By all accounts, the performance against Welling on Tuesday was very good notwithstanding the fact that Welling fielded a number of academy players. Whitstable continued their impressive recent performances with a good draw away at Burgess Hill. They scored both the goals. Unfortunately, only one went in the home team's net. The first was an impressive own goal from Ashley 'Butch' Ulph, scoring with a looped shot over Shaun Smith (now installed, for the moment, at least, as Whitstable's No.1. In fact, he had another excellent game, making three first class saves through the game). Ulph had a bit of a mare in the first half an hour - being guilty of a number of wayward passes - but he eventually found his feet and ended the game very strongly. The back four unit was very impressive (Louis Smith acquitting himself well at right back, Steven Lloyd doing everything asked of him, and Hawkins reading the game at a level not seen before at Town). Both Lloyd and Hawkins were lucky on a couple of occasions, but apart from that, they too were spot on. Louis Smith's defensive tendencies meant that Cornhill had licence to roam forward whenever he wished without having to worry about what was behind him, and Scott Heard seems to have a free role - which worked as it was his cross from the right (when he was supposed to be playing at left wing) that found Ian Pulman at the far post, 5 yards out, to equalise, within the first 30 minutes of the game.
This was a really good game of football actually. It was a shame about the weather - cold and wet - but yet again, the visiting fans left feeling as if we should have won the game. It was end to end stuff, but there was 100% faith in the defensive unit; both Bodle and Peacock had control of the midfield, and the other four always looked like they could create something. It was no wonder that Nott made no substitutions in the game! Reassuringly, Smith did well between the sticks, with one finger-tip save, a block in a goal-mouth melee and a well-intercepted one-on-one.
I don't really know what to say except, I'm impressed by what I am seeing!
