Sittingbourne 2-1 Faversham Town - Now it's in Hastings' hands, admits Faversham Town boss Ray Turner

Sittingbourne 2 – 1 Faversham Town
Location	Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AG
Kickoff	12/04/2016 19:45

SITTINGBOURNE  2-1  FAVERSHAM TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 12^th April 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Woodstock Park

FAVERSHAM TOWN manager Ray Turner admits it’s now in Hastings United’s hands after their costly derby defeat at Sittingbourne.

The Lilywhites would have leapfrogged above Hastings United into fifth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table had they avoided defeat at their 18^th placed local rivals and must hope that Hastings slip up in their last two games against Ramsgate and Herne Bay to keep alive their promotion dream.

The crowd of 155 watched an uninspiring goal-less first half battle at Woodstock Park, before Sittingbourne stunned Faversham Town by scoring twice in a devastating 143 seconds.

Right-back Billy Parkinson scored his first goal for Sittingbourne in only his third game for the club since his move from East Grinstead Town, who maintained their Ryman League Division One South status after second-placed Dorking Wanderers sent down Walton & Hersham with a 4-1 win at Stompond Lane.

Sittingbourne stalwart Hicham Akhazzan scored his 96^th career goal for the club in his 333^rd start for the club (plus 75 sub appearances).

Faversham Town winger Josh Stanford bravely rolled home his sixth-goal of the season and carried on playing despite an ankle injury sustained in scoring but they finished the night in sixth-place on 80 points, the same number of points with Hastings United who are now in the driving seat to join Dorking Wanderers, Worthing and Hythe Town in the play-offs at the end of the month.

“It’s not always easy summing up straight after the game,” admitted a disappointed Turner after his side’s 12^th league defeat of the season.

“I think credit to Sittingbourne, I’ve got no problem with the result.  I thought they showed good desire on the night and played it as a real derby and perhaps we didn’t.

“I think the difference was they attacked the ball really well tonight and they got their just rewards.

“A bit of an amazing second goal, which probably turned the game on its head. 

“We’ve done the usual, had plenty of little opportunities towards the end but too little too late.”

Turner admitted that Hastings hold the box seat going into the last two games of the season.

“Well we’re sixth, same as Hastings and they’ve got a considerably better goal difference so we can’t do anything but try to win our last two games now.

“We’re in a similar position to what Hastings have been trying to catch us up, now it’s in their hands.”

Sittingbourne manager Nick Davis had to go off to speak to some of his players so his assistant manager Tony Cornwell was interviewed instead.

“We played Hythe on Saturday, another Kent derby and we’ve got Chatham Saturday coming and we wanted to affect the results not particularly just the fact we wanted to mess Hythe and Faversham up, we wanted to put on a show for the fans,” said Cornwell.

“I thought we fell short a little bit on Saturday against Hythe (losing 2-0), especially first half. I thought we certainly made up for it tonight.

“Looking at the records we haven’t beaten Faversham for a little while now. We got a 0-0 draw here last season but our results against them over the last seven or eight games haven’t been great so it made it a bit special to actually win the game tonight.”

Sittingbourne created the opening chance after only 54 seconds when Steven Ita’s stroked his right-footed free-kick which bounced into Will Godmon’s hands from 25-yards for a comfortable save.

Cornwell said: “We had a couple of early tests for Will, decent keeper. The last time we played them away, not the Cup game but the league game, it was a tight game. Will done some good saves that day so we knew we had a good keeper to beat and we knew we need to take our chances.

“I don’t think we had a real 100% chance in the first half, we had little half-chances.”

Faversham Town played a direct style of football and their opening arrived inside six minutes.

George Monger hit a long ball down the left channel for striker Luke Harvey to try to find the near corner, only for keeper Adam Molloy to make the save to his right.

“I wasn’t unhappy with the first half. I thought we had a few little openings and bits and pieces,” said Turner.

“I thought the front two linked reasonably well at times and there was promising moments, without any end product.”

Cornwell added: “He was allowed to turn a couple of times, which we commented on at half-time.   He tried to get some shots away. We specifically said even before we started the match to not let him have that time. He still worked a couple of openings.”

Sittingbourne, who won the corner count 8-6, tried to play football on their bobbly pitch and created a chance following their first corner of the game.

Ita swung the ball in from the right, Faversham cleared their lines and Akhazzan took a touch before hitting his left-footed drive sailing wide.

