Kentish Football 
Whitstable Town 1-2 Ebbsfleet United - We had to dig deep to avoid a giant-killing, says Steve Brown
Saturday 14th December 2013
WHITSTABLE TOWN 1-2 EBBSFLEET UNITED
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Round
Saturday 14th December 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Belmont Road
EBBSFLEET UNITED boss Steve Brown says he was pleased that his side got through a tricky FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Round tie at bravehearts Whitstable Town.
The Fleet – FA Trophy winners in 2008 – booked their place in the last sixteen as Whitstable Town’s epic eight-match run in the competition came to an end in a cruel fashion.
Whitstable Town’s largest crowd of the season (742) believed a giant-killing was on the cards when the Ryman League’s sole survivors grabbed the lead through Dan Keyte’s first goal for the first team after being plucked from the club’s Ryman Youth League team.
But Ebbsfleet United restored parity through right-winger Anthony Cook’s ninth goal of the season on the stroke of half-time and the Skrill (Conference) South side won it when Michael Thalassitis fluked a cross into the top far corner to score his seventh goal of the campaign to win it for the Fleet just four seconds into injury-time at the death.
Whitstable Town – eighteenth-place (sixth-bottom) in the Ryman League Division One South table with 23 points from 18 games – have banked £17,450 in prize money from this epic run.
Ebbsfleet United – in fourth-place in the Skrill South with 30 points from 17 games - went into this game on the back of seven wins on the bounce and will join Dover Athletic in the hat on Monday after Chris Kinnear’s side defeated Skrill North side Leamington 2-0 at Crabble, courtesy of two goals from James Rogers.
“That was the job done really because it was always going to be a tough job coming down here,” admitted Fleet boss Brown afterwards, who spoke outside the dressing rooms in the blustery wind that was battering the north Kent coast.
“You know when it comes out as an away tie you the kind of cup tie it was going to be – a good, old fashioned cup tie. It was roll the sleeves up to get the job done.”
Brown added: “It’s tough on Whitstable. I think any team not just in our division, Skrill South, but in the Skrill Prem would come here and find it difficult to play. It’s not an easy pitch to play on. The wind is driving across and it makes it even more difficult.
“I’m pleased to get through, but I do think most sides would find it difficult to come down here and certainly play football.
“It was a case of rolling your sleeves up, make sure you do the dirty side of the game right and get the challenges sorted and make sure you turn the teams round and try to press in their half.
“It wasn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination but it was a good, old fashioned, hard fought cup tie.”
Whitstable Town boss Nicky Southall, meanwhile, was a proud man after his side gave everything against their bigger Kent rivals.
He said: “People are saying are you really gutted and down? No! I’m very proud of my players for the performance that they’ve put in today. It’s just absolutely outstanding and exceptional.
“I feel really disappointed for them more than anything because they put a real good Ebbsfleet side to the sword today.”
Southall added: “There’s lots of positives out there. There’s not a negative. The only negative is that we’ve lost the game. Every single one of my players has been positive and I asked them to step up to the plate and they’ve given everything for Whitstable Town today.
“Their goalkeeper has made some fantastic saves as well as ours. It was a great cup tie. I just feel my team definitely deserved to get something out of the game and get at least a replay, but it wasn’t to be, so we’ve got to move on and start catching up in the league now.”
Fans were seen queuing outside The Belmont at kick-off as Whitstable Town played their biggest game of their 127-year history.
Ebbsfleet United created the first chance of the game in the 14th minute when left-back Aiden Palmer floated over a cross and Thalassitis out-jumped central defender Dan Wells to power his header agonisingly just past the left-hand post from 12-yards.
The Fleet created another chance just 40 seconds later when Thalassitis ignored Daryl McMahon’s run into the penalty area by stroking a half-volley harmlessly wide of the far post.
But resilient Whitstable Town – who deployed a 4-5-1 formation – grabbed the lead in the 19th minute to stun their well-backed opponents.
Jake MacKenzie bulldozed his way towards the left by-line before cutting the ball back for Keyte to drill a low right-footed drive into the bottom left-hand corner from 25-yards for a maiden goal in his eleventh appearance.
Southall said: “I wouldn’t say it was a daisy-cutter, it was a good strike. It had a bit of power on it.
“It was Jake MacKenzie who squared the ball back to him and it was a good finish but we looked lively up front all game.”
Brown added: “From their perspective, they’ll say good goal. From our perspective a player has switched off from a throw, which allowed a strike from the edge of the box.
“Again, I give credit to our players. One-nil down away at Whitstable in really tricky conditions and come back and won the game 2-1.
“Credit to our players for digging in because it was absolutely at that point a potential banana skin and a potential giant-killing.”
Ebbsfleet United – who have defeated Bromley (4-1) and Gloucester City (3-0) at home in this season’s competition – responded well to that early set-back.
Palmer whipped in another cross from the left and Cook took a touch and before stroking a shot, which goalkeeper Luke Watkins blocked at his near post for a corner.
Whitstable Town forced a free-kick which was swung in by Scott Heard and Laurence Harvey came up from the back but his back-header was comfortably gathered by Fleet keeper Preston Edwards.
