Sittingbourne 0-1 Worthing - Rebels' stage smash-and-grab raid to leapfrog over Brickies

The points returned to west Sussex, courtesy of a seventh minute goal, from Worthing skipper Ben Andrews, whose 30-yard free-kick, although hit with power and pace, went straight through the Sittingbourne wall, giving goalkeeper Matt Reed no chance of making the save.

Brickies boss, Gary Abbott, admitted that the 4-5-1 formation that his side adopted, wasn’t through choice.

“It was playing on my mind all day to play 4-4-2, but we looked at it and expected them to play three at the back so we decided to go with the formation that has done us so well away from home,” he said.

When asked to comment about his side’s total dominance, Abbott replied, “If you look at it, Matt Reed has had two shots to save all game and we missed a hatful at the other end.

“We’ve lost six games at home now and if you look at the league table, if we had won, say, three of them we’d be five points clear.

“But in all honesty, I’m delighted with the players tonight, that was arguably our best performance of the season, all that was lacking was a goal and if we had scored one, we would have had more.”

And to be fair, the Brickies boss was right. Set up with five strung across the middle, Sittingbourne dominated a side who arrived at Bourne Park fourteen league games unbeaten - and had the Sittingbourne strikers had their shooting boots on the points would have surely stayed in Kent.

The game’s only goal arrived on seven minutes when striker Ross Treleaven was adjudged by referee Mr Hatzidakis to have been fouled by Matt Bourne just outside the Sittingbourne penalty area - a decision which later mystified Abbott.

“I honestly thought that Bourney had won the ball as the ball changed direction and headed towards the corner flag.

“We should’ve been defending a corner, not a free-kick. But that said, when our wall disintegrates like that, what hope do we have?”

That does, however, take something away from Andrews, whose thunderous drive would probably have taken two keepers to get anywhere near the ball.

Such was the power of the strike that poor Reed was left motionless as the ball thundered past him.

Almost from that point, until half-time, the Brickies probed, urged on by the influential Colin Richmond and sponsors’ man-of-the-match, Joe Horlock.

It was one of those nights when poor Hicham Akhazzan had one of those nights that strikers dread.

On sixteen minutes, the Brickies winger raced clear and as the goalkeeper came out, he was only denied by a fabulous late block by defender Matt Simpson, who was quick enough to react as the bobbled past the keeper.

On 27 minutes, the visitors’ almost doubled their advantage when a poor clearance by Billy Manners, fell straight to Worthing winger, Richard Greenfield, whose first time shot was well turned aside by Reed.

As the half continued, you sensed ever increasing anxiety and hoped that if the Brickies’ could get level, they would surely go on and win the game.

Sittingbourne’s best period of play came just after half-time when, first, Nick Reeves’ shot narrowly wide and Horlock had a thirty-yard drive turned aside.

The best chance and the most clear cut, however, fell to the unfortunate Akhazzan on 57 minutes.

A brilliant through ball from Richmond released the Sittingbourne number eleven and with only keeper Mansfield to beat, Akhazzan snatched at his shot and the ball went wide of the left post.

Not even the introduction of top-scorer Richard Brady could change the Brickies’ fortunes and the night was summed up in the closing seconds when, from a Horlock free-kick, the Worthing defence failed to clear, but the ball just would not drop for Bourne in the penalty area and the defender’s shot sailed into the car park.

Whilst admitting to BBC Radio Kent afterwards that his side’s home form could well cost them, manager Abbott conceded, “We’ve still have 18 or 19 games left and if you had said to me that we’d be fifth in the table, I would’ve taken that.

“We’ve done the hard bit getting here,” the veteran striker said, with a wry smile, “Now we’ve got the “easy” bit to come.

“There’s no team in this league that is head and shoulders above the rest and if we don’t make the play-off’s, I’d be gutted.”

On this performance, the Brickies are more than capable of reaching the post season “all” they have to do now is work out how to win at Bourne Park.

Sittingbourne: Matt Reed, Ryan Andrews, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Billy Manners, Rio Alderton, Joe Horlock, Nick Reeves (Richard Brady 65), Tom Bradbrook (Elie Kayembe 71), Colin Richmond, Hicham Akhazzan.
Subs: Pat Gradley, Ben Payne, Andre Marques.

Booked: Matt Bourne 7

Worthing: Alan Mansfield, Matt Simpson, Glen Woodburn, Stuart Axten, Ben Andrews, Andy Alexander, Jamie Brotherton, Scott Kirkwood, Ross Treleaven, Will Jenkins, Richard Greenfield (Chris O‘Flaherty 81).
Subs: Mark Pulling, Jorge Lopes, Charlie Farmer, Adam Mitchell.

Goal: Ben Andrews 7

Booked: Jamie Brotherton 72, Will Jenkins 86, Scott Kirkwood 89

Attendance: 139
Referee: Mr Constantine Hatzidakis (Gravesend)
Assistants: Mr Harry Hill (Dartford) & Mr Graham Bryant (Saltwood)