Kent Premier League
20th January 2007
Lordswood  1   Whitstable Town  2

    The unbeaten League leaders came to Martyn Grove to cement their place at the top as they strive for promotion but history said that they did not have a good record here but as it panned out they deservedly took the points although Lordswood did give them a fright in the last 15 minutes.

    Whitstable came out of the blocks quickly and showed the crowd why they are unbeaten and top of the table when in the 2nd minute Stuart King ran from halfway and his shot went just over the bar, two minutes later a free kick into the area saw John Akinde rise and his header forced Gavin to concede a corner. Another chance came two minutes later when a Lordswood attack broke down and on a breakaway the ball ended up at Tommy Martin’s feet in the area but his shot went wide. Chances were coming thick and fast and in the 10th minute Andy Constable’s crossfield pass found King he went into the area cut inside and shot just past the post. The game went quiet for 10 minutes as Whitstable relaxed but in the 18th minute the ball into the area found Constable who quickly turned and shot but again Gavin was able to parry it down and Warren Phillips was able to complete the clearance, in the very next minute from the throw in Marcos Perona received the ball and his shot from 20 yards was parried away by Gavin for a corner. Lordswood’s first chance came in the 26th minute when an Andy Mills free kick into the area was flicked on by Jackson Ohakam, which nearly ended up in the net as an OG. Whitstable did take a deserved lead in the 32nd minute when Perona in midfield threaded the ball to Constable in the area on his own and he shot past Gavin. In the 37th minute Nick Smith ran in field and passed out to Steve Sharp whose first time clip shot from 20 yards went agonisingly past the post. The last chance of the half went Whitstable’s way when King collected a long ball controlled it and from 15 yards saw his shot parried away by Gavin.

    Lordswood came out for the second half believing they could get something from this game as Whitstable with all their possession were only one up but disaster struck in the 47th minute when King was put through in the area on his own and from 12 yards he shot past Gavin. Whitstable then carried on as they did in the first and in the 62nd minute a ball to the back post was cleared by Ashley Russell but only to King whose shot was saved by Gavin. In the 75th minute Gary Sayer crossed to the far post where Akinde was and his header was saved by Gavin, then the twist in the game came when in the very next minute Lordswood scored when Sean Hetterley received the ball on the right 40 yards out and went on a mazy run beating two defenders and went into the area he looked to have been fouled but got back to his feet and shot home from 13 yards. The game now changed and Whitstable looked a little flat after controlling the game for 75 minutes and seemingly not in trouble. Lordswood suddenly had belief and they started to get a bit of the ball and pass around but unfortunately did not cause Fewell in the Whitstable goal any problems. The final whistle went and their unbeaten run continues but the Lordswood players can come off knowing they stuck to the task and did not give in but were beaten by the better side.

    Attendance 132

    MAN OF THE MATCH  - Gavin Hopper

    1. G.HOPPER   2. A.FORSTER   3. A.MILLS (45)   4. A.RUSSELL   5. W.PHILLIPS (62)   6. D.FORSTER (41)   7. S.HARRISON   8. S.SHARP   9. N.BALLIN   10. S.HETTERLEY   11. N.SMITH   12. A.BURRETT (55)   14. L.DENGATE (41)   15. N.CRUST (45, 55)   16. G.EAST   17. D.ENGLISH  

Return To: Home Page
All information, pictures and content in this site is ©Lordswood Football Club unless expressly stated otherwise, and may not be reproduced without permission.