Ebbsfleet United should have equalised in the 32nd minute when Billy Bricknell swept the ball out to Osborn on the right and his cross was cleared and fell at Bricknell’s feet, but the unmarked striker sent his shot sail harmlessly wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the box.
Bricknell wasn’t having his best day in front of goal and the former Dover Athletic striker lashed a left-footed shot over from fifteen-yards after McMahon’s low cross from the left was flicked on by Osborn.
Whitstable Town midfielder Oliver Brown stroked a right-footed angled drive into Edwards’ gloves from eighteen-yards, before Ebbsfleet United scored the equaliser with 43 minutes and 17 seconds on the clock.
Cook picked the ball up, sped past Whitstable Town’s left-back Ross Webb, cut inside and drilled a low shot across Watkins, for the ball to nestle into the bottom far corner of the net.
Brown was full of praise for the former Chelmsford City winger.
He said: “I think one of the things they failed was when we gave them possession they didn’t really keep hold of the ball for long periods of time. They did just try to get it forward quickly. They gave it away far too quickly and gave it back to us and it left their left-back exposed and the way Cookie plays and the way he is if you allow him to run at you he will run at you all day and thankfully he whipped past the left-back and it was a fine strike actually, exactly where you should place those kind of shorts – low and into the bottom right-hand corner.
“It was a decent finish and at that point, I’ve got to be honest, I thought we would go on and extend the lead.”
Southall added: “It was our own downfall. There were two of our boys next to it and they left it to each other and it’s broke to the boy Cook, who I know would be a thorn in the side and it was a good run and a good finish. Don’t get me wrong he’s a good player at the level that they’re at.”
Whitstable midfielder Brown hit a speculative right-footed angled drive, which was comfortably gathered by Edwards – before Dean Rance hit a shot on the turn at the other end of the pitch and the ball sailed harmlessly wide.
But Southall admitted that Cook’s goal had changed his half-time team talk.
He said: “We’ve conceded on the 44th and 90th minute. It’s difficult to take. You’re going to come in here at 1-0 at half-time. The team talk is a bit different than one-all isn’t it? Again at full-time your team talk is a bit different losing a game to drawing a game so we’ve just got to move on from it. We have to learn from it.
“You see the reaction from the fans and everyone around. I think to be brutally honest if their manager is sat in there they’ve dodged a bullet today and probably have.
“We had to re-group at half-time and we did and we knew they would come out first 15-20 minutes of the second half, which they did, but we got to grips with that and you see my fleet footed players, the likes of Scotty Heard and Jake MacKenzie actually come alive in these kind of games and they did and they were absolutely outstanding.
“I’ve got to say the two young boys we had in midfield (Keyte and Brown), they were under 21s. I went to Hastings and watched them play. It’s such a young midfield, those boys became men today.”
Brown was asked whether the equaliser had changed his half-time team talk.
The former Charlton Athletic stalwart replied: “No, not really! You know what you have to do today. That doesn’t really change. What changes is the mentality of the players. Rather than chase down a 1-0, it’s trying to find a winner, but the way you try to find it was ultimately the same as trying to find an equaliser.
“It wasn’t a pitch where you could pass and play on it. It really wasn’t so it was a case of making sure we were defensively sound.”
Whitstable Town had another wayward shot inside the opening three minutes of the second half, this time MacKenzie driving a right-footed effort harmlessly over from 35-yards.
But Ebbsfleet United wasted a decent opportunity to put the game beyond Whitstable Town’s reach inside the first ten minutes.
Edwards came rushing outside his penalty area to launch a big kick straight down the middle of the pitch but Bricknell failed to take advantage and poked a right-footed shot from 25-yards which failed to trouble Watkins.
Ebbsfleet United were to be denied a goal on the hour mark when Whitstable Town keeper Watkins, 24, pulled off the save of the season.
Cook cut inside from the right and sped past two red-shirted players before unleashing a left-footed curler from 25-yards, which was destined to sail into the top far corner, but Watkins produced a world-class save, diving full length to his right to push the ball away to safety.
Southall said: “Unbelievable, yes. It was a good save, don’t get me wrong and the free-kick was absolutely outstanding. He’s made a great save. He’s tipped it on to the post and it’s run across and we’ve cleared it. It’s gone our way. You think this is our time.”
Brown added: “Second half, you have to say their keeper pulled off a couple of fantastic saves to keep it at 1-1.”
Whitstable Town went close when Dan Wells’ launched a free-kick from the half-way line, which was headed away and Joe Kane’s first time left-footed drive flashed agonisingly wide of the foot of the near post.
Halfway through the second half the ever-impressive Heard whipped in a cross from the right and the ball came out to Brown, whose right-footed shot was comfortably caught low down by the Ebbsfleet keeper.
Lone Whitstable Town striker Craig Thompson, as ever, worked his socks off up front and his industry set up a chance for MacKenzie, who hooked a shot straight at Edwards.
Whitstable Town continued to press for that giant-killing they craved and Heard whipped in a free-kick from the right and Harvey swept a shot through a crowd of players for Edwards to make the save.