Faversham Town kept the ball on the deck to create a good chance in the 16th minute.

Stanford played the ball along the pitch out of defence and Harvey’s flicked pass released striker Dean Grant through the middle.  Having scored four goals in Saturday’s 7-0 win over Walton Casuals it came as a surprise when his right-footed drive flashed across the keeper and past the far post.

Sittingbourne striker Miles Cornwell held his head in his hands in despair when he headed the ball straight into Godmon’s hands after Jack Steventon whipped in the cross from the right after linking up with Stefan Wright.

Faversham Town were off target in the 26^th minute as central defender John Scarborough brought Monger’s corner under control with his chest before hooking his right-footed shot harmlessly wide.

There was a glimpse of excitement during a poor first half when Faversham failed to clear Ita’s corner from the right and the dropped at Akhazzan’s feet, who dug the ball from under his right foot to flash his shot just past the right-hand post from 12-yards.

“The was a little bit of a ploy. We played Hich off of Miles (Cornwell) to get the knock downs and the bits and pieces. I thought he played that role very well tonight, he’s normally playing in a wide midfield role for us Hich. We experimented with him in behind there and I thought he done very, very well.”

Stanford danced his way into the Sittingbourne final third but his left-footed drive bounced harmlessly wide of the post from 30-yards as

Faversham struggled to get in behind a defence superbly marshalled by George Crimmen and Jono Richardson.

“Obviously the surface was a difficult one and that was all that was lacking really,” said Turner.

“I thought it was a fairly even game with nothing in it but coming away from home as a manager you’re fairly content at half-time.

“We’ve got some good technical players but the problem is you can’t do anything but change your game slightly. I thought they played it (the pitch) very well and you can’t possibly sort of string five or six passes together, like you saw the other night (on Carshalton’s 3G pitch) against Kingstonian.

“We’ve got good technical players and all you’re hoping to do is pick the right opportunities and execute well. It’s not easy on those surfaces, that’s why we weren’t being too harsh on the players at half-time.”

Sittingbourne created the final chance of the first half when left-back Conrad Lee clipped a long free-kick down the channel and Scarborough headed the ball away and Akhazzan’s right-footed drive flashed past the near post.

The crowd hoped for a vastly-improved second half.

When asked his thoughts about the first half, Cornwell replied: “First half? I’m trying to recall it!

“I thought it was pretty even. We were happy with the system that we were playing. We felt we could get at them in wide areas. I thought on the balance of play we started the game well first 15-20 minutes.

“They came back into it for a little spell for 10-15 and then it sort of petered out to a 0-0 at half-time.

“If I’m honest we were happy to go in at the break 0-0 because we know we’re trying a couple of extra lads in there tonight. We’ve experimented a little bit with some new lads that we have signed so it was good to get the shape right for me tonight.

“The team blended well and there were no individual standing performances but I thought the team pretty much done well”

Cornwell added: “Pretty much we thought we were well in the game. We didn’t think there would be too many goals in the match but we felt that we could create opportunities second half.”

Turner added: “We felt if we can raise the tempo of our game and play a little brighter and a little bit quicker rather than let this be set-up then we felt we could get the opener.

“It was all very standard first half, wasn’t it? There was nothing clear cut.”

Sittingbourne created the first chance after the break when Steventon’s throw from the right was met by Akhazzan’s hooked shot, which deflected behind for a corner.

Faversham Town summed up their lack of quality when Monger blazed his left-footed free-kick high over the bar from 25-yards.

But Harvey’s driving run forward gave Stanford a chance to break the stalemate but his left-footed shot was comfortably saved by Molloy.

Sittingbourne’s supporters were celebrating when their side smashed the deadlock with Parkinson’s goal timed at 08:30.

Akhazzan swung in Sittingbourne’s sixth corner from the left and Godmon jumped and dropped the ball as he attempted to pluck the ball out of the air above his head and Parkinson accepted the gift by poking the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from inside the six-yard box.

Cornwell said: “It was a bit of a melee in the six-yard area.  We conceded one like that against Hythe which we were very annoyed with.  We were quite happy that we’ve actually got one back today. It fell kindly to one of our players and we were able to take the lead on that.”

Turner refused to blame the former Maidstone United Academy goalkeeper for his costly mistake.

He said: “Will got crowded out. He’s been fantastic for us. He’s got a great future.  My disappointment is obvious. You’ve got to back your goalkeeper up. They were quicker than us and to be fair I thought they looked a threat from those all night.”

