Sittingbourne 1-0 Horsham YMCA - Hicham Akhazzan got us out of jail, admits Gary Abbott

Reeves, who formed a formidable partnership alongside seventeen-year-old Luke Medlan at the heart of defence, smashed a 68th minute penalty against the crossbar, before Akhazzan steered home the only goal of a poor game just three minutes later, to send the Brickies up one place to tenth in the Ryman League Division One South table.

Horsham YMCA, managed by former Ashford Town boss John Cumberbatch, arrived at Bourne Park without a league win on their travels, but they played some lovely slick football that belied their position at the foot of the table.

And debutant winger, Stefane Cox, was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Sittingbourne striker Ryan Golding in the 83rd minute, despite impressing down the right flank, but he showed no class when he said “you’re all w****rs” to the Sittingbourne fans in the main stand after he took at least a minute to leave the pitch and if that wasn’t bad enough, the former Dulwich Hamlet player allegedly assaulted a steward down the players tunnel.

Abbott was disappointed by a talented player letting himself down.

“The boy’s got so much ability, it’s just a shame,” he said.  “For everyone to see when he gets beat or tackled he wants to have a little kick out and he done it three or four times in the first half and he’s done it on Golding in the second half and you can’t do that.

“He’s obviously got to get his head right.  He’s got all the ability in the word.  First half he put some great balls in there, he’s tricky.  

“It’s just a shame really because he’s a quality player and he just has to get hold of himself and the manager has got to get hold of him and sort his head out.”

Sittingbourne were forced to cut their entire playing budget due to a £20,000 debt back in January and Abbott has been forced to blood in youngsters since then, with only Matt Reed, Reeves and Akhazzan staying loyal to the club.

Out of today’s sixteen-man squad, seven players have been drafted in from Dartford’s Academy (which Richard Brady, Abbott‘s number two, runs), with Ryan Cooper, Dan Polfrey, Medlan, Jaie Nuttall, Golding, Jack Hooper and Ryan Palmer, all experiencing Ryman League football a little earlier than they thought they would.

And Palmer was to be Sittingbourne’s 43rd player of the season when he came off the bench in the 70th minute and within a minute the home side had scored the winner.

Horsham YMCA, meanwhile, who’s chairman confirmed that Cumberbatch has a £700 per week playing budget, have used 84 players already this season, and they are favourites to suffer relegation back to the Sussex County League, having won only four of their 36 league games.

Sittingbourne created the first chance of the game, when inside the opening four minutes, Golding cracked a right-footed volley, which whistled past the near post from the edge of the penalty area.

Sittingbourne were denied by a goal-line clearance from Horsham YMCA’s right-back Danny Dudley ten minutes later.

Jaie Nuttall released Richard Whyte down the right channel and his low centre was stabbed towards goal by Nuttalll, which was blocked, and Akhazzan’s prod with the outside of his right boot, was hacked off the line by the visiting number 2.

Horsham YMCA’s fine football didn’t really produce any real end product, an example of this came in the 24th minute when Cox’s left-footed shot from the edge of the box sailed wide following a move of ten passes.

Sittingbourne went close when left-back Palfrey played the ball over the top of the visiting defence and Akhazzan played in former Cray Wanderers’ striker Whyte, who slammed his shot past the near post from an acute angle.

But Horsham YMCA squandered an excellent chance to take the lead in the 35th minute.

Striker Gavin Gordon rolled the ball back to left-back Daryl Plummer, who cut inside Akhazzan and his floated cross found striker Tommy Youle unmarked inside the box but he stroked a right-footed shot straight at goalkeeper Reed from eight-yards, when he really should have scored.

And on the stroke of half-time, tricky winger Cox did all the hard work as he cut inside Palfrey but skied his shot high over the bar from the edge of the box, to a chorus of “that’s why you’re going down,” from the Sittingbourne faithful in the Shed, who gave their young side excellent vocal support throughout the scrappy game.

Abbott made a double substitution at the break and brought on Hooper and Sam Collins to lift his side as they struggled to trouble Horsham YMCA’s two central defenders, Hugh Sammuels and Tony Reid, who was a striker for Bromley under manager Stuart McIntyre.

Explaining why, Abbott said, “We had to make the changes.  When it don’t happen that’s what the subs’ are for.  Can they change the game?  We made two subs at half time.  You look at Collins and you look at Hooper, two boys you’re going to get 120% out of them and you get a bit more aerial out of Hooper as well.

“As soon as they came on it was completely different.  I thought we controlled the game and we got the penalty and Reevsie missed it - which I thought that was probably our chance to win the game - and we went to score three minutes later.  Hicham sort of got him out of jail really.”

Reed made a comfortable catch after only 19 seconds into the second half from Gordon, after he was released by Youle.

