Whitstable Town 0-2 Hythe Town - Until someone tells me we're down, we'll keep fighting, says Whitstable Town manager Keith McMahon

Whitstable Town 0 – 2 Hythe Town
Location	The Belmont, Belmont Road, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1QP
Kickoff	19/03/2022 15:00

WHITSTABLE TOWN  0-2  HYTHE TOWN
Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 19 March 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Belmont Road

WHITSTABLE TOWN manager Keith McMahon issued an apology and revealed that he is suffering from sleepless nights as he struggles to keep the club in the Isthmian League South East Division.

The Oystermen remain rooted to the foot of the table games after Hythe Town eased their relegation fears by scoring twice from set-pieces within the six-yard box through centre-half George Crimmen and substitute attacker Jordan Sarfo.

Whitstable Town were reduced to 10 men with 16 minutes remaining when centre-half Tom Mills was shown a straight red card.

The crowd of 402 witnessed dross on the pitch with too many players on both sides giving the ball away cheaply, as this relegation dog-fight lived up to expectations – it wasn't very good!

Whitstable Town, who were without targetman Harry Goodger through illness, last won a league game by beating their local rivals Faversham Town 2-1 at Salters Lane on 3 January 2022 and extended their winless run to 10 league games after putting in a poor performance against their Kent coastal rivals.

James Rogers’ side, however, claimed their second win in five since beating Chichester City 2-1 at Reachfields Stadium on 19 February and climbed into fourteenth-place in the table with a vital victory.

“I just feel like you’ve been kicked in the nuts three times over and bent over backwards and something’s stuck up my backside if I’m honest with you,” said McMahon.

“I thought for 70 minutes we were the better side.  We didn’t look like we were going to concede and then we switched off for a ball in the box, which we gave a silly foul away on the half-way line and conceded and then had my captain sent off and exactly the same thing happened late on, so (it’s) difficult really, a funny feeling, something that I’m not really used to.”

When asked about the lack of quality during the game, McMahon painted a much brighter picture than what the crowd inside the stadium had to endure.

“In what way mate?  I thought we tried to play football.  I thought there was only one side that looked like they were going to get the ball down and play.  Maybe you saw something different - but I didn’t.

“The last 15 minutes was awful but with 10 men, we’re 2-0 down and I said it felt like you’re in a boxing ring with Lennox Lewis but I thought for 70 minutes we done alright.  We were solid, we tried to play more with the football. We were the only one that had a couple of the chances with Charlie Heatley and Tom Mills in the first-half.  I thought if there was anyone that was going to win the game, it was us.”

Hythe Town coach Will Graham added: “Probably one of our poorest performances in a long time to be fair, in one of our biggest games that we’ve had in terms of playing someone in and around us.

“I was so not happy with the performance but I’ll take not playing well and getting three points, especially at this stage of the season.

“We’ve got to make sure that we do our job every week because teams are beating everyone so we’ve got to make sure that we’re on the ball and today three points is all that matters.

“First half was poor, poor. I think both teams weren’t great but I think Whitstable probably shaded the first half in terms of chances, in terms of being on the ball and to potentially take the lead.

“At half-time we’ve given out a bo*****ing out to the team and all we asked for was to just work a little bit harder off the ball and I think that’s what we done second half.”

This was a game of little quality indeed, played at a low tempo.  Hythe Town’s Tyler Sterling drilled a speculative right-footed angled drive from the right touchline from 35-yards, which was gathered at the second attempt by Whitstable Town goalkeeper Dan Eason in the 12^th minute.

The second-half of the first-half spung into life, with Whitstable Town edging proceedings.

Danny Walder, one of three central midfielders, lost possession inside the Hythe Town final third and his midfield partner William Thomas hooked a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which bounced into the hands of visiting goalkeeper Henry Newcombe.

Central midfielder George Monger, fed the ball into Whitstable Town’s lone striker Charlie Heatley, who flicked the ball over the head of Cannons’ right-back Jack Mayhew and played the ball into left-winger Stephen Okoh, who cut into the box and drove a right-footed angled drive from 16-yards straight into Newcombe’s midriff at his near-post.

