Sutton Athletic (1) 1 Mills 40
Whitstable Town (2) 4 Rowland 25,80 Dawodo 30 Smith 58
Attendance: 68
Entrance: £2 Senior
Programme: £1
Mileage: 64/6,117
New Ground: 303
For those of the groundhopping persuasion that have not yet ticked Sutton Athletic, if you use the postcode in your satnav it leaves you quite a long way short, but carry on down Lower Road and the lights come into view.
On arrival the car park is more than adequate for the average attendance of the club. There are no turnstiles, just three jolly fellows taking your admission fee, selling you a programme and a raffle ticket all in one go. If you are of advancing years, you can purchase the lot and still have change from a fiver! The programme with a multitude of photos was particularly good value.
The ground is a long way short of the standard required for the SCEFL Premier, but as one of the jolly fellows told my friend, they are quite happy where they are. The basics are met, the playing area is fenced and there is hardstanding on three sides at least, I didn't venture to the other side. On that side there is a area of cover that could accommodate the majority of the attendance on a wet day. There is also a clubhouse that had a big screen television.
Whitstable were asked to stretch their legs to ensure their passage to the semi-final, but always had the tie within their reach.
By virtue of the programme, I'm making the assumption that the Sutton goalkeeper, Harry Beardsley, was their third choice, he certainly looked young and had a curate's egg of a performance in the early stages. Two scuffed kicked clearances hardly inspired confidence and when he attempted to kick clear rather than go with his hands, his attempt rebounded off Kane Rowland for the opening goal after 24 minutes. But the lad grew in confidence and made several good saves to deny the visitors a bigger margin of victory.
After 30 minutes, Bola Dowadu outjumped the defence to head home from a corner to double the Oystermen's advantage.
Five minutes before the break Sutton gave themselves hope when Mike Mills powered in a header, also from a corner, to reduce the deficit to a single goal.
After 57 minutes, a shot-cum-cross from Chris Smith curled straight into the net and as the temperature began to drop and the toes were feeling the cold, Rowland put any worries of extra time away with a tap in following good work by Smith.
Two ex-Tunbridge Wells players were in the Whitstable starting eleven, Tom Bryant and Connor Hood, with the latter being the best player on the pitch.
The three jolly fellows on the gate who then became the Sutton choir were rightly proud of their little club. Good luck for the rest of the season chaps.
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