Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Mcmahon eager for options after free weekend
Whitstable boss Keith Mcmahon hopes he will have a full strength squad at his disposal for their trip to Burgess Hill this weekend.
The Oystermen, bottom of Isthmian South East, will be returning to action on Saturday after last weekend’s scheduled home match against Chichester was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, as they aim to end a run of seven straight league losses.
Mcmahon’s men visit a Burgess Hill side who still have slim play-off hopes to keep alive. They are eight points adrift of fiveplaced Haywards Heath. “They are a good side,” Mcmahon said. “They beat us 1-0 early on (in November) when I took over but there wasn’t much in the game. “On their day, they can beat anyone. But they can be beaten when they are not on it, as Lancing found out (winning 2-1 last weekend). “Hopefully we can have a right go and come away with something.
“We should have Zak Byron back so, hopefully, we can go there with a full squad.” Whitstable’s scheduled game against Chichester at The Belmont was called off after a morning pitch inspection. Mcmahon admitted: “We had no choice, really. The match referee came in at 10.30am and it was wet. “I was there and I think, at 3pm, we could have played but we couldn’t take that gamble. When he came in, it was not playable. We couldn’t get them to travel. It is what it is, there’s not much you can do.” Mcmahon confirmed youngsters Montrell Deslandes and Muhammed Cham remain with the club, despite not having featured in their most recent match-day squad.
But defender Sam Itauma has left for Faversham, while defenders Ollie Gray and Jack Miles have linked up with Hythe and Combined Counties Premier Division South team Guildford City, respectively.