Watkins, meanwhile, produced his second great save of the match in the final nine minutes.
The Fleet won themselves a free-kick some 25-yards from goal and Cook stroked a right-footed free-kick over the wall and the ball floated towards the top left-hand corner.
But Watkins dived to his right and clawed the ball on to the top of the post and the ball dropped down and was scrambled away to safety.
Brown said: “He made two wonderful saves second half. The free-kick, I thought was in – great save!”
Osborn held his head in his hands after the Fleet winger curled a right-footed shot agonisingly around the far post from inside the penalty area.
Whitstable, too, could have snatched victory when Heard cut inside before stroking a left-footed shot towards the near corner, but Edwards clawed the ball just around the post for a corner.
Southall added: “Scotty Heard’s cut inside on to his left foot with a great left foot shot and the keeper’s made a fantastic save to put it around the post.”
Brown added: “Whitstable had a lot of pressure in terms of corners and balls into the box.”
It appeared that Whitstable Town were looking forward to a lucrative Tuesday night trip to Stonebridge Road to extend their epic run to nine games – before lady luck sent Ebbsfleet United through.
Thalassitis, 20, who is on loan from League One side Stevenage and has represented Cyprus at both under 19 and under 21 level, had other ideas.
He picked the ball up down the right flank and whipped in a cross with his right-foot, which sailed over Watkins’ head and found the top far corner of the net to the delight of the travelling supporters’.
“Overall, it was one of those games where it was always going to be something special or it was going to be something lucky and on this occasion it was something a bit lucky,” admitted Brown.
“It was a cross! Michael held his hands up and was honest – it was a cross and it ended up in the back of the net and to be honest with you it was the only way we would have beaten their keeper. He was in inspired form.”
A chocked Southall added: “The boy’s out on the touchline and he’s tried to cross it and he’s fluked it in the goal – you can’t do nothing about that!
“It’s been a roller-coaster event and it’s just a shame it’s ended here on a fluke – that’s the biggest thing to take. He’s not cracked one in from 25-30 yards or a great flowing move, this that and the other and scored, it’s a fluke and there’s no way you can dress it up. It’s a fluke! Unfortunately the footballing gods weren’t with us.”
Whitstable Town created a couple of late chances to earn that replay that was theirs before going out to a fluke goal.
Substitute Ashley Baverstock cut inside and drilled a right-footed curler along the deck and Edwards pulled off a brilliant diving save to his left to push the ball away, as the ball was destined to nestle into the bottom far corner of the net.
Southal added: “I brought him on and he’s out on the edge of the box, cut inside, bottom corner and the keeper’s made another great save, right on the 95th minute or whatever it was!”
Striker Baverstock then swept a right-footed free-kick wide of the near post from 35-yards at the death.
Former boss Liam Daish guided Ebbsfleet United to a Wembley Final in 2008 when Chris McPhee’s goal was enough to beat Torquay United.
When asked whether he’s thinking about Wembley, Brown replied: “You’ve always got half an eye on it. If I’m honest, you’re fully aware of the rewards at the end of the competition but I don’t look too far ahead.
“We’ve now progressed and our focus becomes Sutton at home next week.
“Obviously we’ll look at the draw Monday and hope it’s a favourable draw.
“We’re all aware there’s a Wembley place up for grabs in the final but you don’t really keep an eye on that. You just focus on the next game and you hope you get a nice kind draw at home against somebody.”
Southall’s side crash back down to earth for a home Ryman League Division One South home game against Merstham on Tuesday night.
Southall admitted: “You’ve got to be realistic, are we ever going to reach the final at Wembley? Probably not!
“Good luck to Ebbsfleet with whoever they’ve got in the next round and I’m very proud of my players, very proud of the supporters that came along. Hopefully now they can see where we’re going and try to hold on to those supporters.
“We’ve put Whitstable firmly on the map and all the publicity and it would have been nice to go again.”
Whitstable Town: Luke Watkins, Joe Kane, Craig Maguire (Jordan Wells 65), Ross Webb, Laurence Harvey, Dan Wells, Scott Heard, Oliver Brown (Ashley Baverstock 90), Craig Thompson, Dan Keyte, Jake MacKenzie (Charlie Smith 88).
Subs: Steven Hafner, Sam Hallett
Goal: Dan Keyte 19
Booked: Ross Webb 21, Dan Wells 23, Craig Thompson 45
Ebbsfleet United: Preston Edwards, Chris Sessegnon, Aiden Palmer (Joe Howe 73), Daryl McMahon, Paul Lorraine, Osei Sankofa, Alex Osborn, Dean Rance, Michael Thalassitis, Billy Bricknell (Ben May 70), Anthony Cook.
Subs: Brandon Hall, Michael Corcoran, Stacy Long
Goals: Anthony Cook 45, Michael Thalassitis 90
Booked: Dean Rance 82
Attendance: 742
Referee: Mr Nigel Lugg (Chipstead, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Paul Lister (Exeter, Devon) & Mr Shaun Farrer (Redhill, Surrey)
Fourth Official: Mr Dele Sotimirin (Brixton, London SW9)
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