Akhazzan produced the only piece of quality of the game by scoring Goal Of The Season.

The midfielder, who played behind lone striker Miles Cornwell, collected the ball in midfield and cracked a right-footed drive from 40-yards, which rose high into the rural Sittingbourne dark sky and sailed over the stranded Godmon, bounced down from a great height and found the top left-hand corner.

Cornwell said: “Unbelievable! It’s a worldy isn’t it?

“We said to him was that just a fluke and he said “No” He meant to shoot, obviously. It’s swerved a little bit in the air and dropped into the net.

“He scored a similar goal not so far out like that against East Grinstead so he's got that in his locker. He’s an intelligent player. It’s probably goal of the season for us and puts him top scorer.”

Turner added: “Yes, fabulous, I guess you have to say fabulous strike really more than anything.

“To hit the ball on that, when it bounces up on that surface, he struck it.  I knew Will was struggling and your only hope at that point is it bounces over the bar. 

“It’s not gone our way and you can only credit the guy for hitting the shot.”

Faversham Town tried to respond immediately but Harvey’s cut back set up Monger but he was not going to trouble Molloy, who was making his 193^rd start for Sittingbourne.

Turner refused to panic, saying, “We know they were quite a powerful side. The key at that point was try not to get carried away. There was still plenty of time at that moment.

“I was trying to make sure I got the substitutes right and didn’t concede the third because that would’ve been game over so that was the key really.

“Dan Carrington was carrying a knock as he has been carrying for a couple of weeks so that was the first substitution.  Charley Robertson has been ill again, which is unfortunate but that’s the way it is.  He’s come on certainly made an impact with our goal setting Josh up so it was going through my mind just take a bit of time now and ease ourselves back into the game.”

The quiet Grant played the ball into left-winger Renford Tenyue, who cut inside and unleashed a right-footed dipping drive, which only just cleared the top of the far post.

Faversham skipper Ryan Cooper swept forward his free-kick, Daniel Carrington laid the ball inside to Stanford, who stung Molloy’s fingers with a 25-yard left-footed hooked drive.

Turner unleashed Charley Robertson off the bench after a bout of illness and he came so close bringing his side back into the game in the 67^th minute.

Faversham’s final corner of the game was whipped in by Monger from the right, the ball was cleared out to Robertson, who controlled the ball and drilled his right-footed shot agonisingly against the top of the right-hand post from 30-yards.

“Really unfortunate, a really pure strike, said Turner.

“We missed him as you do any players like that. We have got a few players with a little bit of illness in the camp and that’s the way it is. He’s come on and his contribution has been a good one.”

Cornwell added: “I think Charley is a very good player. I don’t know why he didn’t start, maybe fatigue?

“We was pleased to see him on the bench if I’m honest. You play against what’s out there and they’ve got a decent squad and if he’s not on the pitch it’s an advantage.”

Sittingbourne had a third goal ruled out as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

Cornwell went on a jinking run from the half-way line beating two Faversham players en-route to the penalty area and his shot was parried by Godmon, diving low to his right, at his near post.

It appeared that Akhazzan had teed-up Ita, who smashed his shot into the roof of the net, only for assistant referee Jonathan Blower to raise his offside flag.

“Yes, I was a little confused why the flat went up.  The linesman just said the ball struck from Steve Ita hit Hick on the way into the beck and deflected in off Hich, who was in an offside position,” said Cornwell.

“At that pointy of time I thought we deserved a third goal. It would’ve put the game to bed.  If it had gone and be called offside, I’d like to see it on replay.”

Faversham Town’s second substitute Liam King almost caught Molloy out at his near post with a shot from the right wing, the Sittingbourne keeper grabbing the ball before it nestled into the back of the net.

Faversham Town went close through Robertson’s right-footed free-kick from 30-yards, which only just dipped over the crossbar.

But The Lilywhites deservedly pulled a goal back through Stanford’s bravery, the goal timed at 32:16.

King played the ball into Robertson’s feet just outside the box and his inch-perfect dink put Stanford through on goal and he rolled the ball past the advancing Molloy, who clattered into the winger, as the ball rolled over the line in the middle of the goal.

Turner revealed some bad news concerning Stanford.

“He’s got a nasty knock actually, it looks like he might be struggling for the rest of the season. He’s got a full impact on his ankle but he stayed out there and I thought it was a really good finish and as you say a brave finish.

