Tyler Ibe starred as Larkfield & New Hythe won the Kent Senior Trophy before racing to the airport for a trial in Portugal on Sunday.

The wideman scored twice and set up another goal as Larkfield raced into a three-goal lead against FA Vase finalists Whitstable at Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium.

The Oystermen scored twice in as many minutes to set up a grandstand finale but they were unable to find an equaliser that would have taken the match to penalties.

Man-of-the-match Ibe had to cut short his celebrations, however, as he had a flight to catch.

Larks manager Micky Phillips explained: “Tyler was superb – I had to bring him off early as he’s had to get a flight to Portugal because he’s got a trial with a pro club out there.

“He was superb, wasn’t he? He’s fantastic. If he goes there and plays and trains like that then they’ll snap him up.

“He was the star man and was unplayable, they couldn’t stop him.”

Larkfield were only promoted to the Southern Counties East Premier Division last May but hoping for a top-10 finish and now have silverware to show for their efforts.

“It’s brilliant to win, it’s a great day,” added Phillips. “We made it hard work in the end but it’s great for everyone involved in the club.

“It means everything to us. We’re putting ourselves on the map and hopefully there’s bigger things to come in the future. I’ve never won this cup before so it’s a great achievement for everyone.

“We deserved to be 3-0 up and Carter made a mistake for the first goal and then they scored the penalty and you’re living on the edge a bit.

“But we managed to see the game out and that’s the most important thing. We defended well, they’re a very direct team and we did the job to get over the line.

“They’re a very good team and I wish them all the best in the FA Vase final at Wembley, I’ll be going there to support them.”

It means Whitstable’s dreams of a treble are over but they’ll no doubt argue that promotion and winning the FA Vase are the two prizes that matter most.

The defeat also ended a 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions that stretched back to mid-January.

Matt Day and Ibe fired off target for Larks in the early exchanges while Whitstable’s best chance of the first half arrived on 25 minutes. Finn Cotton’s free-kick caused panic in the home defence but Connor Wilkins had shots blocked at least twice in a scramble in the penalty area as Larkfield put their bodies on the line to deny the Oystermen.

Dean Grant had a 20-yard shot beaten away by keeper Carter Sullivan before Whitstable lost defender Ricardo Thompson to injury.

Day went close when his effort from a Tyrell Richardson header down was diverted behind for a corner.

The breakthrough duly arrived in the first minute of stoppage time. Ibe struck a left-foot free-kick from 28 yards over the defensive wall and past stranded keeper Dan Colmer.

Larkfield were awarded a generous penalty on 52 minutes when Finn O’Mara blocked Ibe’s shot at close quarters in the box. Referee Ben McDonald pointed to the spot and Ibe confidently slotted home his second goal.

Ibe then turned on the style, skipping past his marker before crossing into the six-yard box where Richardson arrived at the far post to make it 3-0 on 56 minutes.

It could have been worse for Whitstable had O’Mara not blocked another goalbound Ibe shot on the hour mark.

Whitstable had claims for a penalty turned down when Adedapo Olugbodi went down in the box before Wilkins’ shot was parried away.

The Oystermen were handed a way back into the contest, quite literally, in the 67th minute when keeper Carter Sullivan pushed a Robbie Rees corner into his own net instead of turning it over the bar.

Whitstable were back in the game and, within two minutes, Harvey Smith was fouled in the box. Substitute Jake McIntyre stepped up to convert the spot-kick and 3-0 had become 3-2 with 20 minutes still to play.

The game became increasingly niggly and after not having to reach for his cards in the first half, the referee ended up showing eight yellow cards after the break.

But it helped Larkfield break up the game and despite more than 11 minutes of stoppage time, Whitstable were unable to find another way through a resolute defence.

Larkfield: Sullivan, Ibbertson, Gordon, King, Daly, Wade (McCann 76mins), Davisson, Walker, Day (Zepo 76mins), Richardson (Woodcock 81mins), Ibe (Carnegie 83mins). Sub not used: Russell.

Whitstable: Colmer, Thompson (McIntyre 38mins), Coyle, Smith, Sithole (Rees 63mins), Olugbodi (Day 88mins), O’Mara, Dalton (Thomas 90+4mins), Cotton (O’Mara-Knapp 88mins), Grant, Wilkins.

Referee: Ben McDonald.

Attendance: 1,036.