Sittingbourne 0-2 Herne Bay - We haven't applied any pressure on the teams above us when we've had an opportunity and today we've done that at a tough place. Most people would've expected us to drop points today, says Herne Bay boss Ben Smith

Sittingbourne 0 – 2 Herne Bay
Location	Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AG
Kickoff	15/04/2022 13:00

SITTINGBOURNE 0-2  HERNE BAY
Isthmian League South East Division
Good Friday 15 April 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Woodstock Park

HERNE BAY manager Ben Smith says his side have applied pressure on the two sides above them after consolidating their place in the Isthmian League South East Division play-offs with two games remaining.

Herne Bay claimed a deserved 2-0 win over a tired looking Sittingbourne side on a warm and sunny Good Friday, with striker Zak Ansah scoring twice to take his goalscoring tally up to 22 for the season.

With Hastings United (79 points) already promoted into the Isthmian League Premier Division, the four play-off places are occupied by Ashford United (69), Cray Valley (65), Haywards Heath Town (65) and Herne Bay (64, having played a game more than the rest).

Ramsgate are just outside the play-off zone on 59 points and Steve Lovell returns to an old club (Ashford United) tomorrow.

Sittingbourne harboured slender play-off hopes by going on a six match unbeaten run but last week’s 4-1 defeat at Burgess Hill Town dashed those chances and today’s defeat keeps them in ninth-place with 52 points.

“Really tough place to go, so a really good three points.  We ground it out in the first-half and second-half we took control of the game so I’m really happy,” said Smith, whose side are unbeaten in three games.

“They gave me plenty of energy.  I thought the fitness levels showed in our side. It was a hot day. It felt a lot hotter today than it has all season and the fitness levels were fantastic.  We had that real determination second-half that we were going to score.  We took our time scoring but we got there in the end.  When we scored it looked like we would score four or five.

”I think we were looking like we were opening them up more and more and they were getting spread a bit more.  I think they were starting to tire and we’re bringing on players like Bode Anidugbe and Eddie Allsopp.

“Eddie Allsopp was the matchwinner. He didn’t score the goals but he was the matchwinner. He’s quality on the ball.  When you need a bit of quality and composure in the final third we bring on Eddie. He’s got so much ability and he was unlucky not to start today but we had a game plan how to play Sittingbourne and staying in the game in the first half was a massive part of that and then we had a lot of options, our bench is very strong.”

Sittingbourne manager Darren Blackburn added: “Just not enough in our arsenal really.  They were just too strong for us. I’ll just say it how it is and I’ll be honest. It was very much similar to last week really.  We huffed and puffed a little bit but when push came to shove we didn’t quite had enough to compete going into today.

“The lads did really well first half, stuck to the game plan and we spoke about a couple of things at half-time. One was taking quick throws and then we’ve taken a quick throw when we haven’t really had the support there to do anything in their half and in the transition of the counter-attack we’ve been caught out because we weren’t really expecting it.

“It’s frustrating for the first goal and you could see heads go down.  You could see that little bit of energy that we did have, go and they needed to go on and win the game.

“We’ve been on a decent run and I’ve made no secret of it. I don’t think the club ever does either. We’re not one of the financial big wigs. We have to compete with what we’ve got and about seven or eight weeks ago we had to make some adjustments. 

“I try to pick a team each week, I’ve probably not been able to pick the same team twice because I tried to pick a team with what I’ve got available and who we’re playing against and try to base something on that.

“I give the lads a basis to go and compete and most weeks they go and do that but they don’t let themselves down, they don’t let me down but there does come a point in a game or a season where you need strength-in-depth and you need that little bit of quality, experience and leadership in a group and I think that’s where we feel a little bit short.

“That’s no reflection on the players, it’s part and parcel of football at this level.  You’ve got others out there spending money to get themselves in the play-offs. We’ve had to make some adjustments and it’s frustrating but it is what it is.

“We’ve done well, we’ve had a good season really.  The last two weeks, we haven’t got the strength-in-depth.” 

Herne Bay’s visit to Woodstock Park attracted Sittingbourne’s largest crowd of the season (374).

Blackburn said: “It was a great turnout, amazing support.  Home and away supporters were fantastic today. Credit to the Herne Bay lot for coming up and supporting their team and our fans were brilliant as always, especially the Shed End. They’re a great group and they follow us everywhere but all the additional ones that have come out, we really do appreciate the support.

“If we can get 374 every week maybe financially we could compete a little bit more but it’s not our clubhouse so we’ve got to cope with what we have to cope with.” 

This Kent derby started in a cagey affair and Herne Bay created a slight opening on the counter-attack after 11 minutes.