Whitstable Town should have smashed the deadlock in the 32^nd minute, on the counter-attack.

Monger played the ball along the deck to feed Heatley, who easily skipped past Rogers and Mayhew to reach the penalty area but Newcombe advanced to the edge of his six-yard box to make a vital block when faced in an one-on-one dual.

“We played a bit of football, got in behind them. Charlie’s got in and they’ve made a save,” said McMahon.

“When you’ve got two teams where we are it’s not going to be end-to-end, 10 chances each. We knew that but I thought we looked solid until that (the two goals and red-card) happened.”

Graham added: “That’s when you rely on your keeper to be there when you need him the most.

“I still don’t feel like it was a real goalscoring opportunity.  I think Henry’s done well to make a save but I think it was a bit of a tough angle for him to score from there and Henry was there to not make it a chance.”

Hythe Town were almost gifted the lead in the 35^th minute when home goalkeeper Dan Eason had to scamper back to his goal-line to ensure a poor back-pass from his centre-half Mohammed Kamara didn’t cross the line.

Newcombe was called into action just 177 seconds later, making a save from Whitstable’s second of five corners.

Monger’s left-footed in-swinging corner from the right was delivered into a crowded goal-mouth and Mills’ hooked volley was hit straight at Newcombe, who caught the ball at chest height at his near post.

“It’s dropped down, Tom’s got to the ball first and it hit their bloke and we haven’t reacted to a second ball to score but they were the only couple of chances and we created them,” said McMahon.

Graham added: “That was the one where I thought they were most dangerous from.  They were unlucky not to score from that and Henry’s pulled off a great save. It was right at him but his reactions were good and that’s probably summed up our first half with his poor we were.”

Hythe Town almost grabbed the lead two minutes before half-time in a scramble following their third corner of the game.

Sterling swung in a corner from the left, which was punched away with two fists by an under-pressure Eason and resulted in a scramble inside a crowded six-yard box and Crimmen slid in to poke his shot trickling past the foot of the left-hand post.

Graham said: “We said to the team we want in-swinging corners because even though Dan’s a great goalkeeper, he’s not the biggest, so we wanted everything inside the box.  The one time we did do it, we got an opportunity and we were unlucky not to score with the scramble.”

McMahon added: “It’s a corner, we should’ve dealt with.  I thought there was a foul on the keeper as well when he punched it.

“We came in at half-time and we were pretty happy. We just needed a little bit more quality in the final third.  We were quite solid and we said keep going and get on the front foot and the game’s there to be won.

“The pitch was bobbly as anything and it was windy and blowing and we were against the wind.

“It looked like only one side were looking to play and get it down and try to play and that’s what we try to do.  We didn’t go route one.  The last 15 minutes was shambolic all over the pitch but you start to pick yourself up from that.  I thought, in a game that what it was, we looked the better side.”

Graham added: “Rogo has given them a telling off about how they were playing, a lack of work-rate, a lack of quality and said if we went out there with the same attitude in the second half we would come off losing. It didn’t get much better but we asked for a reaction and a bit more work off the ball.”

The second half was an non-event, other than the two goals and red card, as neither side could create any excitement for the crowd during a cagey relegation battle between two poor sides.

Both sets of players often give the ball away, even when trying to make simple passes.  This was more like a Sunday League battle than a game in the eighth-tier of English football where players are paid to play.

Hythe Town grabbed the lead with 21 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock, following a set-piece from the left touchline.

Sterling floated in a deep right-footed free-kick towards the back post where Crimmen found a pocket of space behind Kamara to bury his header past Eason from inside the six-yard box.

“Crimmo’s always a threat from attacking set-pieces. He gets his body in the right areas. Tyler’s put a great ball in, which he can do and Crimmo’s there to head home and put us deservedly 1-0 up, on the balance of the second-half.”

McMahon added: “We wasn’t marked properly. We had the ball at our feet as well on the half-way line and it was a poor touch and we gave the ball away. We gave a silly free-kick away. I thought we were maybe too deep for the ball coming in, which you can’t do too much about and it’s travelled a hell of a long way and it only needs one person to switch off and we have a the back stick.  I was disappointed with the goal to concede.”

