Whitstable snatch the points from Burgess Hill

Hill started well and within the first minute Pat Harding found space to drive the ball straight at the keeper.

Scott Heard beat the offside trap on 6 minutes and new keeper Tom Beadle, on loan from Millwall, made a comfortable save, his only real save of the half.

Hillians continued to create chances with Joe Keehan just unable to connect with Greg Luer’s cross and the visitors missed a golden opportunity to take the lead half an hour in when Darren Budd put Paul Armstrong through and his one-on-one with the keeper ended up going wide.

A minute later Graham Martin powerfully shot from 25 yards that keeper. Luke Watkins tipped over but the referee only awarded a goal kick much to the surprise of the visitors.

Skipper Budd found Lee Harding inside the box, as the Hillians continued to create chances and keep possession, but his shot found the side netting and soon after Pat Harding crossed for Budd to head at goal to force Watkins to make a fantastic save.

Pat Harding should have give the Hillians the lead with the last chance of the half when Luer’s free kick fell kindly to Harding but he shot over from just inside the box.

The hosts came out more fired up for the second half and created their first chance early on when John Guest’s goalbound header was cleared off the line by Sam Fisk.

Macauley Murray powerfully shot just over the bar on 54 minutes and soon after they struck what was to be the winning goal when Heard collected a ball over the top beating the off side trap and calmly lofting the ball over the advancing Beadle.

New signing from Gillingham, Ashley Miller, should have added a second goal but he failed to score and then the Hillians came more into the game and dominated from there on.

Armstrong put in Luer who’s shot was neatly saved by the keeper for a corner from which Keehan headed straight at Watkins from Budd’s corner.

Hill were reduced to ten men when defender Lee Denyer was given a straight red for comments towards the linesman but this only lifted Hill and they continued to dominate for the last 15.

A Budd corner saw Danny Curd’s header tipped over the bar but despite all the pressure Hill were unable to get the equaliser.

Hillians: Tom Beadle, Toby Pointing, Sam Fisk, Joe Keehan, Lee Denyer, Graham Martin (Spencer Slaughter 81), Paul Armstrong (Max Miller 70), Darren Budd, Lee Harding, Greg Luer (Danny Curd 78), Pat Harding.

Not used: Neil Watts & Scott Kirkwood.