Whitstable’s superb run in the Trophy came to a heartbreaking end as Ebbsfleet United won the game in the 90^th minute.

This game was the biggest game in Whitstable’s history and they started on the front foot giving their illustrious opponents no room or space to influence the game.

Ebbsfleet were lacklustre although they had chances, in the 13^th minute Aiden Palmer’s cross into the area found Billy Bricknell but his flicked header went wide.

Then in the 18^th minute Whitstable stunned Ebbsfleet by taking the lead when Scott Heard on the left passed inside to Dan Keyte who from 20 yards saw his shot go into the net beating a flat footed Preston Edwards.

In the very next minute Anthony Cook controlled a cross on the back post and his shot was saved by Luke Watkins legs.

Whitstable kept going and in the 26^th minute a Heard free kick into the area found Craig Thompson but his header was easily saved by Edwards.

Another half chance came Ebbsfleet’s way in the 31^st minute when Cook’s cross into the area was half cleared to Bricknell but his weak shot went wide when under no pressure.

In the 40^th minute another chance came when McMahon’s cross to Bricknell but he shot wide from 15 yards but four  minutes later Ebbsfleet did score when a clearance went to Cook who from 40 yards out ran forward beat the full back & once in the area his shot beat Watkins.

The half time whistle went and you would have expected the Whitstable players to be deflated after that considering they had battled hard to keep the lead.

The second half started with Ebbsfleet coming out with more purpose & in the 55^th minute a long clearance from Edwards found Bricknell on his own but his shot from 20 yards was easily saved by Watkins.

Two minutes later a Whitstable corner into the Ebbsfleet area found Luke Harvey and his shot from ten yards hit his own player practically on the line & then cleared.

The next few minutes saw Ebbsfleet have a couple of chances when in the 59^th minute Dean Rance latched onto a loose ball but his shot went wide from 18 yards, then two minutes later Cook on the right received the ball and went inside and his shot was superbly saved by Watkins for a corner, but from the corner Whitstable had a counter attack as Harvey headed clear to Heard who ran half the pitch went into the area and was just about to shoot when he was tackled giving a corner away.

In the 64^th minute a free kick into the Ebbsfleet area was half cleared to Joe Kane who from 20 yards shot wide and this would be his last piece of action as he was substituted straight after that.

As the game wore on you would have thought that Whitstable who had put a lot of effort into the game would get tired but they continued proving Nicky Southall’s claim that they are the fittest team in the Ryman League.

In the 68^th minute Cook got to the by-line and his cross was cleared of the line by Craig MacGuire. In the 80^th minute a free kick into the Ebbsfleet area saw Harvey shoot goalwards only to see Edwards save it.

In the 82^nd minute a free kick 25 yards out was taken by Cook who curled it over wall goalwards only to see Watkins tip it onto the post and go along the goal line before being cleared.

In the 88^th minute Heard on the right cut inside & his shot was pushed around the post by Edwards for a corner.

Then the heartbreak came when just into injury time Ebbsfleet got the winner albeit fortuitious as Michael Thalasittis on the right wing saw his cross loop over Watkins into the net.

Whitstable had one more chance to equalise when in the 93^rd minute Ashley Baverstock on the edge of the area curled his shot goalwards but Edwards was able to save it.

The final whistle went and the Whitstable players were devastated that they did not get another chance to play Ebbsfleet, whilst the Ebbsfleet players knew they had been in a battle.

WHITSTABE TOWN:

1. L.WATKINS  2  J.KAN(65)   3.  C.MacGuire  4. R.WEBB  5. L.HARVEY  6. D.WELLS 7. S.HEARD

8. O.BROWN (90)  9. C.THOMPSON  10. D.KEYTE  11. J.MacKENZIE  (88)

SUBS USED:  12. C.SMITH (88)  14. J.WELLS (65)  15. A.BAVERSTOCK (90)

SUBS NOT USED: 16. S.HAFNER   17. S.HALLETT

BOOKED:  6. D.WELLS (23)  9.C.THOMPSON (45)

EBBSFLEET UNITED:

1. P.EDWARDS  2. C.SESSUGION  3.A.PALMER (74)  4. D.McMAHON  5. P.LORRAINE  6. O.SANKOFA 7. A.OSBORN

8. D.RANCE   9. M.THALASITTIS  10. B.BRICKNELL (70)  11. A COOK

SUBS USED:  12. J.HOWE (74)  16. S.LONG (70)

SUBS NOT USED: 14. B.HALL  15. M.CORCORAN  17. B.MAY

BOOKINGS:  8. D.RANCE (82)

REFEREE: Mr N.LUGG

ASSISTANTS:  Mr P.LISTER &  Mr S.FARRER

ATTENDANCE: 742

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