Hamilton Antonio played the ball into a deep Ansah, who released Michael West through the middle and he played the ball out to right-winger Rory Smith but Aaron Millbank got the slightest of touches to the cross with his head and the ball flashed past the far post.

Sittingbourne’s central midfielder Toby Bancroft swung in a free-kick into the Herne Bay box where targetman Johan Caney-Bryan rose at the far post to head wide from 12-yards.

Millbank committed four fouls inside the opening 21 minutes and it was no surprise when he became one of seven players to have their names taken in the notebook of referee Adam Merchant.

Sittingbourne’s best chance of the first half arrived in the 24^th minute.

Bancroft floated a free-kick into the box from the edge of the centre-circle and Lex Allan’s towering header went across the face of goal and Caney-Bryan ghosted in at the back post and steered his header past the near post from a tight angle from a couple of yards.

Blackburn said: “We’ve been slow in that all season. We’ve had a few opportunities where we could’ve done that recently but we’re slow to react in and around the box at times. I think it’s because I do ask our front boys to do a lot of work off the ball in fairness.

“Some of our decision making from midfield to the front three has been average at best and we get countered quite quickly, which it does have a toll in the game and the legs. Sometimes the lads can’t always make the runs in and around the area that you want them to make and have that energy. We were on our heels in and around the box.  I ask them to do a lot of work off the ball and they do it and I credit him for that.”

Herne Bay started to wrestle control back into the game and wasted a glorious chance to grab the lead on the half-hour mark.

West chipped a free-kick towards the edge of the Sittingbourne box and Herne Bay centre-half Daniel Johnson rose and knocked the ball on with his head and the ball fell at the feet of left-back Daniel Carrington, who swept his first-time shot past the left-hand post.

“We had three very good chances in the first-half,” admitted Smith.

“When we’ve played the top sides this season they haven’t had a lot of chances against us but they’ve just taken the ones that they’ve had.  That’s what you’ve got to do.  You can’t rely on 12 chances in a game to win a game of football. Last week we had 17 shots on target (during our 1-0 home win over Chichester City).  You’ve got to start taking chances.”  

Herne Bay then hit Sittingbourne on the counter-attack down the middle and West released Smith down the right, the winger cut into the box to unleash a right-footed angled drive, which forced Sittingbourne goalkeeper Charlie Taylor to dive to his right and get a strong right hand to the shot and centre-half Allan was composed and played out from the back.

“A better touch and he’s scoring but he’s taken it wide and the defender (Harrison Pont) has done well and put pressure on him and their keeper had a great game today,” said Smith.

“We had a few good chances there but going uphill first half, we were 1-0 down in the FA Trophy here. We wanted to come in at least level and when you come in level going uphill you’ finding yourself going down the slope in the second half.”

Blackburn added: “Charlie’s done well since he’s come in and replaced Harry Brooks.  He’s done everything that I’ve asked him to do today, he’s a good lad.”

Herne Bay edged a poor first-half and the crowd were hoping for a vast improvement from both sides after the interval.

Blackburn said: “Just don’t beat ourselves, keep doing what we’re doing and don’t beat ourselves and continue to frustrate them.’  I wanted us to get balls in the box when we could do, get balls up to the front three when we could get in and around Johan, who was causing them problems.

“Sometimes as players don’t always understand how important it is when you’re 0-0 and you’re playing against a team above you to just game manage. At times we don’t do it. We’ve been poor at it for most of the season. We’ve defended well but game management has let us down at times.”

Smith added: “I said ‘just be patient, don’t get frustrated’.  They were getting frustrated in there, heads were down.  I said ‘be patient and it will come.’  I believed that it’s going to come.  There was no shouting in there, it was very productive what we spoke about.”

Sittingbourne’s keeper Taylor had a great game, smothering the ball at Ansah’s feet inside the opening six minutes after being fed by Smith.

Sittingbourne started to get into the game just past the hour-mark.

Taylor launched the ball upfield, the outstanding Laurence Harvey headed the ball away while stretching and the ball fell to Kane Rowland, who turned his marker but his 25-yard drive trickled harmlessly wide of the target.

Sittingbourne almost snatched the lead with 17:45 on the clock.

A ball over the top wasn’t dealt with by Herne Bay centre-half Daniel Johnson and this let in Caney-Bryan and his right-footed shot brought a comfortable save at knee height from visiting goalkeeper Jordan Perrin.

Blackburn said: “It was a good touch from Johan. He’s battled and fed off scraps today and it’s a good shot, he’s hit the target.  Jordan’s pulled off a great save, as I’d expect him to and then no ones really there, we’re on our heels again. If that happens down the other end of the pitch they’re already on their toes and probably take a touch and tap that into the empty net but we haven’t.  We were tired. I’ve got the same group that have played the last few weeks, they’ve got tired legs.”

Smith added: “They had a couple of chances.  Johan’s a good player, he’s hit it well and Jordan Perrin’s been great recently. He’s come a long way since he’s joined the club and throughout the season he’s grown, so he’s switched on for the whole game and that’s what you’ve got to do.”

Herne Bay went up the other end and Taylor pulled off a fine fingertip save shortly afterwards.

The introduction of substitute Eddie Allsopp terrified the now tired Sittingbourne back four and he was the difference between the two sides.

Allsopp threaded the ball through a crowd of three Sittingbourne defenders, stationed on the edge of their penalty area, to put West through on goal and his right-footed dink forced Taylor to dive to his right to get his fingertips to the ball to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom right-hand corner.

Smith said: “Zak and Westy went through, two players you want. It was a great save through. He even went on his weaker side.  It was a good save but that was the start of things to come from Eddie Allsopp.”

Herne Bay deservedly smashed the stalemate by taking the lead with 23 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock.

Allsopp was the architect by playing a sublime pass which released left-winger Kerion Campbell and he was tripped by Sittingbourne’s right-back Emmanuel Dasho just inside the box.

Ansah kept composed and stroked his right-footed penalty into the left-hand corner, despite Taylor guessing the right way.

“That little magician Eddie Allsopp. Outrageous ball, the ball just killed the defender, absolutely killed him and you expect Zak, obviously it was tight and nervy, he scored the goal, so nervy moments but we got there in the end,” said Smith.

Blackburn added: “That was from a throw-in. We had two or three players caught out of position. We moved forward for a throw-in and then we couldn’t get back into shape quickly enough and we were out of balance.

“It was a good move by them.  I expect Zak Ansah to score. He gets paid enough money to score goals and it’s a free shot from 12-yards so I expect him to score that.”

Sittingbourne missed a decent chance to grab an equaliser just 139 seconds later.

Dasho played the ball on the outside to release Caney-Bryan, who raced through and dragged his right-footed shot across the keeper and trickling past the far post.

“Johan’s got tired legs, weary legs. He does a lot of running,” said Blackburn, who claimed, “If that’s the first 10 minutes that probably hits the target but he never really had a lot of belief in it really. It was just more of a shot-come-cross. It’s another one that could’ve bobbled into the bottom corner but didn’t.”

Smith added: “When we were missing chances it was opening up a little bit and Johan and Kane Rowland are all hustle and bustle aren’t they? They’re always going to get something, they’ve got a chance on the break haven’t they?”

Ansah deservedly picked up a yellow card after attempting to con the referee after diving as he fluffed a goalscoring chance after skipping past the advancing keeper Taylor.

Herne Bay right-back Troy Williams switched off for the second time when he allowed the ball to bounce out of play and Dasho looped his second long throw into the Herne Bay box.

The ball was cleared and substitute Harry Stannard headed the ball back into the box for 14-goal forward Caney-Bryan to sweep his shot through a crowd of players into Perrin’s hands for a comfortable save.

More terrific play from Allsopp saw him release Campbell through on goal and he was tripped by the onrushing Taylor, who was booked by referee Adam Merchant, who noticed that Dasho had made a recovery run to protect his team-mate.

Ansah went the same way as before from the penalty and Taylor dived to his right and used both hands to make the save, with 37 minutes and 42 seconds on the clock.

Smith said: “A good save, the keeper did well today. It seems like every keeper plays well against us!”

Blackburn added: “A great penalty, a great dual that Charlie’s psyched him out and gone the same way. It’s another great strike and a great save from Charlie.”

However, Herne Bay hit Sittingbourne on the counter-attack and killed the game off by scoring their second goal, timed at 39 minutes and 18 seconds on the clock.

No surprise that Allsopp was the architect again, hooking a pass to play Ansah through on goal and with Allan struggling to keep up, Ansah’s sublime right-footed dink shot went over the keeper and dropped inside the bottom left-hand corner from 10-yards.

Smith said: “A great pass.  He doesn’t even need good movement with passes like that.  You put it into the area you expect the player to be and the percentages are they’re going to be there.  Composed in the final third, fantastic.”

On Ansah’s performance, the Herne Bay manager replied: “I don’t think he’s had a great spell recently.  He’ll be the first to say that but it’s all about character. He’s got good character.  I don’t need to tell him he hasn’t been at his best.  He’ll know that himself.

“He trusted us coming to the club two years ago when we were relegation candidates and he’s scored over 50 goals for the club and I trust him and I back him and he will repay me, I have no doubt about that.

“It’s very easy for people to get onto Zak because maybe he doesn’t have great body language or whatever and he’s a scapegoat whenever we don’t do well.”

Blackburn admitted:  “We didn’t deal with Eddie Allsopp when he came on. We didn’t go in with him, we didn’t press him. We allowed him to turn and face us up.

“It was too easy. I would rather see free-kicks given away there rather than allow him to do what he did.

“Emmanuel Dasho has not come round from right-back and covered Lex Allen at all. Lex was struggling because he was square on and the lad darted in behind him. It was a good run, a good move. Lex couldn’t do anymore to be fair to him. We’ve not defended the danger, a poor decision on our behalf.”

Allsopp’s impressive 28 minute cameo will have him knocking on Smith’s door to start on Monday and he was involved again at the death, rolling the ball over to Smith, who drilled a low right-footed shot towards the bottom far corner, only for Taylor to stick out his right leg to make a vital block.

Smith added: “At that point it looked like we were going to score at will – it was another good save.”

Sittingbourne complete their campaign with a trip to fourteenth-placed Sevenoaks Town on Easter Monday, before hosting top-eight side Corinthian on the final game of the season.

“We’ve got two tough games,” said Blackburn.

“Sevenoaks are flying, you can’t really take them for anything. They’re probably a play-off team easily with the players that they’ve got there now and maybe you could argue they could win it if they were all together at the beginning of the season, so they’re certainly be a team to look out for next season so that will be a tough one, especially on their 3G pitch.

“With our small squad and limited numbers we may have to drag in a couple more under 18s in to help out. I’m sure we’ll have some knocks from today.

“Corinthian at home next week, they’re just a real tough team to play against so I’m not looking past Monday.”

Herne Bay, meanwhile, welcome bottom-six side Hythe Town to Winch’s Field on Monday, before travelling to relegation-threatened side Phoenix Sports on Saturday 23 April.

The play-off semi-finals are held on Tuesday 26 April, with the final on Saturday 30 April and Herne Bay must win their last two games to ensure they qualify fo the end-of-the-season lottery the first time.

Smith said: “What we’ve done today is something we haven’t done all season.  We haven’t applied any pressure (on the teams above us) when we’ve had an opportunity and today we've done that at a tough place.  Most people would’ve expected us to drop points today so over to you (our play-off rivals).  A lot can happen still and I’ll go and I’ll have a watch of Ashford-Ramsgate tomorrow.

“Hythe are decent. I think Will Graham and James Rogers have done an outstanding job there.  I think they’re safe (from relegation) but they’re not going to come and walk over.  They’re a good side with good players there.  They’re a much better side than where they are in the league and I think they’ll do well next year so that’s no easy game that.

“Phoenix – we could be in the play-offs but we will uphold the integrity of the league and we’ll go there to win the game. We’re just not going to go there to roll over because me might be safe in the play-offs by then, but you don’t know.

“I think we’re a long way off talking about promotion. We just need to get into the play-offs first and then we’ll worry about promotion after.  We get there, we’ll be the underdogs.  We’ve got a horrendous record against the top guys but stranger things have happened.

“If it clicks for us we’re as good as anyone but the top guys all say it as well. Hastings have won the league this year because they’re the most consistent side. The ones all below can all beat each other on their day, so we’ll see.”

Sittingbourne: Charlie Taylor, Emmanuel Dasho, James Witt (William Oliver 84), Sam Flisher, Harrison Pont, Lex Allan, Kane Rowland, Toby Bancroft, Johan Caney-Bryan, Alex Flisher (Harry Stannard 70), Tyler Anderson.
Subs: Harry Miller, Harry Brooks, Nick Treadwell

Booked: Sam Flisher 34, Johan Caney-Bryan 36, Charlie Taylor 82, Emmanuel Dasho 88

Herne Bay: Jordan Perrin, Troy Williams, Daniel Carrington, Hamilton Antonio (Bode Anidugbe 58), Daniel Johnson, Laurence Harvey, Keiron Campbell (Kane Phillip 90), Michael West, Zak Ansah, Aaron Millbank (Eddie Allsopp 62), Rory Smith.
Subs: Mobolaji Dawodu, Joe Denny

Goals: Zak Ansah 69 (penalty), 85

Booked: Aaron Millbank 37, Eddie Allsopp 64, Zak Ansah 72

Attendance: 374
Referee: Mr Adam Merchant
Assistants: Mr Kennedy Kikulwe & Mr Richard Myers