A Kent Senior Trophy defeat for City as they lost to an early goal at home to Premier Division Whitstable Town. A fast start by the visitors threatened to derail the hosts, but City fought back well and were just unable to at least level the game up and send it to the lottery of penalties!

Whitstable for their part just about did enough, but they were the latest higher division side to be rather relieved to be leaving Hartsdown Park with the spoils after a tough tussle with City – the result in this match very much in doubt right up until the final whistle had blown!

A blistering start from Town had City almost immediately on the backfoot and they soon took the lead. A break down the left by Archie Johnson found Harvey Smith and his inviting cross was just glanced in at the far post by ex-City player Dean Grant – with the faintest of flicks, for 0-1.

The visitors looked to be in a hurry and were soon charging forward after a second. Another promising left-sided break by Johnson saw the ball hoisted in again which City keeper Tom Benham did well to pluck to safety before a loose ball out of defence nearly spelt disaster for City as Mikey Dalton tried to catch Benham off his line from afar, but although back-pedalling, the keeper saw the ball to safety as it rose up and over the bar. A pot-shot from distance by Will Thomas required a routine save from Benham, but the attacking intent from Town was there and had  already been very clear to see.

City were looking a bit shell-shocked but Luke Illsley’s header wide on the stretch from a Rob Lawrence free-kick provided at least a little relief. City’s plans were then disrupted when, on just twelve minutes, Lawrence limped off with a calf problem giving substitute Jake McCarthy an early introduction to the game.

The lively looking Smith meanwhile piled a long shot well over the City bar before, after a well worked move down the right, he headed a terrific cross narrowly wide.

Already up to the twenty-five minute mark but finally City were just beginning to build a little bit of pressure and getting into the game. Zack Jobe’s cross from the right was well defended away, while Mo Cham robbed a defender but saw his shot blocked and hurriedly cleared. Three long throws from Illsley were generally well defended by the visitors although City did win a corner from one from which Simon Kabamba, at the far post, saw his header loop up and over the bar.

Cham then broke across the pitch before firing off a decent effort that visiting keeper Dan Colmer had to be securely behind to take whilst the same player then crashed a forty-yard free-kick into the Whitstable wall before winning the rebound and firing another effort from outside the box just over the bar.

A couple of free-kicks sent in by Whitstable failed to produce anything of note and when the half-time whistle blew, it was City who had finished the half the stronger despite still being that early goal down.

Town though restarted with plenty of zip and Grant’s shot was very well blocked by Illsley while Benham did well to snaffle Josh Oliver’s dangerous cross. Smith then flashed a wicked shot just past the City angle before Benham was well positioned to safely pouch an Oliver free-kick that had been curled around the wall. Smith then went very close to doubling the Town lead when his free-kick again was also bent around City’s defensive wall but, although looking it was going to sneak in from my angle, it just finished the wrong side of the post and nestled into the side netting.

Once more though after the visitors’ fast and busy start, City began to force their way back into contention. Substitute Sean Aromolaran was quickly into his stride making good progress down the right but his pull back just failed to fall kindly for a City player, before, a minute later, his free-kick was headed over the bar by Liam Hark – the same player then catching a bouncing volley well, but it too just flew over.

The game was looking very finely balanced and City were determinedly just pecking away at the Town defence in search of an equaliser but their needs forward meant they had to be a bit careful at the back too and this was giving Town the space to just and try and catch them on the break. On one such occasion Fin Dent forced his way though over on the left, but Benham stood firm to block the resultant effort out for a corner which was then swung in and almost in slow motion – or so it seemed – an attacking header just glanced off the outside of the far post and out for a goal-kick.

The ever alert Smith then tried to catch Benham off his line from some distance and while the effort had the correct strength it just lacked the perfect direction and thankfully drifted just wide of the upright.

With around fifteen minutes still to play, City pounded the opposition area in search of the goal which might just send the tie – albeit at least, to the dreaded spot-kicks. They were definitely getting closer but you felt not quite getting close enough!

Another right-sided break from Aromolaran saw him cut inside before bringing out a fine, low left-handed save from Colmer at the expense of a corner which was probably too easily cleared and in the time that remained City saw three or four corners swung in, but none really produced that vital chance to level things up. Jamie Obianigwe saw a shot blocked, while Illsley headed narrowly wide as City made all their changes to try to pull something out of somewhere, while the under pressure visitors were desperately trying to eke time out with some fairly obvious time-wasting which the officials pretty much allowed to pass.

An attacking free-kick was well repelled by Town as City piled on the pressure including sending keeper Benham up for a couple of the corners. Now into just four minutes of stoppage time, Illsley and several other City players were convinced they should have a penalty claiming the skipper’s header had struck a flailing Town arm, but the officials were having none of it!

Still City pounded the Town gates, with Illsley’s long throws plus the stoppage time corners creating opportunities to strike, but not providing any really clear-cut chances to score, as Colmer saved well from Aromolaran and then clung on with glee to a well-fashioned McCarthy curling cross as ultimately, City’s determined efforts were all thwarted.

Town were just hanging on a bit there at the end but that early goal ended up proving decisive and the visitors just about scratched their way through to the next round.

Final score: Canterbury City 0 Whitstable Town 1.