THE BIG KICK OFF: Whitstable Town 2-2 Eastbourne Town - We under achieved today, admits Seager

The 23-year-old midfielder, who lives in Whitstable, popped up to score from eight-yards with a looping header, which dropped into the bottom left-hand corner, from Marcus Perona’s corner, with 47:59 second half minutes on the clock.

But it took Whitstable Town just 481 seconds for them to score their first ever goal in the Ryman League, through skipper, Perona.

The central midfield playmaker received the ball from a lay-off from striker, Steve Marshall, and stroked a right-footed shot from 25-yards into the top right-hand corner.

But Eastbourne Town, winners of the Sussex County League last season, levelled proceedings on the stroke of half-time, through Luke Denton, before striker, Liam Baitup scored from a dubious penalty with only nine minutes from time.

Whitstable, who clinched their first ever Kent League title last season, as well as winning the Kent Senior Trophy and reaching the final of the Kent League Cup, went into this historic game without the services of seven players.

Last season’s top scorer, Stuart King, 18, was suffering with a knee injury, whilst summer signing from Greenwich Borough, left-sided winger, Danny Tipple had turned his ankle in a pre-season friendly at Tunbridge Wells.

The Oystermen were also without Alex Hossick (groin), Gary Sayer (knee), Jake Gess (holiday), whilst Sam Prett and Gary Carter had work commitments.

Manager Marc Seager, however, handed debuts to former Herne Bay pair, Denly and Steven Lloyd, and ex-Sittingbourne pair, midfielder, Clint Gooding, and striker, Jon Neal.

Eastbourne Town, meanwhile, arrived at a windy Belmont just before an hour before kick-off - their coach failed to turn up and they had to travel by car instead.

And debutant, Charlie Francis, whose signed from Kingstonian, had to wait before just before the break, coming on for Brad Manton, who was stretchered off due to injury.

Whitstable supporters, The Oysterboys, were in full voice when the game got underway, signing their usual anti-Herne Bay songs.

But little did they know, that come the end of the game, a former Herne Bay player, who lives in Whitstable, was to become their hero.

But with 481 seconds on the clock, Perona, 26, wrote his name in the Whitstable Town record books, scoring the club’s first ever goal as a Ryman League side.

“It came earlier than we thought really,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “But we got off to a great start.

“We’ve been working on our throw-ins and our corners and both our goals today have come from hard work on the training ground, so over the moon.”

But the east Sussex coastal club issued the hosts a warning within two minutes of the opener, when Lee Walsh blasted his shot past the foot of the right-hand post, to the delight of the home faithful behind that goal.

And Whitstable squandered some excellent chances to put themselves out of reach.

Perona’s right-footed shot from 12-yards rolled into the grateful arms of Eastbourne Town goalkeeper, Greg Nessling.

And Neal should have opened his goalscoring account with his new side after fifteen minutes.

Right-back, Rob Thomas calmly headed an Eastbourne cross into Fewell’s grateful arms from just inside the six-yard box.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper launched a ball over the top of the visiting defence, into Neal’s path but the striker lobbed the ball over the crossbar from twelve yards.

Eastbourne Town midfield playmaker, skipper, Danny Simmonds, impressed throughout, taking their set-pieces, and drilled a 30-yard shot harmlessly wide of the left-post.

Managers of Ryman One South clubs should note that Eastbourne crowd the six-yard box from Simmonds’ corners.

Another Whitstable Town chance went begging when Andy Constable unleashed a half-volley over the bar from 25-yards.

Constable, Marshall and Neal were leading the line for the hosts during the game.

But Eastbourne Town wasted their second good chance after 21 minutes.

Greg Manton played a diagonal ball over the top of the Whitstable defence which was latched onto by Baitup, but he sent his right-footed angled shot over the advancing Fewell and over the bar.

Fewell was called into action after 29 minutes, beating out Brad Manton’s angled drive, as Eastbourne turned the screw.

Marshall, however, latched onto Constable’s through ball, burst past two defenders but poked the ball into Nessling’s grateful arms once he got inside the box.

The impressive Simmonds tested Fewell with a right-footed drive from 20-yards, but the goalkeeper was able to beat out the shot.

Whitstable’s goal lead a very charmed life towards the end of the first half, and it was no surprise when Eastbourne levelled just before half-time.

Denton, their long-throw specialist, launched the ball into the six-yard box, and Fewell was on hand to punch the ball away.

But the ball didn’t clear the penalty area and Constable failed to clear the danger, miss-kicking the ball.

Eastbourne then played the ball over to an unmarked Denton, who drilled a left-footed shot in off the foot of the near post from 22-yards.

Brad Manton’s game, however, finished just before the break, following a challenge from Gooding.

And the player who had replaced him, Francis, tested Fewell deep into first-half stoppage time, but Fewell got down low to his right to prevent the ball finding the corner.

Although the first half was frenetic, the second half didn’t liven up until the final ten minutes.

Constable should have done better when presented with a chance inside the Eastbourne penalty box on the hour-mark, but the former Bromley and Sevenoaks Town striker, lacked conviction and Nessling was able to save comfortably.

Simmonds was a constant thorn in Whitstable’s side and his first time cross from the right, following Denton’s cut-back, forced defender Josh Maine to loop a header over his own crossbar, despite pressure from Baitup.

Eastbourne broke in numbers in the 68^th minute, but Graham Holman was denied by a smart save from the advancing Fewell.

And Ben Putland sent a towering header over the crossbar from just six-yards, following their 12^th corner of the game - once again taken by Simmonds.

Central defender, Putland, went close again from their next corner, but he turned and blazed over with his left-footed shot from 15-yards.

But Eastbourne scored in controversial circumstances, from a dubious penalty, with just nine minutes remaining.

Greg Manton latched onto Putland’s ball over the top and went to ground easily as Fewell advanced off his line to meet him.

Ashford referee, Mr Ian Regan, pointed to the spot, much to the disgust of many players, including Denly, who was booked for his troubles.

But the small number of visiting fans were celebrating, as striker, Baitup sent Fewell the wrong way with a right-footed, driven penalty, which nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.

Whitstable threw everything at their visitors late on in search of the equaliser, with Neal twice going close.

But whilst leading 2-1, Eastbourne's time wasting tactics, in which Denton, Nessling and Putland all went down to receive treatment, backfired.

Little did they know, that they were playing against a side who relish scoring last-gasp goals.

And from Whitstable’s ninth and last corner of the game, hero Denly sent the home faithful wild, looping his header into the bottom corner.

“It’s good to actually get a point on the board, especially going 2-1 down,” Whitstable manager Marc Seager told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I’m pleased that the lads showed the strength of character to come back, but we shouldn’t put ourselves in that position.

“I felt as though we’ve under achieved today, a bit of an anti-climax if you like, with such a big build up to our first Ryman game, and I felt as though we had a little bit of a Kent League attitude.

“But we’ve got a young side, a few nerves in the side.

“A lot of these players have never, never played at this level so it takes five, ten minutes to get settled.

“But we scored a great goal, I thought that would settle everyone down, but we didn’t keep the ball well enough and the higher you go, in levels of football, the more you have to respect the ball and keep the ball.

“I thought we didn’t do that enough and we allowed Eastbourne back into the game.

“They’re a good side Eastbourne. If you allow them time to play, they will play, and they played some good stuff at times.”

Seager was delighted that his side had enough in them to grab a last-gasp equaliser.