Whitstable Town 4-1 Wembley - Lamb: We've got to build on the foundations laid by Seager & Halsey

Saturday 01st August 2009

WHITSTABLE TOWN 4-1 WEMBLEY
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 1st August 2009
Mike Green reports from Belmont Road

WHITSTABLE TOWN continued their pre season warm ups with an effective thumping of Combined Counties league side Wembley, who arrived late at the krbs Belmont because of congestion on the M25. And to be fair, their display matched the afternoon’s weather that started brightly and then got very very wet!

With apologies to our readers, www.kentishfootball.co.uk was unable to get a full team list for the visitors, as even their assistant manager didn’t know some of the players who donned the pale blue of Wembley this afternoon.

But for Paul Lamb, Whitstable's new assistant manager (would you believe that this website has discovered yet another manager on holiday in pre season; although to be fair to Mark Munday the break was probably booked before he took the job) told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that the manger would have been happy with the performance.

"We got there - eventually,” he said. "We were a little shaky in the first half and changed a couple of things after the break. We upped the tempo and the whole speed of the game which as good, but we’ve got to work on a few things."

But in all honesty, so disjointed were the opposition, the Oystermen should have been three up before they eventually scored!

And for Stuart Vahid it really was one of those afternoons! As early as the third minute, Dan Whisker sprinted down the right and his pull back fell to the feet of Ian Batten whose first time shot was brilliantly blocked by a defender who we can only identify as "Sol"!

On five minutes Vahid charged down keepers Richard McCabe' clearance and the ball fell to Clint Gooding 35 yards out but he couldn’t keep the first time shot down and the chance was gone.

From their next attack, Whitstable went even closer. Batten crossed from the left and the flight beat the keeper; Jake Gess intelligently laid the ball back across the six-yard box yet somehow, Vahid hit the bar from five yards.

Thankfully the striker redeemed himself on 15 minutes even though he didn’t know a lot about it.

Gess played a great through ball which keeper McCabe just beat Vahid too outside the box. Unfortunately for the keeper, this time the ricochet flew back past him and into the empty net.

Wembley really couldn’t get out of second gear, and the lead was doubled on 24 minutes - Gess was again the provider this time with a beautiful square ball, which the hard working Whisker simply stroked home.

Whisker then shot straight at the keeper after Batten and Gess combined, before totally against the run of play Wembley scored! A long ball forward found "Paul Skelton" and he held off two red shirted Whitstable defenders before beating Juergen Wild low to his right from the edge of the box.

After the break the Whitstable domination continued - as did Vahid's bad luck!

A long kick from Wild was helped on by Whisker who's shot on the turn was palmed aside by McCabe, only for the sliding Vahid to get underneath the ball entirely - sending it high over the bar from inside the six yard box!

That miss seemed to galvanise the visitors who had their own little purple patch and could easily have drawn level.

First Skelton had a shot brilliantly cleared off the line by a wrong-footed Greg Smith, before "Jorel" curled the rebound onto the bar. The same player then was gifted a chance after confusion between Wild and Steven Lloyd, but could only lob the ball wide with the goal gapping.

That was to be as good as it got for Wembley, as the Oystermen took control one more and took the game away from their visitors.

Sub Dan Dolton did well down the left and his centre found Jack Hossicks who's fist time shot was brilliant saved by McCabe.

It only denied the inevitable however, and it was Dolton who made it three one on 70 minutes with a crisp low drive which skied into the corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of McCabe, after subs Gareth Cornhill and Dominic Elmes (with his first touch) combined.

Two minutes later full back Gary Sayer was denied by a super save from McCabe - Sayer burst through three challenges before letting fly from fully 35 yards - the keeper full length to his left to fingertip the ball wide.

The fourth goal did come on 80 minutes and this time it was Hossicks' turn - latching on to Tom Parkers fine pass before drilling in off the increasingly wet Belmont surface from 25 yards.

There was still time for Elmes to come within an outstretched boot of making it five, but at the final whistle, Wembley really were and looked a well-beaten side.

Looking ahead Lamb was pleased with what he saw and what he and Munday have inherited, "I know that they conceded a lot of goals last year, but they also scored a few and looked good probing and going forward - we've got to build on the foundations that Marc (Seager) and Simon (Halsey) have left us.

“That said our hands are tied at the moment to an extent as we're still waiting on a few players - some that we've seen and some who are having trials at higher clubs."

Lamb went on, "We played at a high tempo today, and we're improving the opposition all the time. We've a Gillingham side coming down on Tuesday and finish our pre season next week against Hastings United. By then hopefully we'll have a good idea of what side we'll be taking to Burgess Hill for our opening league game."

Whitstable Town: Juergen Wild, Greg Smith (Gareth Cornhill 63), Gary Sayer, Steven Lloyd, Dan Tanner, Clint Gooding (Alex Hossicks 65), Jake Gess (Jack Tanner 50), Tom Parker, Stuart Vahid, Dan Wisker (Dominic Elmes 69), Ian Batten (Dan Doulton 55).

Goals: Stuart Vahid 15, Dan Wisker 24, Dan Doulton 70, Alex Hossicks 80

Wembley: Richard McCabe, "Sol", "Kay" (Mario Black 79), Andre Rouse (Samir Debbagh 82), "Abbi" (Daniel Barnett Williams 67), Richard Manuwa, Ian Bates, "Darryl", Phil Smith (mystery man 74), Paul Skelton, "Jorel" (Omar Debbagh 82).

Goal: Paul Skelton 43

Referee: Mr Nick Dunn
Assistants Mr Keith Stone & Mr Ryan Cole