Chipstead 3-0 Whitstable Town - It was diabolical, admits upset Munday

Tuesday 08th December 2009

CHIPSTEAD 3-0 WHITSTABLE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 8th December 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from High Road

“DIABOLICAL!” - That was how Whitstable Town’s player-manager Mark Munday described his side’s EMBARRASING showing at basement side Chipstead tonight.

In bleak, drizzly conditions at a sparse High Road ground, Whitstable put in a shocking first half performance, which ensured that they were 3-0 down inside 36 minutes, which left some Whitstable fans heading for the exit at half-time.

A fuming Munday brought himself on at the break and the 38-year-old pulled the strings from the middle of the park as Kieran Morris (who was making his debut having signed on a one-month loan from Margate) reverted to right-back as Whitstable at least showed some pride during a much better second half display.

It was all one-way traffic during the second half as Chipstead goalkeeper James Wastell pulled off a string of fine saves, although the damage had already been done during a 12 minute clinical Chipstead spell, which sends both Whitstable Town and Ashford Town crashing down into the relegation zone.

Village club Chipstead went into the game with the passion and desire that was clearly lacking from a Whitstable side that failed to string any passes together during an embarrassing first half.

The home side, playing on a pitch that stood up well despite the wet conditions, went close inside the opening seven minutes when Jason Thompson turned and hooked a right-footed drive just past the foot of the right post.

But woeful defending gifted Chipstead three goals in what was a horror show from the Kent side, who could have gone six points clear of the Surrey side had they bothered to try to win this must-win game.

Chipstead broke the deadlock after 24 minutes when Ryan Watts whipped in an excellent cross from the left for striker Sean Rivers to stoop down to glance a header past Kevin Fewell at his near post.

Fewell made a fine save to delay the inevitable, rushing off his line to thwart Ray Freeman, the former Maidstone United midfielder latching onto a through ball through the heart of a poor Whitstable back-four.

But Chipstead doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when a trademark long throw from former Erith Town midfielder Alan Matthews wasn’t dealt with by the flapping Fewell and Riversn crashed his shot off the underside of the crossbar but the ball dropped nicely for James Russell to smash a low drive into the bottom far corner of an empty net.

The Whitstable faithful wondered why they had parted with their hard earned cash when Chipstead wrapped up the victory six minutes later.

Striker Rivers turned and looped a right-footed shot towards goal and Fewell could only get his fingertips to the ball as the ball dropped down into an empty net, and with it, any chances of the Oystermen getting anything from the game.

Munday asked questions of his side during the half-time break and hauled off right-back Gareth Cornhill, as Morris reverted to his preferred right-back position, allowing Munday to pull the strings in midfield, although he did lose hard-working forward, Dan Wisker, with a suspected left knee injury early in the second half.

Chipstead’s one and only second half chance arrived in the 53rd minute when a drilled Thompson free-kick from 30-yards found it’s way to Fewell, who stooped to comfortably pick the ball up in front of his body a couple of yards from his goal-line.

Munday, who was Whitstable’s best player on the pitch, exchanged a one-two with Joe Hitchings before floating an angled shot towards the far post, which James Westell saved well with the help of a defender.

Munday, rolling back the years, taught his side a lesson with intelligent midfield play, and had he started the game then it may have been a different outcome, although he admits he is not fit enough to last the full 90 plus minutes nowadays.

The manager’s slick pass released Clint Gooding down the left and the midfielder had time and space to find striker David Cory at the far post, but his poor header was comfortably dealt with by the veteran Chipstead stopper.

Forcing numerous second half corners, as Whitstable upped their desire and tempo, another chance arrived in the 71st minute.

Tom Parker’s out-swinging corner from the right was met by Munday’s powerful header, which was caught by the keeper.

Skipper Sam Denly cracked a left-footed snap shot from 30-yards, which was destined for the near corner, but the yellow shirted keeper dived to his right to make a fine block.

Cory, who must be disappointed with his two-goal return so far this season, was twice thwarted by Wastell late on, but had Whitstable showed the same amount as urgency during their poor first half then manager Munday may not have been fuming when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk in the dressing room corridor afterwards.

Breathless, following his inspirational 45 minute spell on the pitch, Munday, still in his kit, slammed his side’s desire.

“It was dire, to be honest with you!” he said. “It’s a performance I’m embarrassed about first half and people weren’t doing their jobs, people didn’t listen, people didn’t have any desire, strolling about and if you do that in a football game, you get what you deserve! Three-nil was what we deserved!

“The first half performance was as bad as I’ve seen here for want and desire and doing things that we’ve asked, just totally opposite to what we’ve asked.

“As we said before the game and in the dressing room before, whoever wants it the most, whoever makes the less mistakes, whoever follows the instructions will go forward winning a football game and they did it!

“We gave ourselves a mountain to climb even though (in the second half) we had a lot of possession, we had a few chances, we didn’t take our half chances to be honest with you.

“Their keeper made a few good saves and that was the game gone.”

Munday refused to receive the plaudits for his inspirational display - insisting that his players should have been prepared to take the game by the scruff of the neck themselves.

He said: “If people don’t listen, there’s two options, they get taken off, they get released from the squad or they don’t play for Whitstable. It’s as simple as that!

“I can’t entertain some performances like that in the first half. I thought they were diabolical! The worst I’ve seen since I’ve been here and it’s very, very disappointing, especially a game of this magnitude.”

He added: “I’m bitterly disappointed and if that sort of performance in the first half never happens again when I’m in charge it won’t be too soon. I thought it was embarrassing!”

Munday was, however, satisfied with Morris’ display, admitting switching him to right-back was the right move.

“It was a hard game to come into,” admitted Munday. “He’s a competitive player, he looked comfortable when I put him in at right-back, but he’s done ok. It’s hard to come in, there’s no blame at Kieran’s door because he’s come in and he does what he does.

“I thought second half he looked very comfortable at right-back.

“The lads around him that have been here for 18-19 games have got to bed him in and make sure he’s not exposed.”

Chipstead: James Wastell, Russell Bedford, Ryan Watts (Paul Deegan 70), James Russell, Michael Donovan, Arrron Smith (Jordan Kiffin 76), Jason Thompson, Alan Matthews, Sean Rivers (Wayne Grizzle 76), Scott Simpson, Ray Freeman.
Subs: Reggie Savage, Mark Tompkins.

Goals: Sean Rivers 24, 36, James Russell 30

Booked: Arron Smith 31

Whitstable Town: Kevin Fewell, Gareth Cornhill (Mark Munday 46), Gary Sayer, Tom Parker, Stephen Lloyd, Sam Denly, Joe Hitchings, Clint Gooding, David Cory, Dan Wisker (Stuart Vahid 52), Kieran Morris.
Sub: Ben Smith.

Booked: Tom Parker 45, David Cory 49

Attendance: 74
Referee: Mr Chris Phillips (Carshalton, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr William Davis (Leatherhead, Surrey) & Mr Wayne Ingram (New Malden, Surrey)