After a day of sun on the south coast I traveled upto Kent and Lordswood AFC to find gathering cloud and cooler temperatures off the pitch. M tonight’s game saw the home side finding themselves in a must win fixture, against a Whitstable Town side who had secured their play off place and who also had their minds fixed on a Wembley visit for the FA Vase final.

Lordswood FC have had a tough season, after a start which promised much with ex- Premier league player Nicky Southall at the helm and a BBC match of the day live spot in a tie against Sittingbourne FC, in the Autumn. Southall’s departure, after a poor run of form, saw Lordswood appoint Scott Porter, who has led a fightback as he tried to drag Lordswood out of the relegation places.

Elliot Duncan (22 goals) and Jake Embery (10 goals) had done their best to keep Lordswood up and safe this season but Duncan has joined Erith Town and Embery was also absent from the team sheet. A defence which has leaked 70 goals in 35 games has been the failing for Lordswood AFC this season. Tonight’s fixture, although an unlikely home win on paper, offered hope to Lordswood FC, as they might have counted on their opponents being distracted by the impending SCEFL Play offs and Wembley date.

Whitstable Town are sat on the brink of this being their greatest ever season, having beaten Hartpury University over two legs to secure a place in the Wembley final of the FA Vase. Tonight’s visitors have also secured a SCEFL (Southern Counties East Football League) Premier Division play off spot, so will have a chance to secure a way back to the Isthmian League, later this month.

Manager Jamie Coyle has been able to rely on Josh Oliver (14 goals), Harvey Smith (12 goals), and Bradley Schafer (9 goals) to keep his team firing this season. Whitstable Town’s defence has only conceded 44 goals, against the 69 they have scored, which has underpinned their rise up the league. Tonight’s fixture lacked any real purpose to the visitors, however coming into the game on a run of form meant they would have wanted to continue this, so were unlikely to give any freebies to Lordswood.

The game only took five minutes to expose the frailties in the AFC Lordswood defence. Ashdon Day nipping in to head home from a corner move by the Seasiders.

The remainder of the half saw both sides toying with each other, without really looking like scoring. At the break the sides went in with visitors leading by a solitary goal.

In the 53rd minute Whitstable Town were two goals to the good, with a fine finish by Ronald Sithole, putting the ball away after a series of missed chances.

In the 75th minute it was 0-3, when Whitstable Town’s Ronald Sithole scored again, with a well placed finish which curled into the corner of the Lordswood net.

As the final whistle blew, it became clear to the crowd of 232 that Lordswood had been relegated. They did give everything tonight, but they lacked the technical skills to really challenge a strong Whitstable Town side. There is a decent club set up and a strong fan base at Lordswood, so I am sure they will bounce back.

Whitstable Town will be strong contenders in the play off process and should also be able to make a good show of winning the FA Vase. They were clinical tonight and their form looks good as they enter one of the most crucial run of games in their history.