beaconsfield190205

Six games unbeaten for Sittingbourne

SITTINGBOURNE extended their unbeaten run to six games after this draw but as in most of the other games in this sequence they should have gained maximum points.

In front of just 45 spectators the game started evenly but Sittingbourne edged ahead on 18 minutes  when the referee adjudged that a James Campbell header into the Beaconsfield area was handled by a defender and he awarded a penalty.

Bradley Spice is proving to be an expert penalty taker and he gave Beaconsfield goalkeeper Liam Watson no chance with his kick. 

Six minutes later a Joe Dowley cross was just missed by Jon Neal rushing in at the far post.

Sittingbourne looked to be comfortable in the lead but on 28 minutes Beaconsfield equalised out of the blue when Dan Whatford was given acres of space in the Brickies area and he gratefully  crashed the ball past Kevin Fewell.

Sittingbourne almost retook the lead immediately when a defence splitting Clint Gooding pass found an unmarked Spice but Spice fired into the side netting.

Beaconsfield took an unexpected lead on 33 minutes when a poor clearance from Fewell  was punted back into the Brickies area to Allan Arthur who had plenty of time to fire into the net.

Beaconsfield had another effort when a rasping shot by Kevin Cotton just missed the Brickies far post and on 37 minutes the home side had a good penalty shout turned down when Dowley seemed to handle the ball in the same fashion as the Beaconsfield defender did when the Brickies were awarded their penalty.

The second half belonged to Sittingbourne and on 68 minutes Spice had another chance when he latched onto a defence splitting pass but Watson did well to grab the ball.

Sittingbourne continued to have the better of the half and on 78 minutes Spice was fouled just outside the area. He took the free kick himself, the ball beat the wall and Watson spilled the catch straight to the onrushing Jon Neal who fired home.

Kieran Marsh shot wide on 81 minutes and two minutes later Spice had another golden opportunity to score but he hesitated in the area and a Beaconsfield defender cleared the ball for a corner and Sittingbourne had to be content with a draw.

Joe Dowley was sent off right on full time as he received his second booking of the game this time for kicking the ball away.
 
Sittingbourne: Fewell, Coyle, Dowley, Gooding (Douglas 87), Campbell, Hill, Ashmore, Marsh, Neal (Tanner 79), Spice, Browning. Subs: Ainsworth, Scott