Match report by yourcanterbury

By Glenn Pearson

An opportunist strike from hitman Ian Pulman 12 minutes from time earned Whitstable Town a derby point in an entertaining game with in-form Faversham Town at Salters Lane.

Supporters were still queuing to get through the turnstiles at 3pm as a Bank Holiday crowd of 330 squeezed in to watch the visitors, under caretaker boss Steve Nolan, dominate the first-half. Whitstable almost took the lead on 21 minutes when a headed clearance found TJ Moncur in space 25 yards from goal, and the midfielder hit a sweet volley that looped over the despairing Rob French before coming back off the crossbar.

Faversham, who extended their impressive unbeaten run in Ryman Division One South to nine games with this draw, tried to make an impression on the game and went close when Matt Bourne headed just over, but it was the Oystermen that continued to dominate possession and the chances.

Michael Yianni ran riot in the first-half and French had to be at his best to beat out the former Hythe, Ramsgate and Folkestone man’s effort after another mazy run down the Faversham left. French, who would later keep his side in the game with a string of fine saves, presented Ant Bodle with a belated Christmas present just before the break when his clearance went straight to the Town midfielder, but the ex-Maidstone man inexplicably slipped as he went to strike the ball at an open goal and his effort ballooned wide.

In time added on at the end of the first-half, the home side nearly broke the deadlock when a pinpoint Dale Skelton free-kick found Alex Waugh in the Whitstable box and the Town forward arrowed a header that came crashing off the post before being cleared.

After a half-time talking too, Faversham came out a different side in the second-half and began to pin Whitstable in their own half. There was a sign of what was to come when Dane Luchford had a shot well saved by Kevin Fewell shortly after the break, while the Town forward then saw a header drift just wide off the upright. Whitstable failed to heed the warning and on 59 minutes the home side took the lead. Skelton found skipper Tom Hickman in space and the Town midfielder drove at the heart of the Whitstable defence before drilling a cross-field pass to the unmarked Luchford, who controlled superbly before letting fly with a left-foot shot that took a slight deflection before nestling in the bottom corner.

To their credit, the visitors refused to buckle under the pressure and the introduction of Pulman, on as a substitute, proved to be the turning point in the game. The former Town striker, who turned down a chance to rejoin the club in the summer, picked up a loose ball on 78 minutes and with the Faversham defence backing off, he noticed French off his line and unleashed a delicious looping volley that dipped over the Town stopper and into the back of the net.  

Back came Faversham though and with 10 minutes to play, they looked as though they were going to regain the lead when Bourne’s header from a Dave Botterill corner looked as though it was going in, only for it to be cleared off the line by the Whitstable defence.

French, who returned to the side after more than a month on the sidelines with injury, produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Louis Smith’s goal-bound header, before beating out Yianni’s well driven effort.

However, the home side thought the points were theirs when, with a minute to play, Luchford’s centre found Damian Abel whose header beat Fewell, but came crashing back off the underside of the bar before being cleared.

It would have been harsh on a Whitstable side that are showing signs they have the stomach for a relegation fight, while Faversham continue their strong run of form that has seen them move into the division’s top 10.