Kentish Football 
Sittingbourne 1-1 Walton Casuals - I knew the players wouldn't let me down tonight, says Brady
Tuesday 27th September 2011
SITTINGBOURNE 1-1 WALTON CASUALS
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 27th September 2011
Mike Green reports from Bourne Park
Richard Brady's short 12 game spell as Sittingbourne manager ended on a controversial note as they extended their unbeaten League run to five matches despite playing for nearly 50 minutes with just ten men.
Sadly, Brady's finale will not be remembered for his side’s battling display, but a refereeing display that was as poor in the first half as it was impressive in the second. It was almost as though the Basildon official had been on the receiving end of a half time rollicking as the official that emerged after half time wasn't the same official that left the pitch at half time.
The two main talking points of the first half happened at opposite ends of the first 45 minutes.
On 9 minutes the home side were awarded which can best be described as an extremely soft spot kick.
Elie Kayembe (who's night would only last 15 minutes due to injury) burst through two challenges down the left and then seemed to bounce off a defender and go to ground. Bewildering to most in the ground, and to muffled laughter from the home fans in the main stand, Mr Smith pointed to the spot, only for justice to seemingly be done when Joe Goldsmith's spot kick thundered back off the left post.
If Brady thought it wasn't going to be his night on his last before he and assistant Jamie Coyle move onto Leatherhead in the Ryman Premier League, he was probably convinced when just before half time, Jerry Nnamani was shown a straight red card for retaliation on the edge of the Casuals box.
Nnamani had been left in a heap after missing his shot and appeared to have been stamped on by Jordan Cheadle. Inexcusably, Nnamani proceeds to shove the defender in the back right in front of the referee, who quite correctly showed the Brickes defender a red card.
It does however seem difficult to comprehend how the official and his assistant could have miss such a blatant stamp, but miss it they did and the visitors were about to have a man advantage for the entire second half.
It’s a shame that the half was littered with so much inconsistency from the official as the two sides were evenly matched and producing an enjoyable contest for those who decided to give Manchester in the Champions League a televised miss!
In an fast flowing game, Kayembe forced Casuals keeper Craig Bradshaw to rush outside of his box twice in the opening 15 minutes to clear. Sadly for the home side on the second occasion the giant striker pulled up with a thigh strain and was replaced by the petite but incredibly quick Josh West.
It was the visitors though who had the two best chances of the half and indeed had the ball in the net courtesy of a free header from Cheadle but the official had already blown for a foul - with no complaint from anyone, one of few decisions the official made in the opening half that wasn’t questioned.
That came on 19 minutes, but on the half hour, Cheadle should have put his side in front as again the giant defender found himself with the freedom of Swale in the box only to head high over the bar.
Then came the sending off of Nnamani - the first of his career - and the half was over.
After the break, it was almost as though a different Mr Smith emerged from the dressing room as the fussy and picky official that had left the field was "replaced" by a referee who was willing to let the game ebb and flow and as a result the game was by far a better spectacle.
On 50 minutes Brickies keeper Tim Roberts was forced into a smart save low to his right to deny Charlie Ide, and within minutes West fired a cross shot in which fizzed inches too high.
Walton Casuals then went close just past the hour mark when Michael Barima did well down the right and found Mark Nicholls who's first time shot swung just wide.
At the midway point of the second half, the ten men took the lead - courtesy of a super bit of skill and some superb refereeing!
Colin Richmond was unceremoniously dumped on the ground as he played the ball wide to West. Seeing the young substitute had a run at goal, Mr Smith played an excellent advantage allowing West to feed the ball into Ryan Golding who spun away from his defender brilliantly before firing home into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Five minutes later, the tireless Richmond found room in the box and was promptly floored by defender Liam Hind. Many in the crowd expected the official to point to the spot, but instead waved the appeals as the perplexed Richmond looked on bewildered!
The equaliser came with just 12 minutes to go. A free kick needlessly conceded wide on the left was crossed into the box and as it bounced around substitute Max Howell swung round and buried the ball high into the net - a great finish in a confusing game!
The home side could have won the game on 80 minutes when Golding’s shot was fisted away from Bradshaw, and then in stoppage time a free kick routine down the right promised much but delivered little.
At the final whistle, Brady wandered across the pitch acknowledging the home crowd and you sensed that there could well have been a lump in the throat of a man who had served the Brickies as a player, assistant manager and now manager left the field in charge of Sittingbourne for the last time.
Leatherheads gain is undoubtedly Sittingbourne's and Kent football’s loss.
The departing boss said, "We played with ten men for 50 minutes and thought that we deserved the three points. No one can say that we didn't go for it as we went one nil up and after that the boys are disappointed that we didn't take the points.”
When asked his view on the dismissal of Jerry Nnamani, Brady joked "I didn't see it! Seriously there was a scuffle and the boy felt that he was stamped on but you can’t react like that and I've told him that! He's let the boys down and because of what he's done we've played for 50 minutes short. Credit to the other ten and if I were still going to be here I wouldn't stand for it but that's something for the new manager to deal with and it'll be in his remit to do with him what he will.
“I had no doubt that the players wouldn't let me down tonight - they're players that I've brought into the club during the four years that I've been here, and there are players that people don't realise have been with me all the way from the Academy and see them come all the way through to play for the first team week in week out and that's why along with my feelings for Andy Spice is why we came along tonight.
“Despite going down to ten, we were the side looking to win the game especially as we were at home but the fact that we did go down to ten we thought they'd be extra space on the pitch and we'd be able to push the full backs higher up the pitch to create chances. And other than the late goal that we're disappointed to conceded we would have got the three points.”
Brady added: "I was pleased for Ryan Andrews tonight. He had at least three more touches than I would have done, but that said he's done well and come a long way and you've got to take your hat off to him and he got his goal which he definitely deserved."
Sittingbourne: Tim Roberts, Ryan Cooper, Dan Palfrey, Billy Manners, Jerry Nnamani, Joe Goldsmith (Luke Girt 75), Jaie Nuttall (Jack Hooper 67), Colin Richmond, Ryan Golding, Elie Kayembe (Josh West 15), Hicham Akhazzan.
Subs: Vince Holmes, Matt Reed
Goal: Ryan Golding 68
Booked: Dan Palfrey 29, Jaie Nuttall 42
Sent Off: Jerry Nnamani 42
Walton Casuals: Craig Bradshaw, Jordan Knight, Marvin Farrell, Craig Lewington (Max Howell 46), Liam Hind, Jordan Cheadle, Michael Barima (Tyrone Newton 68), Alfie Arthur (Jack Duffy 46), Charlie Ide, Mark Nicholls, Ashley Alexander.
Sub: Kristian Webb
Goal: Max Howell 78
Booked: Alfie Arthur 40, Craig Lewington 45, Jordan Cheadle 76, Tyrone Newton 83
Attendance 93
Referee: Mr M Smith (Basildon, Essex)
Assistants: Mr M Quinn (Romford, Essex) & Mr P Shanahan (Romford, Essex)
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