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It was heartbreak for Whyteleafe as the hosts grabbed an undeserved equaliser in the 93rd minute with a dubious penalty, having not forced a save out of Leafe keeper Rob O’Hara from open play.
The visitors started the game the brightest, including three early corners, the latter well gathered by keeper Dean McVicar, under pressure from Ryan Royston and Danny Oakins at the far post.
On 14 minutes Oakins hit a sweet volley from the edge of the area narrowly wide of McVicar’s right hand upright and shortly after Fred Fleming met a Mark Hammond corner, rising high to head the ball just inches over the crossbar.
As Leafe continued to apply the pressure, right-back Ellis Conroy shot from distance, McVicar saving smartly and gathering the ball at the second attempt. Sam Butler found space and freedom down the left wing and on 29 minutes delivered a low cross that Town left-back Dean Powell sliced narrowly wide of his own goal.
Just after the half-hour mark Whitstable forward David Cory fired his shot high and wide when placed to do better, whilst in reply Paul Scott, back to his familiar role up front after a fine display at centre-half a week earlier hit a rasping drive from 25 yards that went narrowly wide of the goal. Honours remained even at half time.
Leafe almost took the lead just after the restart when a Butler cross was met by Leon McDowall’s goal-bound volley, smartly blocked by Powell. The breakthrough came on 57 minutes when a Hammond corner was cleared by the Whitstable defence only to fall to Butler who hit a fierce low shot, deflected past McVicar into the net.
As the visitors dominated they looked to secure a second goal with Oakins meeting a Scott cross on 69 minutes with another fine volley that flashed just wide of the post once more. With four minutes remaining Scott crossed again, this time finding Oakins inside the area, his flick sending the ball just over the bar and in the first minute of injury time McDowall hit another great volley to meet an Oakins pass, the ball again just the wrong side of the bar.
The sucker punch came in the last minute of the match when Ryan Royston was very harshly adjudged to have hand-balled inside the area, a clear case of ‘ball to hand’ for many observers and referee Mr Blundon awarded the penalty. Stuart Vahid stepped up to strike the ball high into the corner of the goal, to the disbelieving glee of the home supporters and abject misery of the visitors.
Manager Stuart Massey must now lift his team once more in time for the visit of AFC Hornchurch to Church Road on Saturday for a crucial FA Trophy tie.
Whyteleafe: O’Hara, Conroy, Wilson, Fleming, Coleman D, Royston, Oakins, Hammond, McDowall, Scott, Butler. Subs not used: Aldous, Kember M, Massey, Dilley