals Deal Town, having played at Ashford United for the past two seasons.
Skipper Laurence Harvey and Dave Pilcher miss the game due to injury.
City have beaten Gravesham Borough 5-1 and Lydd Town 5-2 in their opening two warm-up games.