hoddesdon260915

Match Reports by
Tony Rickson
Saturday 19th September 2015
Ryman League Div 1 South
Whyteleafe1 Sittingbourne 2, att 135
Injury-hit Sittingbourne clinched their fifth successive
league win thanks to two excellentlyworked
second half goals.
Victory away to a team who were good enough
to reach the promotion play-offs last season
took Sittingbourne up to fifth in the Division One
South table.
They’ve lost only once in 11 league and cup
games but this one was against all the odds
with two of the club’s under-21 team having to
be pressed into service as substitutes. And
both of them, Callum Naessens and Caleb
Bearnan, came on late in the game for their
senior football debuts.
Sittingbourne were without George Crimmen,
Ollie Bankole, Nick Davis, Adam Williams and
Miles Cornwell because of injury. As manager,
Davis was obviously there anyway but all the
other injured players turned up to support their
teammates. Spirit is sky-high in the Sittingbourne
camp at the moment.
A flurry of injuries gives other squad members
their chance to shine, and Jake Beecroft, Jack
Steventon and Fred Obasa all returned to the
starting line-up after figuring as substitutes in
Tuesday night’s FA Cup replay win over Met
Police.
Obasa rewarded his selection by scoring the
second goal to complete a stunning Sittingbourne
move, while unflustered teenager
Steventon had an outstanding game in defence
and was man-of-the-match for many of the
fans.
On a beautiful afternoon in the Surrey sunshine,
the teams battled out an even first half
on Whyteleafe's artificial pitch with very few
chances at either end.
The home team’s finishing was weak compared
with their build-up play while Sittingbourne defended
strongly and played some nice football
going forward but didn’t create much.
They had to wait until the 43rd minute before
forcing their first corner whereas Whyteleafe
had to wait until first half injury time before going
anywhere near close, Henry shooting
across goal but beyond the far post.
The second half was a different story and within
three minutes Sittingbourne were ahead. The
again excellent Conrad Lee combined with
Beecroft and then Obasa down the left before
pulling back a clever cross for Harry Smith to
thunder into the roof of the net his fifth goal of
the season.
Whyteleafe tried to push for the equaliser but
goalkeeper Adam Molloy, the penalty hero in
the Cup on Tuesday night, made a tremendous
save at point blank range to keep Sittingbourne
ahead.
And soon after they made it 2-0 with a brilliant
goal. Captain Tom Brunt raced into the penalty
area after a neat and quick build-up and played
the ball in to Smith. The big striker cleverly
back-heeled the ball first time into Brunt’s path
12 yards from goal. The skipper doesn’t normally
need a second invitation to shoot but,
again without pausing, he unselfishly squared
the ball across goal for Obasa to score comfortably.
A glorious goal to wrap up the points.
Whyteleafe kept battling and despite being
foiled by another amazing Molloy double-save,
they scored a consolation deep into added time
when a throw-in was helped on to the far post
where sub Moody had a simple tap-in. It was
the first goal Sittingbourne had conceded for
four matches.
Manager Nick Davis said afterwards: “We were
up against it coming here, with our squad down
to the bare bones because of injuries. But we
showed our strength in depth and this was an
excellent win.
“Everyone’s loving it at the moment, the place
was electric after that Cup replay win, but
you’ve got to have your feet back on the ground
by the time you come to a place like Whyteleafe
and start all over again for a bread and
butter league match. They’re a tough team to
beat so I’m delighted, especially with the effort
and spirit. Long may it continue.”
Sittingbourne: Molloy, Brunt, Lee, Steventon,
Richardson, Brown, Wright, Beecroft (Gonnella
66 mins), Smith, (Naessens 85 mins), Obasa
(Bearnan-Dyce 80 mins), Akhazzan