Kentish Football 
Whitstable Town 1-1 Whyteleafe - Munday pleased with his side's character as they end miserable run
Tuesday 27th October 2009
WHITSTABLE TOWN 1-1 WHYTELEAFE
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 27th October 2009
Mike Green reports from Belmont Road
AN INJURY time penalty from Stuart Vahid not only salvaged Whitstable a point against Whyteleafe at the Belmont easing the pressure on boss Mark Munday, but more importantly snapped the Oystermen's dreadful run of seven consecutive defeats.
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 27th October 2009
Mike Green reports from Belmont Road
AN INJURY time penalty from Stuart Vahid not only salvaged Whitstable a point against Whyteleafe at the Belmont easing the pressure on boss Mark Munday, but more importantly snapped the Oystermen's dreadful run of seven consecutive defeats.
After Saturday’s 5-0 mauling at Worthing, manager Munday called for a response from his side, and, as he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game, he was a lot happier with his teams performance as they gained their first point in more than 10 hours of football.
And there was even a hint of a smile on the managers face when he said, "I think we deserved our point tonight. We asked for more endeavour from the players and we got it mostly tonight.
"We finally played for 90 minutes tonight - OK we rode our luck at times but we deserved our point.
“It stops the rot for now, and I just hope that it can be a springboard to better things. It was the game of two halves really - the side with the possession didn't create the chances, which is possibly the only disappointing thing about our second half display!"
The first surprise of the night was the appearance of Whyteleafe keeper Robert O'Hara - quite simply the tallest keeper this reporter has ever seen - and who one home fan was heard to remark "We've got problems tonight - we're playing the Harlem Globetrotters!"
A bit harsh on the Leafe stopper who produced an accomplished performance throughout and was only beaten by Vahid's injury time penalty - of which more shortly.
The home side could have been in front as early as the fifth minute, as a corner from Gareth Cornhill found its way to the unmarked Jake Gess at the back post was denied by a combination of defender and keeper.
After Saturday's drubbing in which everything went wrong for Whitstable keeper Dylan MacVicar (including being sent off), it was vital that he got some early confidence which he duly did as he did remarkably well to hold onto Mark Hammond's vicious in swinging corner on 9 minutes.
The early chances continued to come thick and fast - on 12 minutes O'Hara could only palm Gess' driven cross straight into the air and was relieved to see a defender on hand to hack clear, whilst at the other end, from another Hammond corner, Fred Fleming had a free header which he should have done better with rather than heading into the trees behind the goal.
Then on the half hour, Sam Butler wriggled clear down the left for Whyteleafe, and his driven centre was cleared by Whitstable full back Dean Powell - problem was for Powell that his clearance was horribly sliced and must have grazed MacVicar's right post taking a coat of paint with it.
The second half began very cagily and on 56 minutes disaster struck for the home side.
As the ball went behind for a corner, Dan Tanner and Ryan Royston clashed, and the former Erith Town target man went down not once, not twice, but three times, and although the referee had "a word" with both players, it clearly disturbed the home defence, and as Hammond's corner was only partially cleared, Butler drove the ball through the crowd from the edge of the box past a statuesque and undoubtedly unsighted MacVicar and into the bottom corner of the net.
On 68 minutes, the visitors should really have sealed the game, only for Oakins to fire well wide after being set up by the unlucky Powell - the Whitstable defender clearing Paul Scott's cross straight to the Whyteleafe man. The home side desperately tried to up the tempo, but the closest they came was a Gess volley which just wouldn't dip enough as it cleared the crossbar.
With Whitstable getting more and more stretched by the minute, the visitors missed two more golden chances to seal the points.
Then in stoppage time, the home side finally got a bit of luck that their efforts deserved.
"Given the pressure that there was when he took it, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to take the kick," said Munday afterwards as he began reminiscing about the penalty he himself scored for Margate in a televised FA Cup tie against Fulham a many, many, many years ago.
“Yes we've had a bad start, but if you look at the sides we've played in our first 10 games of the season, eight of them are in the divisions top ten."
Munday finished by adding, "An old manager of mine once said that if you beat the bottom 10 sides home and away you'll get 60 points and be safe from any relegation fight."
Somehow that may be a distant dream for Munday, but if his side continue to display the fight that their manager demands, it may not be such a bleak winter at the Belmont after all.
Whitstable Town: Dylan MacVicar, Greg Smith, Dean Powell, Dan Tanner, Tom Parker, Steven Lloyd, Gareth Cornhill (Dan Dolton 74), Clint Gooding, Stuart Vahid, David Cory, Jake Gess.
Subs: Joe Hitchings, Mark Munday, Mark Lane, Ian Batten.
Whyteleafe: Robert O'Hara, Ellis Conroy, Jordan Wilson, Fred Fleming, Daryl Coleman, Ryan Royston, Danny Oakins, Mark Hammond, Leon McDowall, Paul Scott, Sam Butler.
Subs: Daniel Aldous, Matt Kember, Stuart Massey, Gavin Dilley.
Goal: Sam Butler 56
And there was even a hint of a smile on the managers face when he said, "I think we deserved our point tonight. We asked for more endeavour from the players and we got it mostly tonight.