Monger floated in a free-kick from midfield into the Hythe Town box but Thomas failed to guide his glancing header anywhere near the goal and the ball went behind for a goal-kick.

Hythe Town’s two-goal striker Tom Walmsley woke up from his slumber by winning his final-third tussle with Mills, who committed a bad foul some 30-yards from goal and referee Craig Barnett pulled out a red-card for either violent conduct or for making a professional foul.

Graham said: “I mean it was right in front of us and I know Tom Mills very well, he’s played a good level, he’s a good semi-pro. He’s made the tackle, he knew he was late. He didn’t even argue it, he just walked off. It was a naughty tackle and I think he knew that.”

McMahon added: “I don’t know whether it was for the foul or being the last man.  I haven’t had any time to speak to the referee.  If I’m honest, we can’t really grumble too much about it. The ref was adamant.”

Hythe Town sealed the victory following the resulting free-kick, scoring their second goal with 30 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Liam Smith floated in a deep free-kick towards an unmarked Crimmen, who from a tight angle headed the ball back across goal from where it came.  Substitute Riley Alford’s initial shot at the back post was blocked on the line but Sarfo made sure from a couple of yards out to tap the ball over the line to score his seventh goal of the season.

Graham said: “Jordan’s been unlucky to be out of the squad for a long time.  After the change when Rogo came in, Jordan was on fire for the first few games and he found himself out of form but he’ll enjoy that goal today and hopefully it spurs himself on to start picking some form up.”

When asked what his players gave him today, Graham replied: “They gave us three points and that’s all we wanted. We don’t care how we win, three points is all that matters, especially in the position that we’re in so that’s what they gave us.

“It gives us a bit of room with six games to go but we’re not going to rest on our laurels, we know that we’ve got to go again against Phoenix Sports next week.”

McMahon added: “It was a bit of a carbon copy for me. A long ball into the box again, back post, same player, same marker and he’s headed it and it’s dropped down and we haven’t picked the second ball up. 

“It’s disappointing. I think we’re wounded or whatever you want to call it after the goal and the sending off and that was it.”

Whitstable Town failed to create a single goalscoring chance during the second half and this was their 11 game without scoring this season.

McMahon said: “We’ve come out at the beginning and looked more lively than they did.  There wasn’t much in it.  I just thought we were the better side and looked more likely to score than they did but when you defend and watch what’s happened in the last 20 minutes, it just sums it up. It’s just a big kick in the nuts!”

The Belmont Road faithful made their feelings known after Sarfo’s goal, with numerous chants of ‘we’re on our way down, ‘going down’, and ‘we want our Whitstable back’, from their disgruntled choir behind the goal.

It appears that they are no longer supporting McMahon with the chant of ‘Scott Porter’s red and white army,’ also being sung.

Under-fire McMahon has won only eight of his 29 games in charge of the club (losing 17), while this was Hythe Town’s fifth win in 23 games since Rogers replaced Steven Watt at Reachfields Stadium.

McMahon said: “Listen, we’re sorry for the result.  We’re not doing it on purpose.  We’re trying to work our balls off to try to turn it around and I thought they could even see some fight.  I get they can’t see any fight in the last 20 minutes but we’ve got 21 points (left to play for), we’ve got to keep fighting.  We’re not ones to give up, we can’t give up.

“I can understand what they’re going through but when we took over (in October) we were in an absolutely c**p position so it’s been difficult all the way and you’re fighting everything really.

“We’ve got seven games left, 21 points (to play for), we’ve got to get as many as we possibly can, simple as.  Until someone tells me we’re down, we’ll keep fighting.

“It’s tough, I ain’t going to lie. We’ve come in, knew it was tough. It’s a great football club. There’s some great people here, a lot of people don’t see what goes on behind the scenes.  The committee are fantastic. 

“We have got great supporters.  I do understand their frustration. No one’s more frustrated than I am or gutted than I am when we’re losing.

