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McCartney inspires Dockers to complete double over Brickies

Bottom club Tilbury completed an unlikely double over Sittingbourne in this game which the Brickies should have had wrapped up at half time.

Ex Brickie Gary Kimble is now in charge of the Dockers,  must have been grateful to his goalkeeper David McCartney for keeping his side in the game as he made a number of last minute saves.

Adding to the Brickies woes both Jon Neal and Kieran Marsh picked up injuries which are likely to keep them side-lined for a number of weeks.

Sittingbourne had a great chance to take an early lead when on 9 minutes James Campbell passed inside to an unmarked Jon Neal but as Neal turned for his shot he fell and the ball went wide.

Two minutes later a good run from Dean Hill ended in him finding Bradley Spice whose cross was palmed away by McCartney straight to Clint Gooding and the keeper then did well to block
Gooding's shot.

Sittingbourne were desperately unlucky on 22 minutes when a corner kick curled in towards the goal but McCartney punched the ball into the side of the goalpost and it rebounded clear.

A rare Tilbury attack ended in John Purches firing over Kevin Fewell but in general Fewell was having an easy time.

Clint Gooding had a golden opportunity to put the Brickies ahead on 27 minutes when David Cory, who had replaced the injured Neal, found the unmarked Gooding on the edge of the area but Gooding's first time shot sailed over the bar.

Sittingbourne continued to look by far the better side and a period of Brickies pressure ended in a Gooding shot deflected for a corner and from the corner Spice had a shot easily held by McCartney.

On 41 minutes a Marsh free kick was just missed by Campbell when even the slightest of glances would have ended up with the ball nestling in the Tilbury net.

In first half injury time a Lee Browning cross found Dean Hill who fired over with the goal at his mercy.

As has been seen many times before the Brickies just can't afford to pass up on these chances and after just a minute of the new half Tilbury took a shock lead when a rash Paul Ainsworth challenge brought down a Tilbury player in the Brickies area and referee Mr Parker had no hesitation in awarding the home side a penalty, which Darren Spinks converted.

Sittingbourne were shell shocked but couldn't carve out the chances that they had in the first half.

Hill had a shot fly over the bar on 49 minutes and on 55 minutes the Brickies were dealt another blow when a crude challenge by Rio Alderton on Marsh led to the Tilbury man's name in the book
and Marsh being carried off to be replaced by Adam Douglas.

Things got worse for Sittingbourne on 74 minutes when an unmarked Chima Eberendu headed home a Keith Wilson cross to make it a real uphill struggle for the Brickies.

Sittingbourne threw caution to the wind on 75 minutes and replaced defender Joe Dowley with attacking mid-fielder Jack Tanner.

Both Tanner and Douglas seemed to add something to the Brickies and on 82 minutes Tanner was foiled by another good blocking save from McCartney.

Three minutes later Sittingbourne pulled a goal back when David Cory was chopped down in the Tilbury penalty area and Paul Manning converted the penalty but that was it for the Brickies and they will want to put the disappointing holiday games firmly behind them.

Sittingbourne: Fewell, Hill. Dowley (Tanner 75), Gooding, J Campbell, Ainsworth, Manning, Marsh (Douglas 55), Neal (Cory 20), Spice, Browning, Subs: Nolan, Friend.