What a dreadful evening at Chipstead! As cliches go, this was a great example of a game of two halves. For the first twenty minutes it was difficult to work out who were the worst team as the ball spent most of the time in the air or bouncing off players ping-pong like in the middle of the park. No sooner had that thought crossed the mind, when Chipstead scored their first and then scored twice more in the space of two 7 minute intervals. All three goals were contributed to by defensive errors. At half time, desperate measures were called for, and the manager subbed off Cornhill and put himself in the middle of the park - and it has to be said that Whitstable's football became much more attractive and expansive. The only problem was that they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Predominantly, this can be explained by some excellent keeping by the Chipstead keeper who had a fine evening between the sticks. It is now difficult to remain optimistic, but the second half performance at least gave some positive signs that should be encouraging. I'm glad I didn't leave at half time (and I very nearly did, as some others did) as I would have missed a truly outstanding second half performance by the club captain, Sam Denly, watched by his dad.



With sheets of light rain bathing the playign surface, there was always going to be some real zip. Unfortunately, the usual adage that 'we play better when it rains' just didn't hold true. Although the Oystermen seemed hungry and up for it in the first five minutes or so, with Wisker and Hitchings making some early forrays forward, the enthusiasm for the fight soon dissipated. Chipstead had the first real chance with a chance blasted over the bar on 16 minutes and Parker tried a looping shot on 22 minutes only for Chipstead to break on the counter down the left, drill in a low cross, which was neatly flicked on past Fewell - who probably should have had it covered.



Seven minutes later, Chipstead hit the crossbar following a corner. The rebound fell to a Chipstead player who somehow managed to get a shot past three players in red into the bottom left hand corner. Fewell may have been unsighted by what should have been a tight defensive unit infront of him. But the ball ended up in the back of the net and a number of red players ended up in a collision-induced bundle on the ground. 

Seven minutes after that, there was almost a replica goal as Denly and GS collided with eachother and a Chipstead player unleashed his shot past them and another defender from a neat turn that he should not have been allowed to dispatch.



The goals flattered Chipstead who really had been as poor as Whitstable, but there was no palpable sense of the 'Spirit of Istanbul' coursing through the veins of the players in red, and some fans understandably left the ground. The Oystermen had been truly dire.

One problem was that new loan signing Morris was playing in the middle of the park despite the fact that his bio on the Margate website suggests that he is a right back! Perhaps the thinking was to bring a bit of experience into the middle, but if that was the thinking, it simply didn't work. He had a torrid time with misplaced passes, ineffectual tackles and headers.

After a rollocking in the dressing room, Munday put himself in the middle and Morris into the right (wing?) back position. And Morris had an excellent second half: he was assured, his passing was accurate and he achieved the interception of the night as he closed down a player outside the area and just took the ball off him. The players clearly sensed his worth at right back because he then became a favoured outlet even if an uncomfortable amount of passes went across the goalmouth to him!

Whitstable also took control of the game, finding space and played some really quite attractive expansive and attacking football even if there was a little too much sideways passing going on. Whitstable's first real chance didn't come until the hour mark when Parker dispatched a cross-cum shot that forced the Chipstead keeper into a good save. The first of many. An even better chance came after nice build-up play from Morris, to Munday who found Gooding in acres of space way upfield. Gooding chipped it precisely onto the head of Cory who pretty much had an open goal but headed it straight at the keeper. There then followed some goal mouth scrambles and blocked shots in the Chipstead area, but time was running out and a goal looked increasingly unlikely. This was confirmed after Denly had a pile-driver saved at the near post and Cory had two more shots well stopped in the five minutes leading up to the final whistle.



The players looked horrified after the result which really should have gone the other way on paper. Wisker picked up a serious looking injury and Vahid didn't do much after he came on - one air shot and an acrobatic slip spring to mind (although he was at times too far away for me to judge properly). Denly, GS and Morris were really very good in the second half, and Lloyd showed some real prowess from attacking corners. And Hitchings' engine kept going until the end. he kept asking for the ball, and maybe he should have been given it more often?

There is a problem now! Morris at right back is one of the most composed right backs I've seen for some time in a red shirt. It is of course GS's natural position, but he has excelled at sweeper and central defence. Denly was just magnificent when he went forward, and maybe he needs to go back into the middle of the park. His defensive sensibilites, left foot and reading of the game would complement Hitchings right foot and attacking flair perfectly. Lloyd has proved his desire at centre back (although yesterday was marginally his worst outing for a while: that's not saying much as he has been a revelation of late). The problem is obviously goals! Cory might start scoring (the first light appeared at Dulwich last week), Wisker is injured (but hasn't scored for ages), Vahid might score again, but his workrate needs to match Cory's. What about Cornhill? Didn't he start as a striker? He certainly knows where the goal is. If he's not put up front as an experiment, then we'll have to revert to 4-4-2 with him on the right of midfield I would have thought. Anyway, what do I know, apart from the fact that we need goals (any reserves banging them in?)

To Godalming and a difficult fixture next. But if we can build on the second half performance, we might, just might get something on Saturday.