whitstable141204

Whitstable celebrate much needed victory

WHITSTABLE Town manager Matt Toms was pleased with his side after coming away from Harrow Meadow with all three points in the bag on Tuesday night.

Greenwich Borough had won their last four league games after beating Lordswood, Hythe Town, Beckenham Town and VCD Athletic, which saw them rise from bottom place to tenth.

The South-East Londoners, however, opened the scoring after 26 minutes, when recent signing from Dulwich Hamlet, Peter Garland, delivered a free kick to the near post and centre back Errison Ahwan met with a powerful header, when left unmarked by the slack visiting defence.

Before this, Garland played a long diagonal ball, finding Ray Powell, whose fierce drive deflected wide of the foot of the near post after eight minutes.

Whitstable - who fielded reserve team goalkeeper Mark Hickson - went close eleven minutes later when shaven headed Stuart Harrison played in Sam Prett, but the former Slade Green striker rolled his shot wide.

Whitstable, however, needed only nine minutes after Borough's goal, to get back on level terms.

Harrison's quick throw found Tommy Planck, and the striker signed recently from Southern Leaguers Dartford, laid the ball to Prett, with the outside of his boot, and Prett fired inside the foot of the near post beating Borough goalkeeper Michael Holder.

Before the interval, Hickman was forced to dive to his right to parry Danny Mathieu's 20-yard low drive.

Greenwich Borough manager, John Kasapi, brought on Wayne Burnett - Fisher Athletic's manager - six minutes after the break.

Five minutes later, Holder was called into action, blocking Harrison's shot and pushing Marcus Perona's rebound wide.

A good spell from Borough followed and Ray Powell blasted high over the bar from 25-yards but Whitstable weathered the storm and Steve Aslett's 40-yard free kick sailed narrowly wide of the far post and then Prett gave substitute Aaron Knight a chance, which he squandered, lashing wide.

Whitstable, however, took the lead in the 79th minute from the left foot of Perona - whose 25-yarder crept inside the foot of the left post beating Holder's desperate dive.

Borough increased their urgency with raids on the visitors goal.  Burnett, in space, flashed a shot wide, Whitstable survived goal-mouth scrambles, penalty shouts but Borough were exposed at the back as they piled forward as Toms' side wrapped up the victory three minutes into time added on.

Substitute Scott Price's throw-in sent Knight deeper into the opposition's box, and the youngster chested the ball down and shot on the turn.  Holder could only palm the shot away but the onrushing Persona drilled the ball high into the corner of the net to give Whitstable a much-needed victory in front of a big travelling contingent.

Whitstable skipper Marc Seager almost added a fourth late on, lofting the ball onto Holder's crossbar with the goalkeeper well beaten.

A delighted Toms said: "Very pleased with that.  We needed a victory.

"It didn't matter who it came against, we needed a victory.

"To come here, to a difficult place, and get three points is pleasing.

"We worked hard tonight, we defended the best we've done all season and I thought we deserved the three points.

"We needed that as a club.  It's the first win we've had since October so it's been a long time in coming.

"We've played some great stuff but results haven't been going our way."

Toms' team travel to The Small Glen on Saturday, facing Prett's and Perona's old club, Slade Green.

The 32-year-old manager added: "Both of them are looking forward to it.

"We have hopefully started to hit a bit of form now."

Greenwich Borough: Michael Holder, Adam Young, Danny Tipple (Ben Rayner 83), Lee Coburn (Capt), Errison Ahwan, Steve McKenzie (Jean Michel Capone 67), Akim Falola, Joe Fitzpatrick (Wayne Burnett 51), Danny Mathieu, Peter Garland, Raymond Powell.  Sub: Robert Fraser

Whitstable Town: Mark Hickson, Rob Thomas, Shane Davies, Ryan Robinson, Andy Kier, Mark Seager (Capt), Stuart Harrison (Scott Price 90), Steve Aslett (Toby Roy 82), Tom Planck (Aaron Knight 74), Sam Prett, Marcus Perona.  Subs: Matt Toms, Gary Arterton (GK)

Attendance: 78
Referee: G Ions
Assistants: I Newman & H Hill