Despite playing the majority of the game with ten men, Whitstable Town claimed a deserved win at Southern Counties East Football League Premier leaders Erith and Belvedere.

Playing their first game under new manager Matt Longhurst, the Deres stumbled to their fourth league defeat of the season against a Whitstable team who have improved as the season has progressed.

Lewis Chambers shot just over for the hosts then Danny Lear was just unable to get onto the end of a low cross into the six yard box by Chambers.

A Lear overhead kick from another Chambers cross went just wide before the Oystermen were reduced to ten men in the seventeenth minute for a bad challenge by Ashley Sains on Chambers.

That appeared to arouse the visitors and they should have gone ahead when Josh Oliver crossed low and Jefferson Aibangbee hit the crossbar from within six yards. Oliver then sent Dean Grant clear but Erith goalkeeper Jordan Perrin came out to make a good block.

Ten minutes before the break, the Oystermen went ahead. Grant played it in behind the Erith defence down the left and Aibangbee eased in and side-footed beyond Perrin and inside the far post.

Lear had a shot deflected wide and Kie Douglas headed over from Jude Russell’s cross as the Deres looked for a quick response. Chambers had the last effort of the first half when he turned and shot well wide from twenty-five yards.

After the break, it was soon clear that ten man Whitstable were not going to sit on their lead when Aibangbee headed over from Grant’s cross.

Just after the hour mark, Whitstable doubled their lead. George Monger mistimed a tackle in the penalty area on Oliver at the cost of a penalty and Oliver took the responsibility himself and fired home into the bottom corner.

Six minutes later, Erith reduced the arrears from a penalty of their own. Tom Mills brought down Lear and Ryan Palmer sent Daniel Eason the wrong way from the spot.

Aibangbee and Jude Russell then had a spat before something happened to incense the impressive Whitstable wide man and he had to be substituted to stop him from getting into further hot water.

Rob Strachan headed wide from a Ryan Johnson cross, and was again off target when meeting Luke Rooney’s free kick. Another free kick from Rooney was delivered into the danger area and beat everyone other than Eason who made an outstanding diving save.

Perrin had to do likewise at the other end to keep out Oliver’s shot before Tunde Aderonmu had a shot deflected wide of the far post. Eason made two more brilliant saves to keep the visitors ahead, first diving to push away Bradley Ryan’s overhead kick, then thwarting Palmer after he cut in from the right.

Although eight minutes of stoppage time were played, neither team fashioned another chance.

Results elsewhere meant that the Deres lead at the top was cut to seven points while Whitstable moved up to sixth place.

Erith and Belvedere: Perrin, Russell (Aderonmu 79), Khanye (Wilson 90+3), Chambers, Johnson, Strachan, R. Palmer, Monger (90+3), Lear, Douglas (Rooney 62), N. Palmer (Ryan 62).

Unused subs: None.

Goal scorers: R. Palmer pen (67)

Yellow cards: Russell, Chambers

Whitstable Town: Eason, MacKenzie, Sheminant, Thomas, Sains, Mills, Oliver, Gillies, Grant (Chamberlain 82), Gamble, Aibangbee (Jeffery 72).

Unused subs: Aiyebola, Barnes, Deakin.

Goal scorers: Aibangbee (35), Oliver pen (62)

Yellow cards: Aibangbee, Oliver, Eason

Red card: Sains (17)

Referee: Tom Nicholls

Assistants: Ben Wright and Dan McGlynn

Attendance: 137

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.