Kingstonian 1-2 Sittingbourne - We can go on and win title, says Abbott

The cash-strapped club outplayed both Cray Wanderers at Hayes Lane in midweek, despite having to settle for a 1-1 draw in the end - and league leaders Kingstonian today.

Kingstonian could have moved four points clear of Cray Wanderers at the top off the table going into next Saturday’s massive showdown between the two sides at Hayes Lane on Saturday - but Sittingbourne had other ideas as they continued their impressive form away from Bourne Park.

Abbott’s young guns have won nine games away from home now - drawing two and losing one other - and as a result climbed up three places to seventh place on 36 points - the same number of points as fourth placed local rivals Ashford Town, Worthing and Walton & Hersham.

Despite Sittingbourne dominating the first half, Kingstonian had the audacity to break the deadlock through an excellent finish from striker Bobby Traynor, but after switching from a 4-5-1 formation, the introduction of Elie Kayembe, replacing Joe Horlock, who picked up a hamstring injury, gave lone striker Tom Bradbrook some support up front, and the teenager Bradbrook scored two goals in the space of six minutes to seal an impressive win.

Sittingbourne were without their player-assistant manager Richard Brady, due to a cold, so Horlock came in to strengthen the midfield, and the Kent side’s tactics prevented the shaky leaders playing.

Kingstonian gave former Bromley right-sided midfielder Anthony Joseph his debut, but like many players that wear fancy footwear - bright lime green boots - he failed to produce the goods.

Sittingbourne defender Mark Green revealed before the game that he’s expected to be out for around a month with a groin injury, and he can expect to fork out £5,000 of his own money if he comes back too early and aggravates the injury and needs an operation.

Kingstonian had the first chance of the game after just 186 seconds.

Sittingbourne skipper Joe Dowley brought down Joseph and from the resulting free-kick, central midfielder Tommy Williams swung in the free-kick and this was met by a looping header from central defender Adam Thompson, which was punched clear by visiting goalkeeper Matt Reed.

This fell nicely for left-sided midfielder Jamie Byatt and his left-footed drive from the edge of the penalty area brought a comfortable low save from the former Tonbridge Angels goalkeeper.

But Sittingbourne responded and called K’s goalkeeper Luke Garrard into action after ten minutes.

Rio Alderton stole the ball off Williams as the Surrey side played the ball out of defence. Colin Richmond’s right-footed pass released Hicham Akhazzan, who beat his marker, to unleash a right-footed drive from sixteen-yards, which was beaten out by Garrard and Thompson was on hand to put the ball out for a corner.

Matt Bourne, who has strengthened the heart of Sittingbourne’s back-line, turned defence into attack when his powerful header forward, under pressure, released Richmond and his right-footed drive from 35-yards flew straight into the goalkeeper’s body.

Kingstonian then went close from Williams’ direct right-footed free-kick from 35-yards, which dipped just over Reed’s crossbar.

Yet another Sittingbourne chance arrived with six first half minutes remaining when Garrard dived low to his left on his left-post to prevent the hard-working Bradbrook scoring with a glancing header, following a cross from Dowley.

Sittingbourne were kicking themselves as another chance went begging when the unmarked Horlock blazed over with a right-footed drive from just inside the box, following a low centre from Bradbrook was dummied by Richmond to find Horlock on the right-hand side of the box.

Kingstonian boss Alan Dowson must have given his under-performing side a rocket during the interval as they came out with much more purpose in the early stages of the second half.

Their first shot on target arrived inside the opening 82 seconds off the second half when right-back Ryan Andrews stood off Byatt and the former Tooting & Mitcham United man cracked a left-footed drive from 18-yards, which was beaten out by Reed.

Williams’ resulting corner wasn’t punched cleanly by Reed and the ball dropped for Thompson inside the six-yard box, but he hooked his shot over the crossbar with plenty of bodies in front of him.

Honest Bradbrook should have gone down for a penalty when he was pulled back by Garrard on the right-hand side of the penalty area, but cut along the penalty box and after riding a challenge the former Dartford striker was denied by the goalkeeper who redeemed himself with a smart low save.

Sittingbourne’s Ian Varley upended Williams just outside the box and Thompson came up from his defensive duties to drill the resulting free-kick just past the foot of the far post from 22-yards.

Reed made his best save of the game soon after.

Williams’ corner from the right was cut back to an unmarked Traynor and the striker turned and cracked a right-footed drive from inside the penalty area and Reed tipped the ball onto the top of the crossbar and out for a corner.

But a classy finish from Traynor ensured Kingstonian grabbed the lead after 54 minutes.

After being played in behind Sittingbourne’s solid defence by Joesph, the striker’s right-footed lob from 25-yards looped over Reed and dropped into an empty net to spark relieved celebrations from the side in red and white hooped shirts.

Despite that set-back Sittingbourne went up the other end and almost levelled, although an excellent save from Garrard prevented Bourne from capping off an excellent display with a goal.

Horlock’s right-footed free-kick was met by a diving, glancing header from the former Folkestone Invicta star and the ball was tipped over by the diving goalkeeper.

Reed was alert at the other end when he plucked the ball out of the air at his near post, preventing Byatt from scoring with a rasping, rising, left-footed drive.

But Horlock’s hamstring injury enabled Abbott to throw on former Ilford striker, Elie Kayembe, who made a quick impression as Sittingbourne deservedly levelled with 23 minutes remaining.

Akhazzan released Kayembe down the left and after cutting into the penalty area his low centre across the face of goal was stabbed into the net by Bradbrook’s right-foot from just two-yards out at the far post.

