We're not expected to get anything from Maidstone and Folkestone, says Justin Luchford

WHITSTABLE TOWN manager Justin Luchford says his side’s special win at Ramsgate went down well with a Christmas drink.


Goals from Scott Heard and Damian Abel secured a 2-1 victory over Jim Ward’s side at Southwood Stadium on Tuesday, a result that sees the Oystermen climb up one spot to eighteenth place in the Ryman League Division One South table with 20 points from 22 games.

Reflecting on the win, Luchford said: “Seriously though it’s made my Christmas!  I haven’t been well all over the weekend and haven’t had a drink all weekend.  I think I’ll go and have one now.  But whatever way you look at it to come here and win at Southwood really is something special.”

Whitstable Town travel to fourth-placed Maidstone United on Saturday, before hosting sixth-placed Folkestone Invicta to Belmont Road next Monday.

The Stones drew the short straw on Boxing Day as they were without a lucrative Kent derby as they came from behind to beat Surrey side Corinthian-Casuals 2-1 at Bourne Park.

Folkestone Invicta, meanwhile, claimed the Shepway bragging rights in style, by embarrassing Hythe Town 8-0 at Cheriton Road.

Luchford said: “I believe that Maidstone have got a few injury problems – but they’ve got a bit more money than we have!

“I’m sure that Jay (Saunders, the Maidstone United player-manager) will be delighted to see the details about our game at Ramsgate.

“If I’m honest it’ll be good to see Jay and everyone else at Maidstone.  But the thing with us is that we’ve now got Maidstone and Folkestone and we’re not expected to getting anything, are we?”

Luchford, who started the season as the manager of Horsham in the Ryman Premier League, added, “Richard Langley, my assistant, looked at the fixtures before we took over to look at where we could get points from.

“We’ve got a side now who are fit and ready to compete at this level against sides that are of the same level as we are.”

STAT ATTACK:
Whitstable Town’s leading goalscorer is 13-goal striker Stuart Vahid.
Whitstable Town have failed to keep a clean sheet on their travels in the league, that’s eleven games.
When these two sides met at Belmont Road earlier in the season, goals from Peter Hawkins and Marvin Okundalaiye secured a 2-0 win for Peter Nott’s Whitstable Town, a result that ensured Maidstone United suffered defeats in their first two league games, and Whitstable two wins in their first two games of the season.
Maidstone United’s leading goalscorer is 23-goal striker Shaun Welford.
Maidstone United have kept five clean sheets on home soil in the league, that’s eleven games.
Maidstone United’s largest win of the season was their emphatic 9-0 win at Kent League side Corinthian in an FA Cup Preliminary Round tie back in August.  Striker Shaun Welford helped himself to five goals at the game played at the picturesque Gay Dawn Farm.

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk  

Maidstone United  v  Whitstable Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 31^st December 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Bourne Park, Central Park Stadium, Eurolink Industrial Estate, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB