Whitstable Town 3-2 Corinthian-Casuals - We must come out on top in our mini-league, says Seager

As a result of their ninth league win of the season, the Oystermen leapfrog over their amateur opponents into 18^th place in the Ryman League Division One South table, but more importantly there’s breathing space between them and the dreaded line.

Although five goals were scored, this was a hard-fought battle on a pitch that cut-up, and this was just one of five (first-team) games that took place in the Garden of England today due to the current cold snap.

Manager Marc Seager made three changes to the side that won 2-1 at Leatherhead last weekend, with Clint Gooding, Jack Tanner and Dave Cory coming in for suspended pair Gareth Cornhill and Liam Quinn and Jon Neal, who was nursing an ankle injury.

It was important to get off to a good start, and that was exactly what Whitstable did, taking the lead through their first shot on target after 12 minutes.

Tanner, playing on the right of a four-man midfield, struck a stunning right-footed volley from 25-yards, which flew across Colin Harris and dropped nicely into the bottom far corner, for his third goal of the season.

However, Corinthian-Casuals, who have picked up thirteen points from their last nine league outings, did exactly what the Oystermen did - scoring from their first shot on target - after 27 minutes.

Tanner tried in vain to latch onto a through ball and Harris rushed off his line to thump the ball up field, leaving the Whitstable back-four flat-footed and this ball sent Corinthian-Casuals winger Jamel Carr through on goal.

Carr, wearing golden football boots, sprinted some 35-yards and jumped over the diving Kevin Fewell but still manage to slot the ball into the bottom far corner of an open goal, from an acute angle.

Fewell’s save from Tyrone Milton may determine whether the club will be playing Ryman or Kent League football next season.

This sparked a good spell for the Tolworth based visitors’, but in truth they didn’t trouble the goalkeeper again during a first-half that belonged to the side wearing chocolate and pink shirts.

But an inspirational half-time team talk from Seager lifted spirits, and Whitstable regained the lead after 52 minutes.

Ian Pulman’s hanging cross from the left was met by a fine glancing header from the unmarked Cory, inside the penalty area, and the ball found the net via the far post.

Pulman was denied his 12th goal of the season when his low shot was parried by the advancing Harris, after the striker cut in from the left.

But Corinthian-Casuals also showed their battling qualities, drawing level for the second time, four minutes after Cory’s strike.

A corner from the impressive Carr from the right was met by a glancing header from central defender Jamie Reive, which was adjudged to have crossed the line.

It was difficult to play football on an energy zapping playing surface, but Whitstable sealed their first back-to-back victory with nineteen minutes left, courtesy of Cory's ninth goal of the season.

Although it wasn’t the most prettiest goal of the season, it can be described as one of the most important.

Danny Tipple’s corner from the right wasn’t dealt with by the visitors’ defence and Cory was on hand at the far post to tuck the ball through a crowded six-yard box and into the net.

Casuals’ midfielder Tyrone Milton twice brought comfortable low saves from Fewell and at the other end Pulman came within inches of making the game safe.

But Seager, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, was pleased that his side continued their push towards safety with a very important win.

“With a lot of games being (called) off today, it was very important that we took advantage of our game being on,” he said.

“The hard work everyone put in at the club to get the game on, it was a good three points for us.

“Corinthian’s were level on points, just above us on goal difference, I don’t know how the other results went today, but we’ve got Burgess Hill Tuesday and it’s important that we keep getting points and we stay in touch with the teams above us and it’s exactly what we’ve done.

“We had a great win last week away at Leatherhead and we’ve followed it up by a hard fought win today.”

Seager revealed he had to ask his players to change their style of play and was happy that they took heed of his advice.

“We like to play football and I said to the boys today, “you’ve got to adapt to the conditions,” he said.

“We needed to get them turned, get the ball in behind them and that’s what we did to start off with and then for some reason, when we got the goal, we sort of sat back and got very deep defensively.

“We became stretched as a team and they started to get on top and I was disappointed with the way their goal was scored, just one big, long direct ball and we got caught by it.

“We had a chat at half-time and I thought the front two (Pulman and Cory) will be our match winners today. Cory’s come up with two goals but Puly’s worked ever so hard. When those two work hard and they work together as they did second half, I think they look a very good partnership.”

Seager challenges his side to collect maximum points against the lesser lights in the division, which should maintain their Ryman League status.

He said: That’s three wins in four now. We’ve been playing teams in and around us and we’ve got to get the results against them and when you look at us we’re in our own mini-league and we’ve got to make sure we get the results against those teams.

“Our results this year against teams in and around us is really good.”

Seager added, “Winning’s fun and that’s exactly what the players are doing at the moment. I know it wasn’t the greatest spectacle today but what it was it was a hard fought three points.

“It was always going to be like that, a bottom-of-the-table clash, (but) it was a big three points for us.”

Whitstable Town: Kevin Fewell, Clint Gooding (Jake Gess 83), Gary Sayer, James Campbell, Marcos Perona, Sam Denly, Tom Parker, Jack Tanner, Dave Cory (Dan Wisker 89), Ian Pulman, Danny Tipple (Mark Munday 90).
Subs: James Duffy, Dylan Macvicar.

Goals: Jack Tanner 12, Dave Cory 52, 71

Booked: Clint Gooding 33, Tom Parker 81, Sam Denly 89, Dan Wisker 90

Corinthian-Casuals: Colin Harris, Dan Sintim, Carlos Talbot, Jamie Reive, Chris Horwood, Tyrone Milton, Tom Jelly (Luke Gay 65), Sam Robinson, Joe McNerney, Matt Powell, Jamel Carr (Joe Arrabali 77).
Subs: Eseusa Omeregie, Martin Dunn.

Goals: Jamel Carr 27, Jamie Reive 56

Attendance: 190
Referee: Mr Phillip Knight (Canterbury)
Assistants: Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne) & Mr Luis Pinto-Nunes (Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey)