Sittingbourne 3-2 Chipstead - Abbott sets hat-trick hero Brady 20-goal target

In front of the Brickies’ lowest home gate of the season, Gary Abbott’s side broke their Bourne Park duck at the sixth attempt with a hard-fought win over their Surrey visitors, who finished the game with ten-men.

Whilst, manager Abbott was full of praise of Brady afterwards, he also admitted that after dominating the first half his side should have been out of sight.

He told BBC Radio Kent: “While I’m delighted to win at last (here at Bourne Park), the football that we’ve been playing, especially in the first half, was almost like the Arsenal. At times, the pretty, pretty stuff is too much and we tried to walk the ball into the net.

“We’re also giving away silly goals - we’ve done it again tonight to follow up the two we gave away on Saturday (to Eastbourne Town).

“If we had kept a clean sheet at the weekend, we would have been second now.”

Indeed, if the Bourne hadn’t all ready dropped fourteen points at home in five games, they would be the team to catch in this division, rather than Kingstonian (who currently lead the way with 30 points - the Brickies’ now have 22 in third place).

Against a Chipstead side who looked fresher than expected after a FA Cup tie at Torquay United on Saturday, the Brickies had an early scare when Josh Smith broke down the right, only to see Neil John shoot high into the car park after the winger expertly centred.

From this early scare, the Brickies, on a perfect but cold night for football, started to stroke the ball around the pitch and took the lead on the quarter-hour mark.

Bryan Glover threaded a fine ball through for Brady to run onto and the Brickies’ top-scorer, with James Wastell in no-mans land, expertly lobbed the keeper from fully thirty-yards for his tenth goal of the season to give the home side the early lead.

A lead that was to last barely ninety seconds. As from a Reis Aslan free-kick wide on the right, defender Fred Fleming crashed a header off the underside of the Sittingbourne crossbar, only for fellow centre half, Andrew Waring to head the equaliser.

The Brickies should have been in front on 25 minutes as Hicham Akhazzan found the net. But the winger had gone too early after Colin Richmond’s brilliant run had beaten the offside trap, as he drew the keeper instead of shooting, Richmond squared for Akhazzan, who was deemed offside as he walked the ball into the net.

Tom Bradbrook then got in behind the Chips’ defence from Brady’s pass but shot wide, whilst Brady himself, on 35 minutes, was released by Joe Horlock’s clever pass, but this time, his lob beat the keeper but bounced too high and dropped on top of the crossbar.

As the Brickies’ piled forward, Bradbrook, on the stroke of half-time, had a low shot brilliantly turned aside by Wastell.

The pattern continued after the break and there were loud early Sittingbourne cries as Horlock’s cross appeared to be handled by a Chipstead defender. Referee, Mr Ian Crouch, waved away the appeals.

But the New Eltham official did point to the spot on 52 minutes when Bradbrook’s cross seemed to hit Fleming and the official deemed it struck the defender’s hand and Brady made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending the keeper the wrong way.

But yet again, the lead was short lived, as the visitors equalised on 58 minutes. Danny Oakins flicked the ball on for Nathan Campbell, who unleashed an unstoppable drive from 25-yards beyond the despairing Matt Reed and into the net.

Oakins then saw a shot hit the bar from 25-yards before the game turned the Brickies’ way on 71 minutes. Chipstead full-back, Ashley Reid, who had been booked on the stroke of half-time, crudely brought down Bradbrook wide on the left, yet seemed amazed when the referee showed him a second yellow card.

Indeed, he continued his ‘discussion’ with an assistant all the way down the touchline and into the tunnel. Watching Ryman League vice-chairman, Mr Nick Robinson, would have been ‘interested’ in some of the full-back’s comments as he disappeared down the tunnel.

On 78 minutes, the ten-men had a golden opportunity to go in front for the first time as Smith’s fine run was unceremoniously brought to a premature end as he burst into the Sittingbourne penalty area. Oakins took the resulting spot-kick, only to see Reed dive to his left to save and Campbell’s follow up was denied by a wonderful challenge by Joe Dowley.

It really did prove to be the turning point as Brady completed his hat-trick with the goal that sealed the points ten minutes from time. Bradbrook found his strike partner, who raced free and beat Wastell from a tight angle.

It could have been even better for Sittingbourne had first substitute Elie Kayembe done better with a header and then Brady was denied his fourth and Sittingbourne’s fourth by a fine Wastell block.

The relief all round Bourne Park at the final whistle was evident as Abbott’s side climbed to third in the Ryman League Division One South table.

Abbott, himself a goalscorer of some note, was quick to praise his hat-trick hero.

“I’m delighted for Richard - I played with him and he’s a good lad. He’s comfortably a 20-goal striker and this gives him 12 already for the season," he said.

Asked if he’s side were over-achieving, Abbott ruefully conceded that “people will be surprised where we are in the table but we deserve it with some of the football that we’ve played. On our day we will give anybody in this league a game.”

And with a striker like Brady to call on, maybe, just maybe Gary Abbott, the record striker, may go on and record an unlikely first for Sittingbourne and take them all the way.

Sittingbourne: Matt Reed, Nick Reeves, Joe Dowley, Jack Haverson, Ben Payne, Bryan Glover (Elie Kayembe 79), Joe Horlock, Colin Richmond, Tom Bradbrook (Billy Manners 88), Richard Brady, Hicham Akhazzan.
Subs: Ryan Andrews, Dave Milton, Joe Plant.

Goals: Richard Brady 15, 52 (pen), 80

Chipstead: James Wastell, Ashley Reid, Chris Head, Andrew Waring, Fred Fleming, Daryl Coleman, Reis Aslan, Nathan Campbell, Danny Oakins (Alex Brown 85), Neil John (Mark Wardell 45), Josh Smith.
Sub: Lewis Clough.

Goals: Andrew Waring 17, Nathan Campbell 58

Booked: Ashley Reid 45, Darrell Coleman 54

Sent off: Ashley Reid 71

Attendance: 143
Referee: Mr Ian Crouch (New Eltham, London SE9)
Assistants: Mr James Macey (Bexley) & Mr John Barnard (Erith)