sittvdart141003

Dartford end losing streak
Sittingbourne 1-3 Dartford
Dr Martens League Eastern Division
Tuesday 14 October 2003
by Peter Pitts www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Dartford ended a five match run of defeats by beating a depleted Sittingbourne at Bourne Park. However Dartford were themselves without the influential Steve Robinson.

Sittingbourne were missing Darren Smith and their inspirational captain Ben Taylor, both out through suspension. Clint Gooding and Jamie Coyle are injured.

The game had an even start and it was the Brickies who had the first opportunity to score when after 10 minutes Bradley Spice was brought down just outside the Darts area but the free kick was easily held by Jimmy Simpson. The game went through a barren period until 25 minutes when up popped Tostao Kwashi in acres of space in front of the Brickies goal and he rifled a fine shot past Kevin Fewell to give the Darts the lead.

The game continued on its even pedestrian way but on 37 minutes came the first bit of good football from the Brickies when a Jon Neal pass found Bradley Spice whose cross inside was met first time by Paul Davies but his cannonball shot bounced off the top of the Darts cross bar. It seemed that Sittingbourne had come back into the match but just as at Banbury last Saturday their frailty at dead ball situations showed up again as a dangerous far post Darts corner was met superbly by Alan Tutton who thundered a header into the net.

Sittingbourne began the second half meekly and were dealt another blow when James Campbell was substituted after just seven minutes of the half. The lack now of their three stalwart central defenders, Taylor, Coyle and Campbell, was too much and on 57 minutes a far post ball found Paul Sykes whose effort was turned into the goal by Kwashi. The Brickies were stunned and Kwashi could have made it four on 64 minutes but he failed to connect to a great cross ball.

On 73 minutes an all to rare piece of Brickies real football came when Lee Browning made a great run down the right and his dangerous cross was cleared for a corner.

The Brickies finally scored with eight minutes to go as a Joe Dowley cross found Paul Davies just outside the penalty area and he coolly shot into the right hand corner of the goal, but it was too little too late.

Sittingbourne: Fewell, Browning, Dowley, S Davies, Campbell (Berry 52 mins), Spackman, Spice, Marsh, Neal, Lye, P Davies,

Dartford: Simpson, Hales, Osbourne, Tutton (Martin 67 mins), Marriner, Tedder, Kwashi, Ansell, Sykes (Longhurst 86 mins), Buglioni, O'Brian,