“It was an inventive little move which was difficult out there and I thought it was a good goal.”

Cornwell added; “Sort of bobbled through him didn’t it? We’re a long way away and I wondered if he could’ve closed the gap a little quicker.

“I don’t know, I’m too far away to determine that but it was a bit of a scrappy goal. I didn’t really think they put us under pressure but at the time I thought we help on camping really.”

Sittingbourne should have killed the game off when Wright cut the ball back to Adam Allen, but the dual-registered (from Southern Counties East Football League side Beckenham Town) midfielder blazed his shot.

But Cornwell admitted scoring has been a problem for Sittingbourne this season having scored 61 goals in 44 league games.

“We haven’t got, if you like, a 20-man goalscorer,” he said.

“We’re striving to get one of those in, which like every team wants one but we do contribute from midfield areas and get a fair share of goals.

“Steve Ita (on 8 goals) has effectively only played three-quarters-of-the-season and he’s played more in midfield than a forward so those do chip in with the goals which is very useful to the team.”

The Brickies were happy to sit back and allow Faversham Town to press for the point that they desperately needed to keep their promotion dream alive.

The Lilywhites created a trio of chances inside five minutes and 59 seconds of injury time.

Ashley Brown hit a long ball out of defence down the right channel and Stanford brought the ball down under his spell before steering his shot towards the bottom near corner, the shot being blocked by Molloy’s legs.

Cornwell said: “They threw men at it. They were trying to get the point they needed to secure a top five place.

“We knew that they would throw players but we still felt we could’ve counter-attacked on the break with the pace we’ve got in the side.

“We were trying to run the game down in the last 8-10 minutes because we thought we deserved to win and we would’ve been very happy if he had conceded in the last period.”

Cooper’s launched a long throw into the box and the ball was cleared out to Monger, who hit a first time drive from 25-yards, which was caught by Molloy.

Godmon punted a long free-kick straight down the middle of the pitch and Sittingbourne failed to clear their lines and allowed Brown to plant his free header over the bar from 12-yards.

Turner added: “You try not to be desperate at that point. We had lots of little situations towards the end. It’s not dropped our way in the box.”

Turner takes his side to safe East Grinstead Town on Saturday before hosting Hythe Town on 23 April.

“It’s just simple. It’s a big test of character in the dressing room. The very least we can do is to try to win the two games and if it’s not enough it’s not enough ultimately,” said Turner.

“But what you don’t do now is hand the place to Hastings or potentially Corinthian-Casuals.  First and foremost Hastings have got to drop points so the most important thing is we take some characters up to East Grinstead and bounce back which we do very well.”

Sittingbourne travel to Chatham Town, one place but ten points behind The Brickes on Saturday, before hosting Molesey on the final day.

“Yes, we’re still pushing, we’re still trying to get as many points on the board as possible,” said Cornwell.

“We’ve played them, it was a close game, 2-1 I think it was and we won at home.

“I think their clear of relegation. I think it was a game you’d say nothing to players but for me it’s a Kent derby again and the lads will be 100% up there to get three points.”

“We’ve been experimenting in the last three or four games now. We signed a few players on towards the end of March and we’re really looking with a good eye on next season.

“We want to build and we want to be in the top half of the table and not the bottom so to give players opportunities we need the squad we’ve got, quality players but we need to just strengthen it in numbers really and that’s what we’re trying to do in the last two or three games.”

Sittingbourne: Adam Molloy, Billy Parkinson (Tom Brunt 79), Conrad Lee, Jono Richardson, George Crimmen, Jack Steventon, Stefan Wright (Michael Hurcomb 90), Adam Allen, Miles Cornwell, Hicham Akhazzan, Steven Ita (Tom Carsle 83).
Subs: Scott Whibley, Jake Embury

Goals: Billy Parkinson 54, Hicham Akhaazan 56

Faversham Town: Will Godmon, Ryan Cooper, Ashley Brown, Daniel Carrington (Charley Robertson 65), John Scarborough (Liam King 69), Matthew Bourne, Renford Tenyue, George Monger, Dean Grant, Luke Harvey, Josh Stanford.
Subs: Jamie Maxted, Bola Dawadu

Goal: Josh Stanford 77

Booked: Renford Tenyue 85

Attendance: 155
Referee:  Mr Lee Brennan (Clapham, London SW12)
Assistants: Mr Jonathan Blower (Clapham, London SW12) & Mr Zach Jacquart (Sutton, Surrey)