barton030905

Thursday 01st September 2005

Brickies play leaves Barton in a jam

Saturday 3rd September 2005	Southern League Division One East	Peter Pitts reports from Sharpenhoe Road
Barton Rovers	0
Sittingbourne	2	Lovell 8, Marsh 85

Sittingbourne had a frustrating journey to the picturesque Barton ground when a traffic jam on the A1 meant that they didn't arrive until just half an hour before kick off, writes Peter Pitts.

However, the lack of preparation time didn't seem to affect them as they made a positive start to this game.

Bradley Spice headed narrowly wide after a couple of minutes but it didn't take them long to get their noses in front, 8 minutes to be precise.

The goal came when a 35 yard thunderbolt from Clint Gooding was diverted onto the bar by Mark Lovell and the ball bounced down, over the line according to the Assistant Referee, but just to make sure James Campbell was on hand to blast the ball into the net.

The only real Barton Rovers danger was coming from their prolific marksman Paul Barnes and on 29 minutes he went on a great run but his final shot went just wide.

The reassuring figure of Steve Williams in the Brickies goal is giving the defence a more solid look and Barton were finding it hard to make much headway.

Williams did make a couple of misjudgements, however, and on 53 minutes he was stranded allowing Barnes to get in a shot but Ainsworth was on the line and cleared the ball upfield.

New Brickies signing Mitchell Sherwood, who had came on for the injured Spice, set up a chance for Lovell on 59 minutes but the shot sailed way over the bar.

Sherwood then had a curling shot that thudded against the left hand post.

A couple of Barton corners caused problems and then Barnes walked round Williams but again his shot was blocked by well placed Brickies on the line.

The game was now getting tense as the Brickies tried to increase their lead and Barton were getting frustrated at their lack of progress, however on 85 minutes the tension was eased, for the Brickies at least, when a jinking Lee Browning run ended in a pass to Peter Taylor who in turn found Kieran Marsh.

Marsh hit the right hand post but then bounced into the goal off of the Barton keeper to put the result beyond doubt.

Sittingbourne: Williams, Tanner, Dowley (Styles 48), Ainsworth, Campbell, Marsh, Browning, Gooding, Lovell, Spice (Sherwood 36), Taylor, Subs: Edwards, Spiller, Ashmore