"We finally played for 90 minutes tonight - OK we rode our luck at times but we deserved our point.
“It stops the rot for now, and I just hope that it can be a springboard to better things. It was the game of two halves really - the side with the possession didn't create the chances, which is possibly the only disappointing thing about our second half display!"
The first surprise of the night was the appearance of Whyteleafe keeper Robert O'Hara - quite simply the tallest keeper this reporter has ever seen - and who one home fan was heard to remark "We've got problems tonight - we're playing the Harlem Globetrotters!"
A bit harsh on the Leafe stopper who produced an accomplished performance throughout and was only beaten by Vahid's injury time penalty - of which more shortly.
The home side could have been in front as early as the fifth minute, as a corner from Gareth Cornhill found its way to the unmarked Jake Gess at the back post was denied by a combination of defender and keeper.
From the resulting corner David Cory thundered a header towards the top corner only for O'Hara to reach out a long arm and flick the ball over the bar.
After Saturday's drubbing in which everything went wrong for Whitstable keeper Dylan MacVicar (including being sent off), it was vital that he got some early confidence which he duly did as he did remarkably well to hold onto Mark Hammond's vicious in swinging corner on 9 minutes.
The early chances continued to come thick and fast - on 12 minutes O'Hara could only palm Gess' driven cross straight into the air and was relieved to see a defender on hand to hack clear, whilst at the other end, from another Hammond corner, Fred Fleming had a free header which he should have done better with rather than heading into the trees behind the goal.
Then on the half hour, Sam Butler wriggled clear down the left for Whyteleafe, and his driven centre was cleared by Whitstable full back Dean Powell - problem was for Powell that his clearance was horribly sliced and must have grazed MacVicar's right post taking a coat of paint with it.
The second half began very cagily and on 56 minutes disaster struck for the home side.
As the ball went behind for a corner, Dan Tanner and Ryan Royston clashed, and the former Erith Town target man went down not once, not twice, but three times, and although the referee had "a word" with both players, it clearly disturbed the home defence, and as Hammond's corner was only partially cleared, Butler drove the ball through the crowd from the edge of the box past a statuesque and undoubtedly unsighted MacVicar and into the bottom corner of the net.
On 68 minutes, the visitors should really have sealed the game, only for Oakins to fire well wide after being set up by the unlucky Powell - the Whitstable defender clearing Paul Scott's cross straight to the Whyteleafe man. The home side desperately tried to up the tempo, but the closest they came was a Gess volley which just wouldn't dip enough as it cleared the crossbar.
With Whitstable getting more and more stretched by the minute, the visitors missed two more golden chances to seal the points.
On 87 minutes, another Hammond corner caused chaos as Jordan Wilson nodded down only for Oakins to flick the ball over the bar from six yards.
In the final minute of normal time, Oakins played a brilliant ball (with the outside of his right boot) to Leon McDowell, who with the goal at his mercy blasted high over the bar.Then in stoppage time, the home side finally got a bit of luck that their efforts deserved.
Clint Gooding clipped a ball into the box, which ran through to substitute Dan Dolton, who's first time cross was flicked on by Vahid only for Fleming to thrust out an arm and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Vahid himself stepped up - exactly how much of the goal he could actually see past the giant O'Hara is open to debate - but the former Ramsgate striker kept his cool and drilled the ball high into the roof of the net to salvage a point for the Oystermen."Given the pressure that there was when he took it, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to take the kick," said Munday afterwards as he began reminiscing about the penalty he himself scored for Margate in a televised FA Cup tie against Fulham a many, many, many years ago.
"That was pressure," Munday admitted, "But Stuart showed real bottle tonight. I wonder how much of the goal he actually saw... its a good job the keeper dived", the Whitstable boss added.
“I just wish we could get our noses in front in games, rather than having to keep chasing them all the time. But tonight we dug in and where we've been conceding one and then another quickly afterwards, we didn't, which showed that we do have the character.
“Yes we've had a bad start, but if you look at the sides we've played in our first 10 games of the season, eight of them are in the divisions top ten."
Munday finished by adding, "An old manager of mine once said that if you beat the bottom 10 sides home and away you'll get 60 points and be safe from any relegation fight."
Somehow that may be a distant dream for Munday, but if his side continue to display the fight that their manager demands, it may not be such a bleak winter at the Belmont after all.
Whitstable Town: Dylan MacVicar, Greg Smith, Dean Powell, Dan Tanner, Tom Parker, Steven Lloyd, Gareth Cornhill (Dan Dolton 74), Clint Gooding, Stuart Vahid, David Cory, Jake Gess.
Subs: Joe Hitchings, Mark Munday, Mark Lane, Ian Batten.
Goal: Stuart Vahid 90 (pen)
Booked: Tom Parker 78Whyteleafe: Robert O'Hara, Ellis Conroy, Jordan Wilson, Fred Fleming, Daryl Coleman, Ryan Royston, Danny Oakins, Mark Hammond, Leon McDowall, Paul Scott, Sam Butler.
Subs: Daniel Aldous, Matt Kember, Stuart Massey, Gavin Dilley.
Goal: Sam Butler 56
Attendance: 146
Referee: Mr Darren Blunden (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Craig Wood (Gravesend) & Mr Ollie Jackson (Rainham)
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