Chatham Town 1-3 Sittingbourne

CHATHAM TOWN 1-3 SITTNGBOURNE
Saturday 28^th October 2006
Ryman League Division One South
Peter Pitts reports from Maidstone Road

Chatham Town have had a slow start to the season but in their last match they demolished Hastings United 5-1 so it looked like this would be a real test for the Brickies.

However, they rose to the challenge magnificently and only an impressive display from Chatham goalkeeper John Whitehouse stopped a more convincing scoreline.

The Brickies could have taken the lead inside two minutes but Mark Lovell glanced a good chance wide.

The game then became end to end, Mark Brooks heading Tyrane James cross just wide of Sittingbourne's goal then a minute later at the other end a typical Kieran Marsh thunderbolt just shied away from the goal at the last minute.

The game continued to ebb and flow and Town's Rob Denness did well to shake off his marker before firing narrowly over the bar.

Sittingbourne began to get the upper hand, the strong wind at their backs though sometimes helped but also hindered as control of the ball proved to be problematical at times.

On 19 minutes Whitehouse, under pressure from Andy Doerr, punched the ball away but only as far as Marsh who fired a great shot back, but an equally good save from Whitehouse saved the day for Chatham.

Sittingbourne continued to press and a 25 yard Lovell shot was well held by Whitehouse.

The former Tunbridge Wells goalkeeper was seeing a lot of the ball and a minute later a Ricky Spiller free kick found Marsh in the area who did a neat goalbound flick only for Whitehouse to hold well.

Despite the Brickies ascendancy Chatham were still posing problems and on 36 minutes a good jinking run by Kevin Spriggs came to an abrupt end as he went sprawling in the area but referee Mr Mason saw no foul.

At the other end Lovell found himself with just Whitehouse to beat but again the Chatham Keeper made a good block.

You felt that Sittingbourne must take advantage of their superiority soon and with just two minutes to go to the break that's just what they did thanks to a spectacular pin point pass from inside his own area by Toby Ashmore to Lovell who expertly brought the ball down and in one movement crashed it into the goal to put the Brickies deservedly into the lead.

This season Sittingbourne have proved themselves to be very much a second half side so even though they had only scored one with the wind behind them hopes were high in the Brickies camp that they could still go on to victory.

What a change this attitude is from the last few seasons. The side is now playing with a newly found confidence that spreads to the very vocal Brickies supporters.

This optimism almost paid off after just two minutes of the restart when Marsh was presented with a great chance but he again fired over.

Marsh had another shot on 48 minutes this time Whitehouse held well, but a minute later, and almost out of the blue, Chatham equalised, as Denness came in from the left and angled a shot round Brickies keeper Steve Williams and the ball nestled against the inside of the right hand net.

Sittingbourne didn't let this goal get them down and Marsh almost managed an immediate reply but his shot went over. It obviously wasn't going to be Marsh's day and he made way for Clint Gooding.

It was all Sittingbourne now and on 56 minutes Lovell found Doerr on the left. The striker, plucked out of the Kent League from Lordswood cleverly took the ball round Whitehouse and slotted it into the net to restore the Brickies lead.

Sittingbourne were now well on top and on 69 minutes Lee Browning found an unmarked Mitchell Sherwood in the Chatham area but again Whitehouse performed miracles by blocking Sherwood's thundering shot.

Chatham did rally slightly and on 70 minutes Spriggs forced Williams into a rare save.

Three minutes later the busy Whitehouse was in action again this time blocking a Doerr shot.

Despite their superiority Sittingbourne almost conceded another when on 84 minutes Adam Douglas found himself with a free header in the Brickies area but the ex Brickie headed over the bar.

Three minutes later Browning weaved around at least three defenders to find himself in the Chatham box and just as it looked as though he had missed his chance he somehow got in a shot that beat Whitehouse all ends up and a Sittingbourne victory was in the bag.

Sittingbourne welcome Walton Casuals to Bourne Park on Tuesday night, whilst Chatham Town travel to Dulwich Hamlet.

Visit Club Websites:

www.chathamtownfc.net

www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Chatham Town: Whitehouse, Binks, Lyons (Douglas 63), Larkin, Goodyer (Boyle 46), Best, Smith, Brooks, James (Pulman 75), Denness, Spriggs. Subs: King, Winter-Nolan

Sittingbourne: Williams, Ashmore, Ainsworth, Searle, Marsh (Gooding 51), Spiller (Browning 58), Belcher (Nicholl 63), Lovell, Doerr, Sherwood. Subs: Singh, Trabelsi