Sittingbourne’s best chance, however, arrived in the 53rd minute when Akhazzan cut inside Dudley and slipped the ball through to Golding, who turned Reid and drove a left-footed drive across Fox and agonisingly past the far post from ten-yards.

Maidstone based referee Nolan Wilde pointed to the spot to award Sittingbourne a 68th minute penalty - only for Reeves to fluff his lines.

Akhazzan’s flick released substitute Hooper through on goal and he was felled by Sammuels, but Reeves blasted his right-footed penalty onto the crossbar, in an attempt to blast the ball straight down the middle.

But Reeves ensured his 133rd appearance for the club wasn’t going to end in disappointment as he played his part in Akhazzan’s fifth-goal of the season just three minutes later.

Palmer looped in a cross from the right and found Palmer unmarked on the edge of the box and he cut the ball back to Reeves, who drilled a low right-footed drive from 25-yards, which was spilt by Fox and after Paul Semakula’s shot was blocked, Akhazzan’s left-foot steered the ball into the net from ten-yards.

“Hicham will always pop up with a goal,” said Abbott.  “He’s not been as prolific as he was last year but he’s done well to turn on that with his left foot and he’s managed to score.”

Horsham YMCA pressed for a late equaliser and substitute Kieron Mercer headed into Reed’s arms after Scott Harris’ free-kick and Youle lifted a right-footed 20-yard free-kick over the wall and straight at Reed, who caught the ball above his head.

Their chances of getting anything out of the game went in the 83rd minute when Cox kicked out at a grounded Golding during a midfield tussle, which sparked an ugly melee, which saw referee Mr Wilde produce a straight red-card for the offence, before issuing yellow cards to Reeves and Dudley for their part in the ensuring scuffle.

Sulking Cox took a very long time to leave the field and when before he disappeared down the players tunnel he made a hand gesture to the home fans, saying “you’re all w*****s” and it is alleged he pushed a steward as he made his way towards the dressing rooms.

Horsham YMCA almost grabbed an injury time leveller - something that their play deserved - when Harris’ corner from the left found Reid unmarked at the far post and he took a touch before beating Reed with a fierce low angled drive, but thankfully Hooper was on hand to clear the ball off the line beside the far post.

Abbott, who has ruled out a push for the play-off’s due to the youthfulness of his team, was impressed with his opponents.

“Obviously pleased with the result, but full credit to Horsham (YMCA) to be fair.  They came out andd they were the better side,” he said.

“They’ve got three or four quality players to be fair to them and they’ve left it a little bit late (to survive relegation) but I’m sure they will bounce straight back up with the squad they’ve got.”

Abbott added: “To be fair, that’s not the team they’ve had all year.  If that was their team all year they’d probably be halfway to be fair, let’s be honest about  it.  They’ve got five or six good players there, strong players at the back, awkward players and they’re hard to play against, so it’s a shame they’ve left it a bit late really because they’re not going to get out of it now.  It’s a shame because next year they’re probably going to bounce straight back.”

Abbott named Medlan his man-of-the-match with a composed performance alongside Reeves, in only his fourth appearance at this level.

He said: “Luke doesn’t say a word, he just gets on with his game.  You don’t really notice he’s out there.  He just gets on with it so quietly.  He was probably our man-of-the-match, I think.  He’s seventeen and everything he does he does right.  Like I say, the partnership now with them two is good.”

Abbott, meanwhile, thanked the Sittingbourne faithful for sticking by their club, despite Horsham YMCA refusing to switch this game to an earlier kick-off time due to England’s European Championship Qualifier against Wales in Cardiff, which also kicked off at 3pm, with England winning 2-0, courtesy of two goals inside the opening fourteen minutes from Frank Lampard and Darren Bent.

He said: “I think 118 is alright actually, considering England were playing and we’ve been getting 120’s anyway, so obviously they wanted to see Sittingbourne instead of England, which is a good thing for us.”

Sittingbourne: Matt Reed, Ryan Cooper, Dan Palfrey, Nick Reeves, Luke Medlan, Ishankie Charles (Sam Collins 46), Jaie Nuttall (Ryan Palmer 70), Paul Semakula, Richard White (Jack Hooper 46), Hicham Akhazzan.

Subs: Luke Girt, Matt Burt

Goal: Hicham Akhazzan 71

Booked: Nick Reeves 85

Horsham YMCA: Mark Fox, Danny Dudley, Daryl Plummer, Scott Harris, Tony Reid, Hugh Sammuels, Michael Abbnet (Kieron Mercer 61), Zak Henry, Gavin Gordon, Tommy Youle, Stefane Cox.

Subs: Ben Bowra, Mushood Olafunmishe, Mark Gradielski, Marc Cumberbatch

Booked: Danny Dudley 85

Sent Off: Stefane Cox 83

Attendance: 118

Referee: Mr Nolan Wilde (Maidstone)

Assistants: Mr Mark Graves (Margate) & Mr Philip Rowley (Canterbury)