Kingstonian released Byatt down the left and a poor first touch sent him wider than he wanted to and his right-footed drive flashed past Bourne, at the near post, and Andrews, at the far post, as the ball flashed agonisingly past the foot off the far post.

But Bradbrook’s eighth goal of the season gave Sittingbourne a deserved victory with 17 minutes remaining.

The teenage striker drilled a right-footed shot from 25-yards, which beat the despairing dive from Garrard, to nestle inside the bottom left-hand corner.

Expecting long-throw specialist Wayne Finnie to launch the ball into the Sittingbourne box, he threw the ball back to the unmarked Williams, but his right-footed drive from 25-yards was straight at Reed.

Sittingbourne then squandered an excellent chance to increase their lead with eleven minutes remaining when Bradbrook’s lobbed cross from the right was headed over the bar by the unmarked Akhazzan.

And Garrard made a fine save to block Kayembe’s fierce right-footed drive on the turn at his near post as Sittingbourne ran riot late on.

It was clearly not Kingstonian’s day, especially when Williams’ 30-yard drive was comfortably saved by Reed and Byatt’s cross was met by a glancing header from six-yards, which sailed harmlessly past the far post, at the death.

Abbott, who was sent from his technical area for swearing at an assistant as he queried a decision with six minutes remaining, was delighted with his side’s performance.

“I did say that we’re not coming here to make the numbers up,” Abbott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We’ve got so much belief in the squad and I think they believe it as well and that is coming across now. I think that’s there for everyone to see.

“I think we deserved everything that we got today. I didn’t think they troubled us today. We gave them the goal, which I said at half-time, the only way they’d score is if we gave it to them and that’s exactly what happened.”

Although in seventh place, Sittingbourne are now only five points off the side that they beat today and Abbott has now set his sights higher than reaching the play-off’s this season.

“I’ve said to the boys in there, why can’t we go on and win it,” he said. “I’m not going to go ‘we’ll get in the play-off’s and all this’ we’ll go and win it.

“We’ve played Cray, who are meant to be the second best side and we’ve played this lot, who are meant to be the top side and I think we’ve better than both of them and I wouldn’t want any of their players and I honestly believe that.”

The introduction of Kayembe proved to be a managerial masterstroke by Abbott.

“I feel sorry for Elie because we know what he’s all about,” said Abbott. “He’s big, strong, powerful, but we’re on a good run. Tom and (Richard) Brady have been scoring goals so you’re not going to drop those players for whatever it is.

“I think he was a bit gutted from the other day because I said I was going to bring him on against Cray the other night and we wanted to get the result, we wanted to get the draw. We didn’t want to get beat and that’s the reason why he didn’t come on the other night.

“He had the hump, which is good. I’m glad he had the hump because I’d have the hump as well. There’s nothing wrong with that, wanting to play.

“Today we just thought it was the right time to do it. Joe (Horlock) was struggling with his hamstring, it was getting tight, so that’s what we done.

“We put Elie up front, went 4-4-2 and I thought he was brilliant - he’s a menace up there.”

With such aspirations of winning the league on a limited budget, Abbott insisted this win wasn’t to help out his former club, Ian Jenkins’ Cray Wanderers, who could leapfrog over the Surrey giants into first place with victory at Hayes Lane on Saturday.

“Do you know what,” said Abbott. “I had people ringing me up after the Cray game saying you’ve got to do Cray a favour.

“Well, no, we’re not doing Cray a favour, we’re doing ourselves a favour by getting ourselves in there.

“I’m not here, my teams not here to do anyone favours. We’ve come here, we’ve dug in today from the first whistle and I think whoever came here today would say Sittingbourne deserved to win it.

“To come back like that as well, I thought we deserved to win it and you know what, we can go on and win it, why not?

“I’m positive, the boys are positive and we’ve shown against the top two that we can play better than them.

“All these clubs have got money, money, money. I said to (my players) money don’t mean a thing. All them lot (promotion rivals) could be on 200-300 quid a week, that’s up to them.

“My boys, I know what my boys are on, they’re here to play, they’re not here for the money.”

Abbott was quick to praise two-goal hero Bradbrook, who is happy to stay at Bourne Park, despite approaches from Blue Square South side Welling United.

He said: “I don’t want to pick anyone out, but I think when Tom plays well as a lone striker, there’s no-one better. He deserved what he got today.

“We’ve already had Welling come in for Tom and he doesn’t want to go.”

But Abbott believes cash-strapped Sittingbourne have the team spirit that can land them the title.

He said: “I try to sign players and they say the money s**t but we’ve got players who know the money’s s**t.

“They’re not here for the money. My players are here to play football, win games and work hard and that’s exactly what I’ve got.

“There’s not going to be no big-time Charlies here. I’ve got rid of the big-time Charlies and I think it’s all coming right now.”

Kingstonian: Luke Garrard, Jason Turley, Jon Coke, Adam Thompson, Wayne Finnie, Liam Collins, Anthony Joseph (Max Hustwick 74), Tommy Williams, Bobby Traynor, Simon Huckle, Jamie Byatt.
Subs: Jamie Beer, Neil Lampton, Nick Rundell, Adrian Blake.

Goal: Bobby Traynor 54

Booked: Tommy Williams 25

Sittingbourne: Matt Reed, Ryan Andrews, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Ian Varley, Rio Alderton, Joe Hurlock (Ellie Kayembe 62), Nick Reeves, Tom Bradbrook, Colin Richmond, Hicham Akhazzan.
Subs: Richard Brady, Billy Manners, Michael McLeary, Andre Marques.

Goals: Tom Bradbrook 67, 73

Attendance: 319
Referee: Mr Mark Mellor (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Andy Stevens (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire) & Mr Ashley Hyne (Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire)