rothwell130805

Brickies get off to a winning start

It was a welcome back to Bourne Park for Rothwell Town (The Bones) who had a brief sojourn last season in the Southern League Division One West, writes Peter Pitts.

The Bones' visit to Bourne Park is their longest journey in the league and they will be disappointed to make the long journey home with no points but Sittingbourne on the other hand will be mightily pleased to get off to such a good start, a start that is in stark contrast to last season when it took them seven league games to register their first win having managed just one point to that game.

Sittingbourne's Paul Ainsworth had a great chance to give the Brickies a third minute lead when he connected to Kieran Marsh's free kick but he sent his header agonisingly over the Bones bar.

Ainsworth then became a saviour as his last ditch challenge whisked the ball from Rothwell's liveliest forward Jon Mitchell.

It didn't, however, take Sittingbourne lead to get their noses in front and on 8 minutes Darren Hare's neat headed flick found Mark Lovell who fired a great angled shot into the inside of the Rothwell net.

Rothwell fought back when on 25 minutes Mitchell raced away and only a great block save from Steve Williams in the Brickies goal stopped the Bones from equalising.

Three minutes later Williams repeated the trick this time from the same player as a combined move between Liam Morris and Jamie Wright had set up the chance.

Despite the Bones pressure it was Sittingbourne who had the best chance of the rest the half as Hare headed just wide from a Marsh cross.

The second half started in scrappy fashion with a lot of high balls failing to find a target.

However, the game began to flow again and Bradley Spice was looking dangerous on the right but invariably the final ball was letting him down.

Williams was looking comfortable in the Brickies goal and all looked rosy for them, however, on 65 minutes they were given a scare when Liam Morris fired over the bar from just inside the penalty area when he really should have done better.

Jon Neal, who has been suffering from a hamstring injury, made a welcome reappearance  for the Brickies on 68 minutes in place of Hare who had played excellently.

Apart from a shot from Michael Boyle-Chone the Bones were not troubling the Brickies now and on 87 minutes Mark Lovell had an opportunity to increase the lead when Marsh found him unmarked on the right but Lovell elected to try to chip the Bones keeper and his effort went wide.

Sittingbourne: Williams, Ashmore (Styles 31), Dowley, Ainsworth, Tanner, Marsh (capt), Gooding ( Taylor 73), Browning, Lovell, Spice, Hare (Neal 68), Subs not used: Spiller, Fewell