Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Family affair for new boss
It will be an interesting family affair for Whitstable manager Keith Mcmahon and his sons when his new side host Phoenix Sports this weekend.
Mcmahon’s sons, Ben and Daniel, play for Phoenix’s under14s and under-13s respectively - but Mcmahon insists it will be the Oystermen they will be cheering on when the two teams meet at the Belmont!
It will be a first Isthmian South East fixture in charge of Whitstable for Mcmahon who marked his first game back in management with a 1-0 Kent Senior Cup semi-final home success over a youthful Gillingham side on Tuesday.
Phoenix are fourth-bottom with four points from eight matches, three points ahead of second-bottom Whitstable who have one point from six games.
Mcmahon said: “It’s going to be tough on Saturday. My boys play for the youth teams there.
“They are another side that, perhaps, have not had the rub of the green at the start of the season. But if we show the same level of commitment as we did on Tuesday, I’m confident that we can get a result and start getting some more points on the board.
“It’s a friendly club. I know their manager Paul Bryon and the committee well. They (Mcmahon’s sons) are going to come down on Saturday and watch.
“They will support Whitstable and their dad, but they love the club they are playing for as well.”
Mcmahon says he is on the look-out for a striker, with Harry Goodger starting a three-match ban after being sent off in a 4-3 loss to Cray Valley earlier this month, while midfielder Luke Griffiths has signed.
“I have always liked Luke,” said Mcmahon, who signed Griffiths at former club VCD.
“I think he is a good box-tobox midfielder and he is a bit stronger now. I signed him at VCD but he didn’t get a chance to play for me!
“We looked strong in midfield against Gillingham with the likes of him, Tom Carlton and Danny Walder in there.
“The win, obviously, gives us something to build on going forward.”
Tom Carlton’s stoppage-time goal won the semi-final against the Gills and Whitstable will now play Dartford in the final of the delayed 2019/20 competition.
The attendance was 407 and Mcmahon said: “It (reaching the final) has just given the club a big lift.
“We had a very good crowd as well, especially with England playing. A final is always good to get to, no matter what competition it is in.”
Whitstable visit Sittingbourne on Tuesday.