Whitstable Town 0-3 Chipstead - People have got to have fire in their bellies - Lane

After a forgettable first half, the Oystermen succumbed to concede a poor goal from a free kick which bounced through their penalty area; a highly contentious penalty and break away third when they were chasing the game to give Chipstead a hugely flattering 3-0 away win. 

It really was a night to forget for Whitstable boss Mark Lane who donned a brave face when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game. 

He agreed: “A big night to forget – we’ve been beaten at home three nil by a side who weren’t that much better than us, but they’re a lot better than we did. 

“We had no one who had any commitment; no one who wanted to get their foot in no one who wanted to chase people it was a very flat performance. That said we get to half time again nil nil as we’ve done in most of the games that we’ve played this season but we cant just move on from there.” 

The first half was drab and forgettable with neither keeper being tested although the home team did have the best chances that fell to Lloyd Blackman (who was beaten by a horrible bobble just as he shot) and Ian Pulman who seemed destined to score but the ball just wouldn’t sit down for him. In between Ray Freeman lobbed onto the top of the home sides net and that was the first half.

The second exploded into life just four minutes in when out of the blue the visitors scored. 

A free kick was thumped forward from half was by Jason Thompson, and the home defence allowed it to bounce through the penalty area for Lee Coburn to stoop to head Chipstead ahead.

Then came the real turning point just 90 seconds later when referee Mr Harris gave Chipstead a penalty. There was a huge question mark about where the tackle had taken place (many observers were convinced it was outside the box) and there were many who also questioned if it was a foul at all. 

The bottom line though was that Thompson gleefully blasted home the spot kick to really add insult to injury. 

Lane was fuming, adding, ““I was 40 yards away and to me it didn’t look like a penalty especially as none of their players actually appealed – it looked as though it may even not have been in the box. He gets just a tap and the ref’s given a penalty. 

“When you’re down the bottom we get luck like that, and I even said to him (the referee) afterwards that I’m 40 yards away and it didn’t look like one to me but he’s made the decision. What can I do? I can stand there and have my five pent but it won’t change a thing. 

“But that’s the goal that’s killed us off – the third one was another mistake but by then we’re chasing the game and have gone 4-3-3.

That came 11 minutes from time when Freeman raced clear to round the helpless Kevin Fewell in the home goal to seal the win. 

The home side did have chances but there were no better than half chances. Steven Lloyd had a header from a corner go wide; Clint Gooding fizzed in a shot from 30 yards which was only just off target and Blackman couldn’t quite stretch enough to turn home a long kick from Fewell. It really wasn’t Whitstable’s night.

Afterwards the manager admitted, “I think that shows where we are at the moment. We’ve got a massive gap between midfield and the strikers and the strikers have to do things on their own and are getting no support from behind. But that’s something that we have to work on in training over the next few weeks to get it right. We haven’t quite got it right yet as was plainly evident tonight…”

“It’s a worry that we’re already six points worse off than the dotted line especially as teams around us have started picking up points and the gaps widening. To win two games all season up to now just is very disappointing to say the least. 

“I’m frustrated as I’m trying to bring people in who I think can do a job and I’ve brought Steve Nolan in to help with the coaching, and we’ve had some good training sessions but for some reason its not transferring itself onto the pitch. 

“When you’re a player you can do something about it but its very frustrating when you’re on the sideline and all you can do is to change two or three people. Other than that you’ve got to have the will and people have got have fire in their bellies to actually want to play for the football club and do something about it.”

“I’ve had two players pull out today for personal reasons – Sam Groombridge’s other half has had a baby but need a blood transfusion whilst TJ Moncur cares for one of his elderly relatives and they’d have both been in the starting eleven today but we’ve had to change things around. But that’s the nature of football – things happen and there’s more important things than football and we obviously hope that Sam’s other half is OK!”

“I’d like to think that we can’t play that badly again on Saturday, especially as I understand that Neil Shipperly the Walton Casuals boss was here tonight. I hope that he now thinks that he can come here and take the points. 

“But listen we’ve got to get my players playing with a fire in their bellies and obviously wanting to play for the shirt and for whatever reason at the moment they’re not doing that. We all look forlorn at the moment we all look the same, we’re racking our brains trying to work out how we can get ourselves out of the mess that we’re in.”

Whitstable Town: Kevin Fewell, Adam Douglas, Tom Parker, Gareth Cornhill, Stephen Lloyd, Jim Sherman (Scott Heard 60), Clint Gooding, Dan Wisker (Ant Bodle 60), Lloyd Blackman, Ian Pulman, Michael Yianni (Stuart Vahid 55). 
Subs:  Dave Cory, Shaun Smith

Booked : Tom Parker 51, Adam Douglas 76

Chipstead: Martin Grant, Ellis Conroy, Jason Thompson, Lee Coburn (Adam Broomhead 68), Louis Hollingsworth, Josh James (Wayne Grizzle 65), Liam Greer, Billy Harding, Denver McKenzie (Craig Gardener 54), Ray Freeman, AJ Morrison. 
Subs: Callum McColgan, Sean Rivers

Goals: Lee Coburn 49, Jason Thompson 52 (pen), Ray Freeman 79

Booked: Denver McKenzie 54

Attendance: 160
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Richard Joss (Margate)  & Mr Graham Bryant (Saltwood)