“You have sleepless nights, you don’t sleep, you’re constantly trying to bring players in, you’re talking to players. We’re working hard on the training pitch and we’re trying to do everything.

“Of course, it’s a difficult job. I’ve been doing it 20-odd years. We’ve just got to keep going and I’ve got to keep believing.

“When I first took over, I said it wasn’t going to be an overnight job.  I knew it was going to take time.  I’ve got to keep going – if the club want me to keep doing it, I’ll keep doing it.”

The bottom eight teams include Whitehawk (34 points from 31 out of 38 games); Hythe Town (33 points from 32 games); Faversham Town (32 points from 30 games); East Grinstead Town (32 points from 30 games) and Lancing (31 points from 32 games).

Sevenoaks Town (30 points from 32 games) are in the points-per-game zone, while Phoenix Sports (26 points from 32 games) and Whitstable Town (23 points from 31 games) are hovering above the trap door and fighting for their lives to avoid a return to the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division and being replaced by Chatham Town and Sheppey United, who are level on 84 points with six games remaining.

Whitstable Town have seven games left to play to avoid suffering their second relegation out of the Isthmian League in six years.

The Great Escape can happen.  Cray Wanderers, then in Isthmian League North, appointed Tommy Warrilow (now the Ashford United boss) on 5 January 2015 and his side won all of their last 10 league games to avoid relegation at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.

McMahon, meanwhile, takes his beleaguered side to fifth-placed side Haywards Heath Town – who lost their eighth league game of the season by losing 3-2 at home to fourth-placed Cray Valley (Paper Mills).

“They (the players) have got to give the club everything they’ve got and I think the last two games you’ve seen the difference in us.  At the moment, they’re gutted as I am,” added McMahon.

“I just need them to give us everything and keep believing. Funny things have happened in football.  We’re not 10 points adrift, we’re there. Listen, it can happen. People may sit there and say we don’t look like scoring at the moment.

“We’re feeling really low at the moment but we’ve just got to keep thinking ‘we can get a result’ and go to Haywards Heath and do our best. We can’t do no more than that.”

Hythe Town’s performance was just as bad today, but the 2-0 win will paper over the cracks.

The Cannons travel to Phoenix Sports next Saturday, a side that suffered a 4-0 home defeat to midtable Chichester City.

“They need to win, we need to win, so it’s going to be a bit of a scrappy affair, I would imagine,” predicted Graham.

“The pitches are getting a little bit tougher and the test doesn’t change.  The mode doesn’t change. We’ll go up there aiming for three points. Phoenix are fighting for their lives so they’re going to do everything they can to try to take them off us.”

When asked what his side need to maintain their league status, Graham said: “I don’t really want to get sucked into saying a specific number because I want to go for all three (points) every game but Phoenix, East Grinstead, Sevenoaks and Herne Bay, we’ve got some tough ones so I’ll take three every week and it gives us a little bit of rest going into the last few.

“I’ll take a point a game now but if we can go and get three next week that will give us a bit of legroom now. If we can take something out of every game I think that will be enough.”

Whitstable Town: Dan Eason, Jake MacKenzie, George Whitelock (Junior Baker 80), Danny Walder, Mohammed Kamara, Tom Mills, Stephen Okoh, George Monger, Charlie Heatley, William Thomas, George McIlroy (Gus Barnes 58).
Subs: Emmanuel Olusanya, Zak Bryon, Callum Watts

Sent Off: Tom Mills 74

Hythe Town: Henry Newcombe, Jack Mayhew, Liam Smith, James Rogers, Ollie Gray, George Crimmen, Nico Cotton (Riley Alford 62), Jacob Gilbert, Tom Walmsley, Tyler Sterling (Jordan Sarfo 70), Luca Woodhouse (George Sibley 89).
Subs: Connor Cheek, Ben Hermitage

Goals: George Crimmen 66, Jordan Sarfo 76

Booked: Jacob Gilbert 90

Attendance: 402
Referee:  Mr Craig Barnett
Assistants: Mr Leigh Ballinger & Mr Samuel Everitt