Snodland Town upset the SCEFL odds with a two-nil win at Whitstable Town on Tuesday night as Luke Jessop and Fred Dillion’s side restricted the FA Vase holders to a single shot on goal with the last kick of the ninety-eight minutes. 

Yet for the opening half hour, the end result seemed the furthest possible as the home side had several chances without testing Snodland keeper Justin Lee.

Even when awarded a penalty for a foul on Ashdon Day, the home side didn’t test the keeper as Connor Wilkins (playing his first game this season after being injured at Wembley in the Vase Final) crashed against a post, and almost immediately it was double joy for the visitors as Nathaniel Olawole took advantage of home keeper Dan Colmer being in no-man’s land as he lifted the ball over the marooned keeper, outpaced Jake McIntyre and was able to force the ball home. 

It got even worse for the home side after the break as Colmer conceded a needless corner and from the flag kick, Zak Loveridge’s centre somehow found the net as the keeper was muscled off the ball and ended in a heap on the floor. 

The most worrying thing for Whitstable boss Jamie Coyle was undoubtedly however his side’s inability to test Lee. Ashdon Day headed over, Callum Peck poked a chance wide, Day had crashed a shot straight at a defender, Jack Peters was too high as the home side just couldn’t finish their good work.

And when referee Isik pointed to the spot after Day went down, Whitstable’s first forty minutes was summed up. Lee was sent the wrong way by Peck’s spot kick only for the ball to hit the post.

From the rebound a long ball was thumped forward, Olawole sprinted clear and lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper and despite McIntyre literally putting his body on the line, the Snodland man forced the ball over the line. 

The only previous threat of any real note for the visitors had come from a fizzing cross from Samuel Naiwo which had flown across the face of goal, and the first half was summed up by a stoppage time corner into the Snodland box that was totally “lost” by the visitors and the home side never looked like reaching the bouncing ball. 

The home side were out incredibly early for the second period and had been on the Belmont playing area a good five minutes (if not more) before Snodland emerged from the dressing room and despite the home side huffing and puffing, Snodland doubled their advantage ten minutes after the break.

Colmer conceded a needless corner from which Loveridge found the net as the keeper got nowhere near the ball. Despite Colmer’s protests, the referee saw nothing wrong, and the visitors were two ahead. 

The home side were rocking and Colmer made two really smart blocks to deny Naiwo and Emanuel Shoderu in quick succession as the home side looked for a quick response.

Bradley Schafer’s hanging free kick was caught on the wind and Day had to palm the ball over before Mikey Dalton just couldn’t stretch far enough to test the keeper from another set piece. 

Olawole should have grabbed his second but didn’t hit the target whilst substitute Asanti Amoah could have iced the win but blazed wide and when Wilkins’s free kick was brilliantly saved by Day with the last kick of the game, the Snodland keeper had made his first real impression on the game with the final touch of the game.

A lot of the credit for that has to go to both Connor Dymond and Liam Parle who were absolute rocks at the heart of the Snodland defence who have now won four of their six away League games (as well as an impressive one nil Vase win at Horsham YMCA) to sit fourth in the table. 

Whilst it was a night that the home side will want to forget in a hurry especially as they have a huge FA Cup tie with Southern League Hungerford Town waiting for them at the weekend.  

WHITSTABLE TOWN – Colmer, Boulton (Abahams), Thompson, Thomas, Peck (Grant), Wilkins, Schafer, Peters, Dalton, McIntyre (Alhassan)(Cotton), Day (Healy) 

SNODLAND TOWN – Lee, Powell, Burgess, Loveridge, Dymond, Powell, Naiwo (Lee), Ogunbiyi, Turyatemba, Shoderu (Connor Goatham), Olawole (Amoah) 

Subs – Riley Goatham, Brennan 

REFEREE – Mr. Isik