Sittingbourne 1-2 Hythe Town - We're showing signs that we can turn it around, says Bradley Spice

SITTINGBOURNE  1-2  HYTHE TOWN
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 26^th November 2011
Mike Green reports from Bourne Park

After what must rank as one of the season's shockingly poor first half's, two strikes from Brendon Cass in the opening second minutes of the second half saw Scott Porter's side head back to Hythe with the three points, which Sittingbourne assistant boss Bradley Spice was left to ask what might have been if only his side had been able to take advantage of Jack Hooper's towering header with 20 minutes to go.


That said, Spice (who was standing in for the absent Joe Dowley - a long standing commitment at a wedding the cause) was pragmatic in defeat after the game. 

He said: "We're disappointed that we didn't get something out of the game.  The first half was a bit of a battle to be honest with very little football played which wasn’t helped by the game being a bit stop start which the referee didn’t help! 

“Not sure about the penalty - Gloves (Bryan Glover) said he lost the ball in the lights and even then the ball hit him on the arm so I'm not convinced that it was a pen! 

“Second goal meant we were chasing the game and I think that that helped us to be honest as we hadn't previously been able to create those sort of chances earlier in the game.

“We never really gave up today, and I actually thought that we played well today.  We're still a very young side - last 20 minutes we showed some real fight and if we take that into Tuesday's game (against Crawley Down) we'll be alright.  They kept putting themselves on the line and blocking the shots that we did get and that’s what.

“We've now won just one in eight games which isn’t great, and in those games we've taken a couple of beatings and haven’t been very good - as we were against Worthing the other night! 

“We're showing signs that we can turn it around as we've had a couple of home games now that we haven’t got anything and that makes Tuesday so important for us to win not only for us to get some confidence back and to get some interest back in the club!”
 
Hythe boss Porter on the other hand was happy with the way that his side had responded to a disappointing home defeat against Walton & Hersham seven days earlier. 

The Hythe boss admitted: "We needed those points after last weekend’s defeat.  We got our noses in front and then defended very well - got everything behind the ball and managed to cope with difficult conditions and a bobbly pitch, and of course the win. 

“I'm proud of my lads today, especially as we had to dig in at the end as we were under the cosh as they came back at us! 

“We've conceded a lot of late goals recently, but we've seen it out today and as I've said, I'm proud of the boys today.

“I think that the referee didn't help the first half but it’s a local derby and is always going to be a bit feisty, but that’s always going to happen as teams mix it with each other at this level. 

“I think though the referee did play a massive part in that though - he did give yellows when some of the tackles there today and if that’s the case it takes it away from football, and it was of course a derby too. 

“I think it would have been better to have a team of officials from Kent rather than Essex for a derby, but I've got to be honest that I dint think that they were good enough, which is disappointing to me as we've come off with three good points this afternoon and yet the referee is still what we're talking about! 

“It was the same for both sides and I'm sure that they'll have their own views on the officials."
 
In truth the first half was a non-event and then some which can be best summed up in one sentence - one wasteful corner; two poor off targets attempts from both sides and three bookings each as referee Marshall at times exhibited early signs of Christmas in distributing cards.
 
Fortunately the second half was better - if only marginally!
 
Within two minutes of the restart the visitors were ahead. 

A long Aaron Lacy throw caused mayhem and the ball bounced off the arm of the unlucky Bryan Glover, and Cass stepped up to drive the ball into the corner of the net beyond the diving Matt Reed. 

It could have been two ten minutes later as Craig Thompson had a volley blocked by Jon Hogg. 

It only though delayed the inevitable as on 61 minutes a stunning through ball found Cass and whilst Reed did brilliantly to block his initial shot, the ball looped back inviting towards the trusted marksman who gleefully headed home. 

Bourne assistant manager Spice paid Cass this tribute - "He always seems to be there when chances like that come along and nine times out of ten he takes them," adding with a huge grin on his face "... after all if the ball smashed me in the face I'd be glad to claim it too!" 

Meanwhile Hythe boss Porter was frank in his assessment of the spot kick "We undoubtedly got the luck today - everyone in the ground saw the hand ball and I think everyone will agree that it was hand ball but they're not always given.  But today it was and I'm delighted that we put the ball away."
 
With the Brickies reeling, Hythe went for the kill and on 65 minutes, the outstanding Tom Parkinson powered in a header that beat Reed, but sadly for the visitors the right post too.
 
Just as many of the crowd had written off the home side, the Brickies were back in the game. 

Dan Palfrey's free kick from wide on the right was flicked on and in by the late arriving Jack Hooper to give the home side hope. 

The home side almost drew level on 76 minutes when Hythe keeper Paul Egan was forced into desperate measures to claw the ball out from under the cross bar.
 
Substitute Richard Sinden with nine minutes to go then then thundered a volley on the turn against the Sittingbourne bar with Reed well beaten, whilst at the other end Egan pulled off the save of the game will a brilliant full length save away to his right as Hicham Akhazzan cut in from the left wing and fired a vicious swerving shot that the keeper did very well to block.
 
In stoppage time there was almighty goal line scramble in the Hythe area, but the ball couldn't be forced over the line, and so as far as the visitors were concerned it was job done and the points headed back to the coast.
 
Final word to Hythe boss Porter - "I'm pleased with everything about today as we've had it a bit rough of late but this afternoon we got it just about right!"

Sittingbourne:   Matt Reed, Ryan Cooper, Dan Palfrey, Jerry Nnamani, Jonathon Hogg, Bryan Glover, Jack Hooper (Josh West 82), Joe Goldsmith, Cedric Araham (Ryan Golding 58), Luke Girt, Hicham Akhazzan.
Subs:  Jaie Nuttall, Brendon Cullen, Bradley Spice
 
Goal: Jack Hooper 70
 
Booked:  Jerry Nnamani 21, Jack Hopper 31, Bryan Glover 35
 
Hythe Town:  Paul Egan, Aaron Lacy, John Walker, Tom Parkinson, Nick Reeves, Ronnie Dolan, Tassar Hassar, Nick Barnes, Craig Thompon (Richard Sinden 64), Brendan Cass (James Dryden 80), Kane Rice (Dave Cook 54).
Subs:  Pat Kingwell, Ashley Porter
 
Goals:  Brendan Cass 47 (pen), 61
 
Booked: Aaron Lacy 17, Tom Parkinson 31, Kane Rice 34, Brendon Cass 70 

Attendance: 143
Referee : Mr T Ramsey 
Assistants: Mr A Miller & Mr G Marshall